Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) interacts with parkin, and mutant LRRK2 induces neuronal degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder of movement, cognition, and emotion, and it is characterized pathologically by neuronal degeneration with Lewy bodies, which are cytoplasmic inclusion bodies containing deposits of aggregated proteins. Most PD cases appear to be sporadic, but genetic forms of the disease, caused by mutations in alpha-synuclein, parkin, and other genes, have helped elucidate pathogenesis. Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) cause autosomal-dominant Parkinsonism with clinical features of PD and with pleomorphic pathology including deposits of aggregated protein. To study expression and interactions of LRRK2, we synthesized cDNAs and generated expression constructs coding for human WT and mutant LRRK2 proteins. Expression of full-length LRRK2 in cells in cu

SUBMITTER: Smith WW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1317945 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature