Researchers have discovered a new enzyme that inhibits the LRRK2 pathway. Mutations of the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of genetic Parkinson’s disease. The enzyme they found — called PPM1H — has been shown to possess remarkable properties to reverse the biology triggered by LRRK2.

The team, based at the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU) in the School of Life Sciences, have discovered a new enzyme that inhibits the LRRK2 pathway. Mutations of the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of genetic Parkinson’s.

Enzymes are molecular machines that regulate the biological processes required to maintain healthy functioning life. They can also be targeted by drugs to increase or decrease the level of certain activity -in this instance the LRRK2 pathway.

Much of the knowledge around this pathway originated at Dundee and the team already knew that some enzyme existed that could reverse LRRK2 activity so set out to discover and characterise it. The enzyme they found — called PPM1H — has been shown to possess remarkable properties to reverse the biology triggered by LRRK2.

Professor Dario Alessi, Director of the MRC-PPU, said, «Parkinson’s is like a runaway train — at present we have no way of putting the brakes on to slow it down, let alone stop it. This new enzyme we have found acts as the brakes in the pathway that causes Parkinson’s in humans.

«We have known for many years that the LRRK2 pathway is a major driver behind Parkinson’s but the concept of developing an activator of the PPM1H system to treat the disease is completely new. This finding opens the door for a new chemical approach to the search for Parkinson’s treatments.

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Materials provided by University of Dundee. Original written by Grant Hill. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.