LRRK2 Phosphorylates Neuronal Elav RNA-Binding Proteins to RegulatePhenotypes Relevant to Parkinson's Disease

Parkinsons disease (PD) is characterized by accumulation of -synuclein and the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Mutations which cause an increase in the kinase activity of Leucine-Rich-Repeat Kinase-2 (LRRK2) are a major inherited cause of PD. Research continues to determine which targets LRRK2 phosphorylates to cause disease. Polymorphisms in the locus of ELAVL4, an RNA-binding protein are a risk-factor for Parkinsons disease and an ELAV family member was identified in Drosophila as required for pathology instigated by human mutant LRRK2. We discovered that three neuronal ELAVs including ELAVL4 (also known as HuD) are phosphorylated by LRRK2. This controls binding of neuronal ELAVs to mRNA and their post- transcriptional regulation of mRNA abundance and splicing in neuronal cell lines and the mouse midbrain. LRRK2 G2019S functionally inhibits neuronal ELAVs effects on mRNA abundance, while enhancing their effects on mRNA splicing. The combination of LRRK2 G2019S and ELAVL4-/- causes accumulation of LRRK2 and -synuclein, loss of dopaminergic neurons and motor deficits. Targets of neuronal ELAVs are also selectively misregulated in cells and tissues of PD patients. Together, this suggests that misregulation of neuronal ELAVs, triggered by LRRK2 mutations may contribute to the characteristic pathology of Parkinsons disease. Brief SummaryLRRK2, a kinase linked to Parkinsons disease, phosphorylates the neuronal ELAV RNA-binding proteins to aggravate key hallmarks of Parkinsons disease including accumulation of -synuclein and motor deficits in mice.