PMSF and SFN Reduce Alpha‐synuclein Aggregation in a Yeast Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease, PD, is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in humans. PD is marked by Lewy body formation in the brain, which disturbs the dopamine transfer system across neurons. Previous studies have shown that the protein, α‐synuclein, is a major contributor in the formation of Lewy bodies, which are a pathological hallmark of PD. In this study, we modeled α‐synuclein aggregation in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and treated the cells with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) in one trial, and sulforaphane (SFN) in another. Our data suggest that a 4mM concentration of PMSF and a 200μg/ml concentration of SFN significantly reduces α‐synuclein aggregation. We are currently working to uncover the mechanism of action of these drugs.