LRRK2 associates with the membrane trafficking system.

富含亮蛋白的重复蛋白2(LRRK2)是Park8连锁家族性帕金森病的致病蛋白，与膜转运系统有关。在这项研究中，我们探讨了LRRK2是否影响培养细胞的胞吐作用。我们发现，下调LRRK2的表达扰乱了大鼠肾上腺嗜铬细胞瘤细胞系PC12细胞的生长激素分泌。然而，与野生型LRRK2相比，致病性LRRK2突变体并不影响胞吐作用。因此，LRRK2可能参与了膜转运系统，但致病的LRRK2突变是否会影响胞吐功能还有待进一步研究。

Leucin-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is causative protein of PARK8-linked familial Parkinson's disease and associates with the membrane trafficking system. In this study, we have explored whether LRRK2 influences the exocytosis in cultured cells. We revealed that knocking down LRRK2 expression disrupted the exocytosis of growth hormone in PC12 cells, which are rat adrenal pheocromocytoma cell line. However, pathogenic LRRK2 mutants could not influence the exocytosis, compared to wild LRRK2. Therefore, LRRK2 might participate in the membrane trafficking system, but we need further investigations to understand whether pathogenic LRRK2 mutants may affect the functions of exocytosis.