Analysis of the role of the LRRK2 substrate Rab10 in mitophagy

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common, progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which no cure exists. In this project, we will make use of fibroblasts and iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons from patients with PD to unravel pathogenic mechanisms of mutations in the PARK7 gene, the rarest cause of autosomal recessive PD. Many different roles for DJ-1 have been reported, but a clear picture of its molecular function has not emerged yet and the mechanisms by which loss of DJ-1 induces PD, are not well understood. Biochemical and celbiological techniques will be used to investigate the role of DJ-1 in mitochondrial quality control.