Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common known cause of late-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical and pathological studies have demonstrated that in the majority of cases LRRK2 mutations lead to PD with classical clinical and pathological features. However, in some patients the pathological features can be distinct and/or more extensive than typically seen in PD...

LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) has been identified as a gene corresponding to PARK8, an autosomal-dominant gene for familial Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 pathogenic-specific mutants induce neurotoxicity and shorten neurites. To elucidate the mechanism underlying LRRK2 expression, we constructed the LRRK2-promoter-luciferase reporter and used it for promoter analysis. We found that the ...

In this issue of Neuron, Lin et al. report that LRRK2 modulates age-related neurodegeneration caused by overexpression of alpha-synuclein in the forebrain of transgenic mice. Overexpression of LRRK2 accelerates the progression of alpha-synuclein-mediated neuropathological changes, whereas deletion of LRRK2 alleviates these alterations. The results reveal an interesting interaction between alpha...

Complex molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) are gradually being elucidated. Accumulating genetic evidence implicates dysfunction of kinase activities and phosphorylation pathways in the pathogenesis of PD. Causative and risk gene products associated with PD include protein kinases (such as PINK1, LRRK2 and GAK) and proteins related phosphorylation signal...

Genetic variants of Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) are associated with a significantly enhanced risk for Parkinson disease, the second most common human neurodegenerative disorder. Despite major efforts, our understanding of LRRK2 biological function and regulation remains rudimentary. In the present study we analyze LRRK2 mRNA and protein expression in sub-populations of human peripheral...

The leucine-rich repeat kinase-2 (LRRK2) gene has been regarded as 1 of the most common genetic causes of Parkinson's disease (PD). We hypothesized that LRRK2-susceptible allele(s) for PD might pose a risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we screened 12 LRRK2 gene variants in 2 independent cohorts from southwestern China (341 AD patients and 435 normal individuals) and eastern China...

Missense mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)/Dardarin gene, the product of which encodes a kinase with multiple domains, are known to cause autosomal dominant late onset Parkinson's disease (PD). In the current study, we report that the gene product LRRK2 directly phosphorylates the forkhead box transcription factor FoxO1 and enhances its transcriptional activity. This pathway was...

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) has been linked to several clinical disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD), Crohn's disease, and leprosy. Furthermore in rodents, LRRK2 deficiency or inhibition leads to lysosomal pathology in kidney and lung. Here we provide evidence that LRRK2 functions together with a second PD-associated gene, RAB7L1, within an evolutionarily conserved genetic modu...

Mutations in Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are strongly associated with familial Parkinson's disease (PD). High expression levels in immune cells suggest a role of LRRK2 in regulating the immune system. In this study, we investigated the effect of the LRRK2 (G2019S) mutation in monocytes, using a human stem cell-derived model expressing LRRK2 at endogenous levels. We discovered alteratio...

Neurite outgrowth and its maintenance are essential aspects of neuronal cells for their connectivity and communication with other neurons. Recent studies showed that over-expression of either leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), whose mutations are associated with familial Parkinson's disease (PD), or Rab5b, an early endosomal marker protein, induces reduction in neurite length. Based on our r...