LRRK2 associates with the membrane trafficking system.

富含亮氨酸重复序列激酶2（LRRK2）是PARK8连锁家族性帕金森病的致病蛋白，与膜运输系统相关。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，敲低LRRK2表达破坏了PC12细胞（大鼠肾上腺嗜铬细胞瘤细胞系）中生长激素的胞吐作用。然而，致病性LRRK2突变体不能影响胞吐，相比野生型LRRK2。因此，LRRK2可能参与膜运输系统，但我们需要进一步的调查，以了解致病性LRRK2突变体是否可能影响胞吐功能。

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.