The I2020T Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 transgenic mouse exhibits impaired locomotive ability accompanied by dopaminergic neuron abnormalities.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the gene responsible for autosomal-dominant Parkinson's disease (PD), PARK8, but the mechanism by which LRRK2 mutations cause neuronal dysfunction remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated for the first time a transgenic (TG) mouse strain expressing human LRRK2 with an I2020T mutation in the kinase domain, which had been detected in the patients of the original PARK8 family.

Results

The TG mouse expressed I2020T LRRK2 in dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and olfactory bulb. In both the beam test and rotarod test, the TG mice exhibited impaired locomotive ability in comparison with their non-transgenic (NTG) littermates. Although there was no obvious loss of DA neurons in

SUBMITTER: Maekawa T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3467184 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature