Division of Clinical Immunology, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Feb 12;392(3):431-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.01.041. Epub 2010 Jan 15.
Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the causal molecule of familial Parkinson's disease (PD), but its true physiological function remains unknown. In the normal mouse, LRRK2 is expressed in kidney, spleen, and lung at much higher levels than in brain, suggesting that LRRK2 may play an important role in these organs. Analysis of age-related changes in LRRK2 expression demonstrated that expression in kidney, lung, and various brain regions was constant throughout adult life. On the other hand, expression of both LRRK2 mRNA and protein decreased markedly in spleen in an age-dependent manner. Analysis of purified spleen cells indicated that B lymphocytes were the major population expressing LRRK2, and that T lymphocytes showed no expression. Consistently, the B lymphocyte surface marker CD19 exhibited an age-dependent decrease of mRNA expression in spleen. These results suggest a possibly novel function of LRRK2 in the immune system, especially in B lymphocytes.
富含亮氨酸重复激酶 2（LRRK2）是家族性帕金森病（PD）的致病分子，但它的确切生理功能仍不清楚。在正常小鼠中，LRRK2在肾脏、脾脏和肺部的表达水平远高于大脑，这表明 LRRK2 可能在这些器官中发挥重要作用。分析 LRRK2 表达的年龄相关性变化表明，肾脏、肺部和各种脑区的表达在成年期保持不变。另一方面，LRRK2 mRNA 和蛋白的表达在脾脏中均随年龄呈显著下降趋势。对纯化的脾细胞进行分析表明，B 淋巴细胞是表达 LRRK2 的主要群体，T 淋巴细胞不表达。一致地，B 淋巴细胞表面标志物 CD19 的 mRNA 表达在脾脏中随年龄呈下降趋势。这些结果表明 LRRK2 在免疫系统中具有潜在的新功能，特别是在 B 淋巴细胞中。
