Figure 2. The characteristics and localisation of α-synuclein does not correlate with the therapeutic effects of Cu^II(atsm) treatment of MPTP lesioned mice.

The SDS-insoluble α -synuclein (a) present in the brain (Br) or ileum (Il) of hA53T transgenic mice and PBS-insoluble α -synuclein (b) present in the brain or ileums of hA53T transgenic (TG), α-synuclein knock-out (KO) or wild-type (WT) mice following lesioning with saline (SAL) or MPTP was detected by western immunoblot analysis of homogenates normalised for equivalent protein. α -synuclein immunoreactivity was not detected in wholemounts (c–j) prepared from the myenteric plexus of KO (c) but was present in hA53T TG (i) mice and saline lesioned (d–f) and MPTP lesioned (g,h,j) C57Bl6 mice, treated with SSV (d,g,h) or Cu^II(atsm) (e,f,j). α-synuclein was observed in cell bodies (arrow heads in d,d’,h,h’) and as aggregates (arrows in e,g). Insets (d,f,h,j) are shown magnified x2.5 (d’,f’,h’,j’). Scale bar 100 μm.