LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein: Made for each other?

Hot off the Neuron presses!!  Is alpha-synuclein aggregation and subsequent neurodegeneration exacerbated by LRRK2?  In a tour de force, Huaibin Cai’s group generated multiple LRRK2 (transgenic and knockout) and alpha-synuclein transgenic mice to examine pathological alterations resulting from these lines.  Taking it one step further, they then crossed the various LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein mice to further dissect the pathogenic role of LRRK2 in alpha-synuclein aggregation and cellular neuropathology.   

So how does this new study fit in with the field’s current views on alpha-synuclein and LRRK2?  The discussion has begun on PD Online with commentary by Darren Moore.

For your heart’s content of all things LRRK2 and alpha-synuclein, don’t forget about our conference reports - posts from the December 9^th LRRK2 Summit continue to build, and coming soon, on January 14, 2010, the Alpha-Synuclein Summit in New York will certainly have a lot of discussion around this paper and much more.  What questions would you like to ask?   PD Online members can contribute to the discussion now --- login or apply for membership to participate.

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Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 Regulates the Progression of Neuropathology Induced by Parkinson’s-Disease-Related Mutant a-synuclein

Xian Lin, Loukia Parisiadou, Xing-Long Gu, Lizhen Wang, Hoon Shim, Lixin Sun, Chengsong Xie, Cai-Xia Long, Wan-Jou Yang, Jinhui Ding, Zsu Zsu Chen, Paul E. Gallant, Jung-Hwa Tao-Cheng, Gay Rudow, Juan C. Troncoso, Zhihua Liu, Zheng Li, and Huaibin Cai

Neuron 64, 807–827, December 24, 2009