Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40819250›Full record

ArticleThe FEBS journal2026

Hydrophobic residues in the α-synuclein NAC domain drive seed-competent fibril formation and are targeted by peptide inhibitors.

Viswanath Das, Sayed Mostafa Modarres Mousavi, Narendran Annadurai, Sunčica Sukur, Faramarz Mehrnejad, Sajad Moradi, Lukáš Malina, Markéta Kolaříková, Vaclav Ranc, Ivo Frydrych and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The FEBS journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Viswanath DasFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0001-5973-5990
Sayed Mostafa Modarres MousaviDepartment of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Narendran AnnaduraiFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Sunčica SukurFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Faramarz MehrnejadDepartment of Nanobiotechnology and Biomimetics, School of Life Science Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran.
Sajad MoradiNano Drug Delivery Research Centre, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Lukáš MalinaFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Markéta KolaříkováDepartment of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Vaclav RancFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Ivo FrydrychFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Roman KouřilDepartment of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0001-8211-3348
Saman HosseinkhaniDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Marián HajdúchFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Maryam NikkhahDepartment of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0003-0744-2699

Funding

European Commission 872195Grantová Agentura České Republiky 23-06301JMinisterstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LM2018129Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LM2023033Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LM2023050Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LM2023052Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LM2023053Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LX22NPO5102Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy LX22NPO5107Technology Agency of the Czech Republic TN02000109
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) is a 14-kDa intrinsically disordered protein that aggregates into insoluble fibrils in synucleinopathies, including Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, and Parkinson's disease, contributing to neurotoxicity and disease progression. The ability of these fibrils to seed further aggregation of native protein is central to αSyn pathology. Here, we examined the broader non-amyloid component (NAC) domain, focusing on how residues flanking the hydrophobic 68-71 (GAVV) motif of αSyn (residues 8-11 in NAC35) modulate nucleation, stability, and pathological seeding. Using full-length NAC peptide and truncated variants, we show that the 68-71 (GAVV) stretch is critical for nucleation and aggregation into prion-like fibrils. Peptide inhibitors targeting this hydrophobic region block the formation of seed-competent fibrils. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that these inhibitors alter peptide-peptide interactions and contact key hydrophobic residues within the NAC domain. Further analysis indicates that residues beyond the 68-71 (GAVV) motif, such as 79-95, are critical for stabilizing fibrils and promoting seeding competency. Peptide B interactions with key hydrophobic motifs within the NAC domain were visualized in silico, offering mechanistic insights into how it disrupts aggregation.

Indexed as

alpha-SynucleinAmyloidPeptidesAmino Acid MotifsAmino Acid SequenceHumansHydrophobic and Hydrophilic InteractionsMolecular Dynamics SimulationProtein AggregatesProtein Aggregation, PathologicalProtein Domainsalpha-SynucleinAmyloidPeptidesProtein Aggregatesalpha‐synucleinamyloid fibrilhydrophobic regionnon‐amyloid componentParkinson's diseasepeptide inhibitorsynuclein seeding

Identifiers

PMID40819250
PMCPMC12797002

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.