Browsing by Author "Nichols, R. Jeremy"

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    Parkinson's disease-associated mutations in the GTPase domain of LRRK2 impair its nucleotide-dependent conformational dynamics
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2019-04-12) Wu, Chun-Xiang; Liao, Jingling; Park, Yangshin; Reed, Xylena; Engel, Victoria A.; Hoang, Neo C.; Takagi, Yuichiro; Johnson, Steven M.; Wang, Mu; Federici, Mark; Nichols, R. Jeremy; Sanishvili, Ruslan; Cookson, Mark R.; Hoang, Quyen Q.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Mutation in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a common cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, we showed that a disease-associated mutation R1441H rendered the GTPase domain of LRRK2 catalytically less active and thereby trapping it in a more persistently “on” conformation. However, the mechanism involved and characteristics of this on conformation remained unknown. Here, we report that the Ras of complex protein (ROC) domain of LRRK2 exists in a dynamic dimer–monomer equilibrium that is oppositely driven by GDP and GTP binding. We also observed that the PD-associated mutations at residue 1441 impair this dynamic and shift the conformation of ROC to a GTP-bound–like monomeric conformation. Moreover, we show that residue Arg-1441 is critical for regulating the conformational dynamics of ROC. In summary, our results reveal that the PD-associated substitutions at Arg-1441 of LRRK2 alter monomer–dimer dynamics and thereby trap its GTPase domain in an activated state.
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    A revised 1.6 Å structure of the GTPase domain of the Parkinson’s disease-associated protein LRRK2 provides insights into mechanisms
    (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2019) Wu, Chun-Xiang; Liao, Jingling; Park, Yangshin; Hoang, Neo C.; Engel, Victoria A.; Wan, Li; Oh, Misook; Sanishvili, Ruslan; Takagi, Yuichiro; Johnson, Steven M.; Wang, Mu; Federici, Mark; Nichols, R. Jeremy; Beilina, Alexandra; Reed, Xylena; Cookson, Mark R.; Hoang, Quyen Q.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a large 286 kDa multi-domain protein whose mutation is a common cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). One of the common sites of familial PD-associated mutations occurs at residue Arg-1441 in the GTPase domain of LRRK2. Previously, we reported that the PD-associated mutation R1441H impairs the catalytic activity of the GTPase domain thereby traps it in a persistently "on" state. More recently, we reported that the GTPase domain of LRRK2 exists in a dynamic dimer-monomer equilibrium where GTP binding shifts it to the monomeric conformation while GDP binding shifts it back to the dimeric state. We also reported that all of the PD-associated mutations at Arg-1441, including R1441H, R1441C, and R1441G, impair the nucleotide-dependent dimer-monomer conformational dynamics of the GTPase domain. However, the mechanism of this nucleotide-dependent conformational dynamics and how it is impaired by the mutations at residue Arg-1441 remained unclear. Here, we report a 1.6 Å crystal structure of the GTPase domain of LRRK2. Our structure has revealed a dynamic switch region that can be differentially regulated by GTP and GDP binding. This nucleotide-dependent regulation is impaired when residue Arg-1441 is substituted with the PD-associated mutations due to the loss of its exquisite interactions consisting of two hydrogen bonds and a π-stacking interaction at the dimer interface.