Reverse engineering Lewy bodies suggests alpha-synuclein pathology as condensatopathy
Understanding how soluble monomeric alpha-synuclein transitions into pathological alpha-synuclein (Lewy bodies) has remained a central challenge in neurodegeneration. Existing models, largely based on treating cells and animals with pre-formed alpha-synuclein fibrils cannot account for the emergence of the first inclusion without pre-existing seeds. Here, we combine in vitro reconstitutions, computational modeling and a minimal cellular system to show that phase separation of alpha-synuclein with an interacting scaffold can recapitulate Lewy body-like structures. An unbiased proteomics screen, live-cell imaging, correlative light-electron microscopy, and soft X-ray tomography show that Lewy body-like structures are associated with redistribution of actin and membrane-bound organelles, with mitochondria accumulating at their periphery in an actin-dependent manner. Structural analyses further indicate that alpha-synuclein condensates provide local environments in which the insoluble beta-sheets can form. Together, these findings support a seed-independent trajectory from soluble alpha-synuclein through condensation and progressive immobilization to Lewy body-like assemblies and, subsequently, insoluble beta-sheet fibrils. This framework offers a new mechanistic route for understanding the disease progression and promises to guide the design of innovative therapeutic interventions.
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Sansevrino, R., Korobeinikov, A., Chen, J.-H., Hoffmann, C., Le Roy, H., Ruff, K. M., Major, A., Nayak, A., Brosius, P., Ekman, A., He, S., Chen, M., Jackson, J., Aguilar Perez, G., Wang, H., Tromm, J. V., Schneider, G., Lau, K., Textoris-Taube, K., et al. (2026). Reverse engineering Lewy bodies suggests alpha-synuclein pathology as condensatopathy [Preprint]. openRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.09.757996
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