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Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Rab10 Phosphorylation Detection by LRRK2 Activity Using SDS-PAGE with a Phosphate-binding Tag
Published on: December 14, 2017
RAB3 phosphorylation by pathogenic LRRK2 impairs trafficking of synaptic vesicle precursors
Dan Dou1,2,3, Jayne Aiken1, Erika L F Holzbaur1,2,3
1Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Abstract:
Gain-of-function mutations in the LRRK2 gene cause Parkinson's disease (PD), characterized by debilitating motor and non-motor symptoms. Increased phosphorylation of a subset of RAB GTPases by LRRK2 is implicated in PD pathogenesis. We find that increased phosphorylation of RAB3A, a cardinal synaptic vesicle precursor (SVP) protein, disrupts anterograde axonal transport of SVPs in iPSC-derived human neurons (iNeurons) expressing hyperactive LRRK2-p.R1441H. Knockout of the opposing protein phosphatase 1H (PPM1H) in iNeurons phenocopies this effect. In these models, the compartmental distribution of synaptic proteins is altered; synaptophysin and synaptobrevin-2 become sequestered in the neuronal soma with decreased delivery to presynaptic sites along the axon. We find that RAB3A phosphorylation disrupts binding to the motor adaptor MADD, potentially preventing the formation of the RAB3A-MADD-KIF1A/1Bβ complex driving anterograde SVP transport. RAB3A hyperphosphorylation also disrupts interactions with RAB3GAP and RAB-GDI1. Our results reveal a mechanism by which pathogenic hyperactive LRRK2 may contribute to the altered synaptic homeostasis associated with characteristic non-motor and cognitive manifestations of PD.
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