Loss-of-function coding variants in the Ras of Complex Proteins/GTPase domain of Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2

The LRRK2 gene is a key contributor to genetic risk of Parkinson’s disease, and a priority drug target for the disorder. Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2, the protein product of LRRK2 , is a multidomain enzyme implicated in a range of cellular processes – including endolysosomal trafficking and damage response. Based on the report that truncation and structural variants resulting in loss of LRRK2 protein are observed in human populations, genomic sequence repositories were queried for coding variants affecting key catalytic residues in LRRK2 – resulting in the identification of three variants (K1374E, K1374R, and T1348P) predicted to ablate the capacity of LRRK2 to bind GTP. Biochemical and cellular characterization of these variants confirmed loss of GTP binding, as well as reduced or loss of kinase activity. These data demonstrate the presence of rare coding enzymatic loss-of-function variants in humans, with implications for our understanding of LRRK2 as a driver of disease and as a drug target.