Cited by 132Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNuclear Receptors and Signaling

The complex relationships between microglia, alpha-synuclein, and LRRK2 in Parkinson's disease

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Schapansky, J., Nardozzi, J.D., LaVoie, M.J.·2015·Neuroscience

Abstract

The proteins alpha-synuclein (αSyn) and leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are both key players in the pathogenesis of the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease (PD), but establishing a functional link between the two proteins has proven elusive. Research studies for these two proteins have traditionally and justifiably focused in neuronal cells, but recent studies indicate that each protein could play a greater pathological role elsewhere. αSyn is expressed at high levels within neurons, but they also secrete the protein into the extracellular milieu, where it can have broad ranging effects in the nervous system and relevance to disease etiology. Similarly, low neuronal LRRK2 expression and activity suggests that LRRK2-related functions could be more relevant in cells with higher expression, such as brain-resident microglia. Microglia are monocytic immune cells that protect neurons from noxious stimuli, including pathological αSyn species, and microglial activation is believed to contribute to neuroinflammation and neuronal death in PD. Interestingly, both αSyn and LRRK2 can be linked to microglial function. Secreted αSyn can directly activate microglia, and can be taken up by microglia for clearance, while LRRK2 has been implicated in the intrinsic regulation of microglial activation and of lysosomal degradation processes. Based on these observations, the present review will focus on how PD-associated mutations in LRRK2 could potentially alter microglial biology with respect to neuronally secreted αSyn, resulting in cell dysfunction and neurodegeneration.

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  1. Chen C-Y Weng Y-H Chien K-Y Lin K-J Yeh T-H Cheng Y-P Lu C-S Wang H-L 2012 Cell death and Differentiation Cell Death Differ 19 1623 1633 22539006 PMC3438494

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Authors
Schapansky, J., Nardozzi, J. D., & LaVoie, M. J.
Affiliations
Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Venue
Neuroscience
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-08
Volume
302
Pages
74-88
ISSN
0306-4522 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1988160418
Cited by
132
References
212
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 9
FWCI
1.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Michael J. Fox Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (NS072604)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
Keywords
Parkinson's disease, microglia, alpha-synuclein, LRRK2, microglial activation, neuroinflammation, extracellular alpha-synuclein, lysosomal degradation, LRRK2 mutations, neurodegeneration
MeSH terms
Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2, Animals, Humans, Parkinson Disease, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, Microglia, alpha-Synuclein

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