Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
12:49
Human Peripheral Blood Neutrophil Isolation for Interrogating the Parkinson's Associated LRRK2 Kinase Pathway by Assessing Rab10 Phosphorylation
Published on: March 21, 2020
LRRK2: a common pathway for parkinsonism, pathogenesis and prevention?
Julie P Taylor1, Ignacio F Mata, Matt J Farrer
1Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
Trends in Molecular Medicine
|January 13, 2006
Summary
Parkinson's disease is distinguished by alpha-synuclein Lewy bodies. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene mutations cause parkinsonism, sometimes with distinct pathologies like tau tangles, offering therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Pathology
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is neuropathologically defined by alpha-synuclein Lewy bodies.
- Parkinsonism encompasses diverse neurodegenerative disorders with varying pathologies, including tau-immunopositive neurofibrillary tangles.
- Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are linked to late-onset parkinsonism, clinically mimicking PD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathological spectrum of LRRK2-associated parkinsonism.
- To understand the relationship between LRRK2 mutations and distinct neuropathologies.
- To explore LRRK2's role in the switch between Lewy body and tau pathologies.
Main Methods:
- Clinical and pathological assessment of patients with LRRK2 mutations.
- Comparative analysis of neuropathological findings in different parkinsonism subtypes.
- Genetic analysis of kindreds with LRRK2-associated disease.
Main Results:
- LRRK2 mutations can lead to parkinsonism indistinguishable from PD.
- Some LRRK2-associated kindreds exhibit distinct pathologies, including Lewy bodies or neurofibrillary tangles.
- Pathological heterogeneity exists within LRRK2-related parkinsonism.
Conclusions:
- LRRK2 is a significant genetic factor in parkinsonism with diverse pathological outcomes.
- Understanding LRRK2 pathways may clarify the mechanisms underlying different neurodegenerative pathologies.
- Targeting LRRK2 pathways offers potential therapeutic strategies for various forms of parkinsonism.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
01:24Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Patients may notice hand tremors at rest, stiffness during movement, or a shuffling gait. In addition to motor features, non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood and behavioral changes, constipation, and cognitive impairment, all of which...
01:15Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...
01:24Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
01:22Lysosomal Hydrolases
Lysosomes are the site for the degradation of macromolecules and biological polymers released during membrane trafficking events such as secretory, endocytic, autophagic, and phagocytic pathways. The membrane-enclosed area of the lysosome, called the lumen, contains hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment. These acid hydrolases are functional at a pH between 4.5 and 5 and are involved in cellular processes such as cell signaling, energy metabolism, restoration of the plasma membrane,...
01:37Neural Regulation
Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.