Lysosomal Storage Disorders Shed Light on Lysosomal Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease

• Main Authors: Shani Blumenreich, Or B. Barav, Bethan J. Jenkins, Anthony H. Futerman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: lysosomal storage diseases; Parkinson’s disease; Gaucher disease; α-synuclein
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/14/4966
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

The lysosome is a central player in the cell, acting as a clearing house for macromolecular degradation, but also plays a critical role in a variety of additional metabolic and regulatory processes. The lysosome has recently attracted the attention of neurobiologists and neurologists since a number of neurological diseases involve a lysosomal component. Among these is Parkinson’s disease (PD). While heterozygous and homozygous mutations in <i>GBA1</i> are the highest genetic risk factor for PD, studies performed over the past decade have suggested that lysosomal loss of function is likely involved in PD pathology, since a significant percent of PD patients have a mutation in one or more genes that cause a lysosomal storage disease (LSD). Although the mechanistic connection between the lysosome and PD remains somewhat enigmatic, significant evidence is accumulating that lysosomal dysfunction plays a central role in PD pathophysiology. Thus, lysosomal dysfunction, resulting from mutations in lysosomal genes, may enhance the accumulation of α-synuclein in the brain, which may result in the earlier development of PD.