scholarly journals Models for LRRK2-Linked Parkinsonism

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianxia Li ◽  
DeJun Yang ◽  
Sarah Sushchky ◽  
Zhaohui Liu ◽  
Wanli W. Smith

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of Lewy bodies. The pathogenesis of PD is not fully understood, but it appears to involve both genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Treatment for PD that prevents neuronal death progression in the dopaminergic system and abnormal protein deposition in the brain is not yet available. Recently, mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene have been identified to cause autosomal-dominant late-onset PD and contribute to sporadic PD. Here, we review the recent models for LRRK2-linked Parkinsonism and their utility in studying LRRK2 neurobiology, pathogenesis, and potential therapeutics.

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Wang ◽  
Qingqing Liu ◽  
Hongyun Shan ◽  
Chunlin Xia ◽  
Zhaohui Liu

The study of the genes that are related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) will improve our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the development of PD. α-Synuclein is a major protein component of Lewy bodies, which are characteristic structures of PD pathology. Mutations in α-synuclein are closely related to the early onset of autosomal dominant PD. Transgenic flies with mutant α-synuclein (A53T) display neurodegenerative changes that include movement dysfunctions and a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. In the present study, we measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in α-synuclein transgenic flies by monitoring the fluorescence levels of redox-sensitive indicators based on GFP (roGFP) in flies co-expressing roGFP and mutant α-synuclein. We found that the ROS levels were significantly increased in the mutant α-synuclein flies. The elevations in ROS levels were also proportionate to the behavioral disorders and the losses of dopaminergic neurons. We also found that CDDO-Me inhibited the increases in ROS levels in the A53T flies and improved the neurodegenerative changes by activating the Nrf2/antioxidant response element signaling pathway. Selective expression of the Nrf2 homologous gene cncC in the dopaminergic neurons effectively protected against the neurodegenerative phenotype of the A53T α-synuclein flies, compared to the flies that expressed cncC in all neurons. These results indicate that the reductions in oxidative stress that are mediated by the activation of the antioxidant signaling pathway can effectively attenuate the neurotoxicity caused by mutations in α-synuclein.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 508
Author(s):  
Sara Silva ◽  
António J. Almeida ◽  
Nuno Vale

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects around ten million people worldwide and is considered the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, there is a higher risk incidence in the elderly population. The main PD hallmarks include the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the development of Lewy bodies. Unfortunately, motor symptoms only start to appear when around 50–70% of dopaminergic neurons have already been lost. This particularly poses a huge challenge for early diagnosis and therapeutic effectiveness. Actually, pharmaceutical therapy is able to relief motor symptoms, but as the disease progresses motor complications and severe side-effects start to appear. In this review, we explore the research conducted so far in order to repurpose drugs for PD with the use of nanodelivery systems, alternative administration routes, and nanotheranostics. Overall, studies have demonstrated great potential for these nanosystems to target the brain, improve drug pharmacokinetic profile, and decrease side-effects.


2015 ◽  
pp. 117-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Felipe Duque ◽  
Juan Carlos Lopez ◽  
Helena Hernandez ◽  
Bruno Benitez ◽  
Juan Jose Yunis ◽  
...  

Introduction: Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene (LRRK2 or Dardarin) are considered to be a common cause of autosomal dominant and sporadic Parkinson´s disease, but the prevalence of these mutations varies among populations. Objective: to analysed the frequency of the LRRK2 p.G2019S mutation (c.6055G>A transition) in a sample of Colombian patients. Materials and Methods: In the present study we have analysed the frequency of the LRRK2 p.G2019S mutation in 154 patients with familial or sporadic Parkinson Disease, including early and late onset patients, and 162 normal controls. Results: Our results show occurrence of this mutation in two cases (2/154, 1.3%) with classical Parkinson´s signs, and one completely asymptomatic control (1/162, 0.6%). Conclusion: The p.G2019S mutation is not an important causal factor of Parkinson Disease in Colombia having similar frequencies to those reported in other Latin American populations.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaux Teil ◽  
Marie-Laure Arotcarena ◽  
Emilie Faggiani ◽  
Florent Laferriere ◽  
Erwan Bezard ◽  
...  

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized both by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the presence of cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy Bodies. These Lewy Bodies contain the aggregated α-synuclein (α-syn) protein, which has been shown to be able to propagate from cell to cell and throughout different regions in the brain. Due to its central role in the pathology and the lack of a curative treatment for PD, an increasing number of studies have aimed at targeting this protein for therapeutics. Here, we reviewed and discussed the many different approaches that have been studied to inhibit α-syn accumulation via direct and indirect targeting. These analyses have led to the generation of multiple clinical trials that are either completed or currently active. These clinical trials and the current preclinical studies must still face obstacles ahead, but give hope of finding a therapy for PD with time.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubens Barbosa Rezende ◽  
Larissa Teodoro

