Fig. 1

The star-like astrocytic aSyn accumulations in the DLB entorhinal cortex (EC). a The EC of DLB and CTR brains were immunohistochemically stained using aSyn antibodies with epitopes against the N-terminus (LASH-EGTNter 1–20 and LASH-BL 34–45), the NAC region (LASH-BL 80–96 and BD SYN-1 91–99) and the C-terminus (2F10-E12 110–115 and AB 134–138) of aSyn. The extreme N-terminal antibody LASH-EGTNter as well as the C-terminal antibodies 2F10-E12 and AB 134–138 showed neuronal pathology in the soma and neurites. The late N-terminal antibody LASH-BL 34–45 as well as the two NAC region antibodies LASH-BL 80–96 and BD SYN-1 were positive for LBs and LNs, but also distinctively detected star-shaped glial aSyn species (insets). Representative images taken from the cortical deep grey matter (layers V–VI) of DLB2 and CTR1. b The aSyn PTM antibodies against phosphorylation and nitration at Tyrosine 39 (Y39) were also reactive to the star-like astroglial pattern (insets). Representative images taken from the cortical deep grey matter (layers V–VI) of DLB2 and CTR2. c Star-like aSyn species are associated with the GFAP-positive astrocytes in the DLB brains as shown by IF using antibodies for astrocytic and neuronal markers GFAP and NF, and LASH-BL 34–45 antibody against aSyn. The star-like aSyn species (arrows) appeared in and around the GFAP-positive astrocytes, and not in the LNs. Representative images from DLB1 cingulate cortex. Images on the upper panel taken using Olympus slide scanner at 40 × magnification, and the lower panel on Zeiss LSM700 confocal microscope. Scale bar for Fig. 1a, b is 20 µm for the main images and 40 µm for the insets. aSyn = alpha-synuclein; CTR = control; DLB = dementia with Lewy bodies; EC = entorhinal cortex; GFAP = glial fibrillary acidic protein; IF = immunofluorescence; LB = Lewy body; LN = Lewy neurite; NAC = non-amyloid component; NF = neurofilament; PTM = post-translational modification