The synucleins, including alpha-synuclein (also designated NACP  for  nonamyloid component precursor),beta-synuclein (also designated PNP 14 for phospho-neuroprotein 14)and gamma-synuclein (also designated persyn or BCSG1 for breast cancer-specific gene 1)are presynaptic protein abundant in neurons. alpha-synuclein, a component of Alzheimer’s disease amyloid plaques, is localized to neuronal cell bodies and synapses. Coordinate  expression of  alpha-synucleinand  beta-synuclein may be important during hematopoetic cell differentiation. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, a mutant form of  alpha-synuclein  has been found and gamma-synuclein is associated with axonal pathology.