Alpha Synuclein is implicated in the regulation of dopamine release and transport. It is a soluble protein, expressed principally in the brain but also expressed in low concentrations in all tissues examined (except liver). In the nervous system, alpha Synuclein is primarily located at presynaptic terminals and is found membrane bound in dopaminergic neurons. It can form filamentous aggregates that are the major non amyloid component of intracellular inclusions in several neurodegenerative diseases (synucleinopathies), including Parkinson's Disease. Alpha Synuclein induces fibrillization of microtubule associated protein tau and reduces neuronal responsiveness to various apoptotic stimuli, leading to a decreased caspase 3 activation. Alpha synuclein is a protein phosphorylated predominantly on serine residues.