SNCA and Parkinson disease: Rats may prove a better mammalian model for PD; Dave et al. (2014) reported a loss of DA neurons and locomotor defects in rats lacking Dj-1 and Pink1, but not Prkn. Overexpression of LRRK2 (G2019S) and SNCA in the rat brain has been able to cause a loss of the nigrostriatal DA neurons in some cases (Dusonchet et al., 2011; Lo Bianco et al., 2002).