LRRK2 in Focus: A Global Browser Linking Genetic Diversity to Functional Effects.

BACKGROUND

LRRK2 variants are major contributors to Parkinson's disease (PD). Many pathogenic variants increase kinase activity, underscoring the value of functional assays in nominating therapeutic targets and kinase inhibitors as potential disease-modifying therapies.

OBJECTIVE

To develop an interactive resource that provides functional context and ancestry-specific variant frequencies.

METHODS

Genotyping and short-read sequencing data were analyzed for 101,678 individuals (61,709 PD, 39,969 controls) from the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2) and integrated with clinical and in-vitro biochemical kinase activity information.

RESULTS

The LRRK2 Browser (http://gp2.org/lrrk2browser) displays ancestry-specific genetic data for 19,596 LRRK2 variants (968 exonic, 14 disease-associated) across 11 populations, and functional data for 171 variants. Clinical annotations include age, age at onset, and family history of PD.

DISCUSSION: The publicly available LRRK2 Browser represents an open-access, multi-ancestry resource to support LRRK2 variant interpretation. It aims to enhance the translational potential of genetic and functional data for precision medicine and the implementation of gene-targeted therapies in diverse populations.