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the black substantia and the formation of Lewy bodies, thus being considered a neurodegenerative disease. Thus, the objective was to understand the impact of polymorphisms in the predisposition to PD. Methods: It’s a narrative review of literature in the PubMed and SciELO databases, using the descriptors: “Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide” and “Parkinson disease”, registered in DeCS/MeSH, and using the Boolean operator AND. The inclusion criteria were: complete articles and made available free of charge, published in English, Spanish and Portuguese, between 2016 and January 2021. Results: After the research, 167 publications were found and seven were included. The data from the first study indicate that the rs33949390 of the LRRK2 gene helps in predisposition to PD in Asian populations, mainly Chinese. The second study indicated that the NFE2L2 rs6721961 allele was linked to a reduced risk of PD. The third study found that the GSK3B rs1732170, STK11 rs8111699, SNCA rs356219 and FCHSD1 rs456998 polymorphisms were linked to a high risk of PD. The fourth study found that the SNCA variants rs7684318, rs356220, rs356203 and rs2736990 were linked to the disease and were at high risk of developing PD in the Mexican population. The fifth and sixth study are meta-analyzes, the fifth confirming the lower allele rs11558538 of HNMT is associated with a reduced risk of developing PD. And the sixth assumes a possible link between CCDC62 rs12817488 and the risk of PD in the Chinese population. Conclusion: However, the analyzed data indicate that the polymorphisms contributed to the susceptibility to PD, however further studies related to the polymorphisms and their relationship to PD are still needed for more ethnic groups, and thus early diagnosis is possible.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 505
Author(s):  
Eun-Mi Hur ◽  
Byoung Dae Lee

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the widespread occurrence of proteinaceous inclusions known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. The etiology of PD is still far from clear, but aging has been considered as the highest risk factor influencing the clinical presentations and the progression of PD. Accumulating evidence suggests that aging and PD induce common changes in multiple cellular functions, including redox imbalance, mitochondria dysfunction, and impaired proteostasis. Age-dependent deteriorations in cellular dysfunction may predispose individuals to PD, and cellular damages caused by genetic and/or environmental risk factors of PD may be exaggerated by aging. Mutations in the LRRK2 gene cause late-onset, autosomal dominant PD and comprise the most common genetic causes of both familial and sporadic PD. LRRK2-linked PD patients show clinical and pathological features indistinguishable from idiopathic PD patients. Here, we review cellular dysfunctions shared by aging and PD-associated LRRK2 mutations and discuss how the interplay between the two might play a role in PD pathologies.


Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Brooke-Jones ◽  
Martina Gáliková ◽  
Heinrich Dircksen

The non-proteinogenic amino acid beta-methyl-amino-l-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. BMAA accumulation in the brain of animals via biomagnification along the food web can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC), the latter being associated with a loss of dopaminergic neurons. Daphnia magna is an important microcrustacean zooplankton species that plays a key role in aquatic food webs, and BMAA-producing cyanobacteria often form part of their diet. Here, we tested the effects of BMAA on putative neurodegeneration of newly identified specific dopaminergic neurons in the optic ganglia/brain complex of D. magna using quantitative tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry and fluorescence cytometry. The dopaminergic system was analysed in fed and starved isogenic D. magna adults incubated under different BMAA concentrations over 4 days. Increased BMAA concentration showed significant decrease in the stainability of dopaminergic neurons of D. magna, with fed animals showing a more extreme loss. Furthermore, higher BMAA concentrations tended to increase offspring mortality during incubation. These results are indicative of ingested BMAA causing neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in D. magna and adversely affecting reproduction. This may imply similar effects of BMAA on known human neurodegenerative diseases involving dopaminergic neurons.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulshan Ara ◽  
Mohammad Afzal ◽  
Smita Jyoti ◽  
Falaq Naz ◽  
Rahul ◽  
...  

Background: The formation of Lewy bodies is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the neuronal damage specifically the dopaminergic neurons in the Parkinson’s disease patients. Hence any agent that could curtail the production of ROS /oxidative stress could act as a possible therapeutic agent thereby preventing the neuronal damage. </P><P> Method: In the present study, we first evaluated the antioxidant potential of myricetin by performing superoxide anion scavenging and diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assays. Myricetin at a final concentration of 10, 20 and 40&#181;M was mixed in diet and the PD flies were allowed to feed on it for 24 days. After 24 days of exposure, the dopamine content was estimated in brain and the immunohistochemistry was performed for the tyroxine hydroxylase activity on the brain sections from each group. </P><P> Results: Myricetin showed a dose-dependent increase in the antioxidative activity. The exposure of PD flies to 10, 20 and 40&#181;M of Myricetin not only showed a dose-dependent significant increase in the dopamine content compared to unexposed PD flies (p<0.05), but also prevented the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain of PD flies. </P><P> Conclusion: The results suggest that the antioxidative potential of myricetin is responsible for preventing the loss of dopaminergic neurons and dopamine content.


2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-345
Author(s):  
Yue Huang ◽  
Glenda M. Halliday ◽  
Frank L. Mastaglia ◽  
Dominic B. Rowe ◽  
Carolyn M. Sue

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 663-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shijie Wang ◽  
Andrew B. West

Abstract Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are a frequent genetic cause of late-onset Parkinson's disease (PD) and a target for therapeutic approaches. LRRK2 protein can influence vesicle trafficking events in the cytosol, with action both in endosomal and lysosomal pathways in different types of cells. A subset of late endosomes harbor intraluminal vesicles that can be secreted into the extracellular milieu. These extracellular vesicles, called exosomes, package LRRK2 protein for transport outside the cell into easily accessed biofluids. Both the cytoplasmic complement of LRRK2 as well as the exosome-associated fraction of protein appears regulated in part by interactions with 14-3-3 proteins. LRRK2 inside exosomes have disease-linked post-translational modifications and are relatively stable compared with unprotected proteins in the extracellular space or disrupted cytosolic compartments. Herein, we review the biology of exosome-associated LRRK2 and the potential for utility in diagnosis, prognosis, and theragnosis in PD and other LRRK2-linked diseases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document