Huseyin Berkcan Isilgan

Mr. Huseyin Berkcan Isilgan


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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ACAlessandra Maria Calogero
Alessandra Maria Calogero
MBMilo J Basellini
Milo J Basellini
HIHuseyin Berkcan Isilgan
Huseyin Berkcan Isilgan
FLFrancesca Longhena
Francesca Longhena
Arianna BellucciArianna Bellucci
Arianna Bellucci
GCGraziella Cappelletti
Graziella Cappelletti
Emerging evidence supports that altered α-tubulin acetylation occurs in Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of α-synuclein fibrillary aggregates within Lewy bodies and nigrostriatal neuron degeneration. Nevertheless, studies addressing the interplay between α-tubulin acetylation and α-synuclein are lacking. Here, we investigated the relationship between α-synuclein and microtubules in primary midbrain murine neurons and the substantia nigra of post-mortem human brains. Taking advantage of immunofluorescence and Proximity Ligation Assay (PLA), a method allowing us to visualize protein–protein interactions in situ, combined with confocal and super-resolution microscopy, we found that α-synuclein and acetylated α-tubulin colocalized and were in close proximity. Next, we employed an α-synuclein overexpressing cellular model and tested the role of α-tubulin acetylation in α-synuclein oligomer formation. We used the α-tubulin deacetylase HDAC6 inhibitor Tubacin to modulate α-tubulin acetylation, and we evaluated the presence of α-synuclein oligomers by PLA. We found that the increase in acetylated α-tubulin significantly induced α-synuclein oligomerization. In conclusion, we unraveled the link between acetylated α-tubulin and α-synuclein and demonstrated that α-tubulin acetylation could trigger the early step of α-synuclein aggregation. These data suggest that the proper regulation of α-tubulin acetylation might be considered a therapeutic strategy to take on PD.