An Overview of Commonly Used Rodent Models for Studying Parkin

Mutations in the parkin gene cause autosomal recessive, young onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). The PD-linked mutations in parkin lead to loss of expression/function of the Parkin protein, an E3 ubiquitin-ligase with roles in protein turnover and mitochondrial function. Preclinical models for PD focus on reducing or eliminating the activity of the Parkin protein, either through genetic knockout or loss-of-function mutations. In this overview document from the Preclinical Tools and Models Team at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), you will find a list of those that are commonly used. Please note, this list is by no means comprehensive.