alpha-synuclein

noun

al·​pha-sy·​nu·​clein

variants or α-synuclein

ˌal-fə-si-ˈn(y)ü-klē-ən 

: a protein that is found primarily in neurons and accumulates to form Lewy bodies in people affected with Parkinson's disease and some forms of dementia

… the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease involves the abnormal folding, aggregation, and deposition of α-synuclein as key steps in mediating neuronal dysfunction and degeneration.

—Mel B. Feany, The New England Journal of Medicine

Note: Mutations in the gene encoding alpha-synuclein have been linked to a rare, inherited form of Parkinson's disease.