Parkin is an E3 ligase in the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Hereditary Parkinson's disease is most commonly caused by mutations in the parkin gene and is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of Lewy bodies in the substania nigra (Jenner et al.,1992). Recent evidence suggests that phosphorylation of parkin at Ser101 may have an important regulatory role on its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity (Yamamoto et al., 2005).Synonyms: AR-JP, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase parkin, LPRS2, PDJ, PRKN, Parkinson disease 2, Parkinson juvenile disease protein 2