‘αS60’

Chemical crosslinkers trap αS in intact cells as a 60 kDa species, around 4 times the size of its monomeric state (14.5 kDa). What does this mean?

‘αS Membrane Accumulation’

Normally, αS switches between membrane-associated and cytoplasmic forms. We have engineered αS to accumulate in a monomeric form at membranes, with striking effects on cell biology. What can we learn about αS in health and disease?

‘αS Inclusion Reduction and Prevention’

We have found a ‘short-cut’ for αS to readily form round cytoplasmic inclusions in cultured cells. This insight will be used for high throughput screens to achieve ‘inclusion reduction’.

‘αS pS129’

In Lewy bodies, the hallmark lesions of Parkinson’s disease, αS is strongly phosphorylated at serine-129. We recently described that pS129 also serves a normal role in synaptic transmission. We seek to elucidate the mechanisms governing physiological pS129 and the contribution of pS129 to modulating synaptic transmission.