Protein phosphatase 2A is involved in the tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation regulated by α-synuclein.

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD), the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Previous studies have shown that α-Syn regulates dopamine synthesis by binding to and inhibiting tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In neurons, protein phosphatases (PPs) play a prominent role in directing signaling toward survival or degeneration. This study was to re-evaluate whether α-Syn could regulate the tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation by protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A) in dopaminergic MN9D cells and cortex neurons. Our data demonstrated for the first time that α-Syn stimulates PP2A activity and reduces phosphorylation of TH through regulating the methylation of PP2A in dopaminergic MN9D cells and primary cortex neurons. Increased PP2A activity and reduced phosphorylation of PP2A at Y307 (inactive form of PP2A) were observed in α-Syn overexpression dopaminergic cells (Syn) and primary cortex neurons, and the TH phosphorylation relieved by enhancing PP2A methylation in Syn group could be abated by using PP inhibitors, okadaic acid (OKA). OKA could reduce the cell damage and cell apoptosis induced by α-Syn. Thus our findings may provide an insight into the complicated pathogenesis of PD as well as some clues to the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting at PP2A.