Abstract 1390 Crosstalk Between Alpha-Synuclein, Mitochondria, and Lysosomes in Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and is a highly devastating movement disorder. PD etiology involves complex disruptions in neuronal homeostasis, particularly involving mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction. Recently, mitochondria and lysosomes have been shown to directly interact and crosstalk at mitochondria-lysosome contact sites, which may be an important site for cellular dysfunction in PD pathophysiology. Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a lipid-binding protein whose accumulation is a hallmark of PD pathology in patients, and point mutations in α-syn directly cause familial forms of PD.