Alterations in late endocytic trafficking related to the pathobiology of LRRK2-linked Parkinson's disease

Biochem Soc Trans. 2015 Jun;43(3):390-5. doi: 10.1042/BST20140301.

Abstract

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene comprise the most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD), and variants increase the risk for sporadic PD. LRRK2 displays kinase and GTPase activity, and altered catalytic activity correlates with neurotoxicity, making LRRK2 a promising therapeutic target. Despite the importance of LRRK2 for disease pathogenesis, its normal cellular function, and the mechanism(s) by which pathogenic mutations cause neurodegeneration remain unclear. LRRK2 seems to regulate a variety of intracellular vesicular trafficking events to and from the late endosome in a manner dependent on various Rab proteins. At least some of those events are further regulated by LRRK2 in a manner dependent on two-pore channels (TPCs). TPCs are ionic channels localized to distinct endosomal structures and can cause localized calcium release from those acidic stores, with downstream effects on vesicular trafficking. Here, we review current knowledge about the link between LRRK2, TPC- and Rab-mediated vesicular trafficking to and from the late endosome, highlighting a possible cross-talk between endolysosomal calcium stores and Rab proteins underlying pathomechanism(s) in LRRK2-related PD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium Channels / chemistry
  • Calcium Channels / genetics*
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism
  • Endocytosis / genetics*
  • Endosomes / metabolism
  • Endosomes / pathology
  • Humans
  • Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Lysosomes / pathology
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Degeneration / genetics*
  • Nerve Degeneration / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / genetics*
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Protein Transport / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • LRRK2 protein, human
  • Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases