Outeiro TF

Paiva I

Pavlou MAS

Pinho R

\ua9 The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. Parkinson\u27s disease is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. The main neuropathological hallmarks of the disease are the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the accumulation of protein inclusions known as Lewy bodies. Recently, great attention has been given to the study of genes associated with both familial and sporadic forms of Parkinson\u27s disease. Among them, the α-synuclein gene is believed to play a central role in the disease and is, therefore, one of the most studied genes. Parkinson\u27s disease is a complex disorder and, as such, derives from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Here, we offer an update on the landscape of epigenetic-mediated regulation of gene expression that has been linked with α-synuclein and associated with Parkinson\u27s disease. We also provide an overview of how epigenetic modifications can influence the transcription and/or translation of the α-synuclein gene and, on the other hand, how α-synuclein function/dysfunction can, per se, affect the epigenetic landscape. Finally, we discuss how a deeper understanding of the epigenetic profile of α-synuclein may enable the development of novel therapeutic approaches for Parkinson\u27s disease and other synucleinopathies

The yin and yang of α-synuclein-associated epigenetics in Parkinson\u27s disease

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