Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42562827›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

α-Synuclein blocks endoplasmic reticulum co-translational protein translocation early in Parkinson's disease.

Chor Lai Lam, Nicholas J F Gatford, Ana Aragón-González, Benedict Tanudjojo, Anis Sahoo, Andrew R Castle, Devika Agarwal, Ashwin Jainarayanan, Svenja S Hester, Navoneel Sen and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Chor Lai Lam *Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Nicholas J F Gatford *Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Ana Aragón-GonzálezNuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8244-0848
Benedict TanudjojoNuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Anis SahooNuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0009-0001-0390-1176
Andrew R CastleNuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2590-9555
Devika AgarwalMRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Ashwin JainarayananKennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Svenja S HesterTarget Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Navoneel SenKavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Justin L P BeneschKavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1507-3742
Roman FischerTarget Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9715-5951
David SimsMRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
George K TofarisNuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. george.tofaris@ndcn.ox.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-9252-5933

Funding

ChimeraX -- Next Generation Visualization and Analysis Software for Multiscale ModelingR01GM129325 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI FERRIN, THOMAS E · 2018 to 2025
$5.2M
Medical Research Council MR/V007068/1NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM129325Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The primary mechanism and subcellular localisation of α-synuclein toxicity in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis remain unknown. We spatially and temporally resolved proteomic and transcriptomic changes in human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons with increasing burden of pathological α-synuclein. We found that misfolded α-synuclein proteoforms, signified by the formation of nanoscale intraneuronal puncta, are associated with impaired translocon function at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We show that α-synuclein interacts with Sec61A in iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons and in post-mortem brain tissue from patients with Parkinson's disease. This interaction interferes with the co-translational translocation of ER-processed proteins including the vacuolar-type ATPase V0a1 subunit, glucocerebrosidase, and Cathepsin B, causing defective organelle function such as reduced lysosomal acidification, leading to increased extracellular vesicle release of α-synuclein. Defective ER-translocation was associated with increased ribosomal UFMylation and proteasomal recruitment but not activation of the unfolded protein response. Reduction of pathological α-synuclein by either CRISPRi to decrease α-synuclein expression or pharmacological activation of proteasomal degradation with repurposed drugs mitigates the ER defect. Our study offers a unifying mechanistic link between α-synuclein pathology and dysregulation of diverse organelle-associated proteins that are both Sec61A translocon substrates and genetic modifiers of Parkinson's disease risk. Our data also provide a therapeutic rationale for proteasomal activation in early Parkinson's disease.

Indexed as

alpha-SynucleinEndoplasmic ReticulumParkinson DiseaseBrainDopaminergic NeuronsHumansInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsLysosomesProteasome Endopeptidase ComplexProtein TransportSEC Translocation Channelsalpha-SynucleinProteasome Endopeptidase ComplexSEC Translocation Channels

Identifiers

PMID42562827
PMCPMC13448182

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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.