Figure 5

Aggregates immunopositive for phosphorylated α-synuclein in the pons of α-Gal A-deficient brain. Sagittal brain sections from male 20- to 24-month-old α-Gal A +/0 (a, b, f) or -/0 (c, d, g) mice were immunolabeled with an antibody against phosphorylated α-synuclein. Panels a-d show similar regions within the pons, and (b and d) are 8x magnifications of the boxes in (a and c). Black arrowheads indicate areas of intense phosphorylated α-synuclein immunoreactivity (d). Phosphorylated-α-synuclein aggregates above 10 microns in diameter were counted per field and graphed in panel e, which shows that none were present in α-Gal A +/0 pons while α-Gal A -/0 pons demonstrated an average of approximately 5 aggregates per field. Panels (f and g) show similar perinuclear phosphorylated α-synuclein staining patterns in the hippocampus between α-gal A +/0 (f) and -/0 (g) brains. Scale bars = 100 microns (a-d), 50 microns (f, g).