The aggregation and fibrillization of alpha-synuclein, a major component of Lewy bodies, is a key event in Parkinson's disease. Although the mechanisms of fibrils formation are largely investigated, physiological function of alpha-synuclein is not yet clearly elucidated. Here, we showed that C-terminal region of ot-synuclein is similar to alpha-crystalline domain of small heat shock proteins. In our experiments, alpha-synuclein, like small heat shock proteins, protected cellular proteins from denaturation, and confer Escherichia coli cellular tolerances against thermal- and oxidative-stresses. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.