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Louçã M, El Akrouti D, Lemesle A, Louessard M, Dufour N, Baroin C, de la Fouchardière A, Cotter L, Jean-Jacques H, Redeker V, Perrier AL. Huntingtin lowering impairs the maturation and synchronized synaptic activity of human cortical neuronal networks derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106630. [PMID: 39106928 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite growing descriptions of wild-type Huntingtin (wt-HTT) roles in both adult brain function and, more recently, development, several clinical trials are exploring HTT-lowering approaches that target both wt-HTT and the mutant isoform (mut-HTT) responsible for Huntington's disease (HD). This non-selective targeting is based on the autosomal dominant inheritance of HD, supporting the idea that mut-HTT exerts its harmful effects through a toxic gain-of-function or a dominant-negative mechanism. However, the precise amount of wt-HTT needed for healthy neurons in adults and during development remains unclear. In this study, we address this question by examining how wt-HTT loss affects human neuronal network formation, synaptic maturation, and homeostasis in vitro. Our findings establish a role of wt-HTT in the maturation of dendritic arborization and the acquisition of network-wide synchronized activity by human cortical neuronal networks modeled in vitro. Interestingly, the network synchronization defects only became apparent when more than two-thirds of the wt-HTT protein was depleted. Our study underscores the critical need to precisely understand wt-HTT role in neuronal health. It also emphasizes the potential risks of excessive wt-HTT loss associated with non-selective therapeutic approaches targeting both wt- and mut-HTT isoforms in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Louçã
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Donya El Akrouti
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aude Lemesle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Chloé Baroin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aurore de la Fouchardière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Laurent Cotter
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Hélène Jean-Jacques
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Virginie Redeker
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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2
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Fanti R, Ayoubi R, Alende C, Fotouhi M, González Bolívar S, Chandrasekaran R, Southern K, Edwards AM, Harding RJ, Laflamme C. A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for Huntingtin (UniProt ID: P42858) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence. F1000Res 2024; 13:922. [PMID: 39257448 PMCID: PMC11384196 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.153670.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin encodes a 3144 amino acid protein, with a polyglutamine repeat tract at the N-terminus. Expansion of this repeat tract above a pathogenic threshold of 36 repeats is the causative mutation of Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of striatal neurons. Here we have characterized twenty Huntingtin commercial antibodies for western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence using a standardized experimental protocol based on comparing read-outs in knockout cell lines and isogenic parental controls. These studies are part of a larger, collaborative initiative seeking to address antibody reproducibility issues by characterizing commercially available antibodies for human proteins and publishing the results openly as a resource for the scientific community. While use of antibodies and protocols vary between laboratories, we encourage readers to use this report as a guide to select the most appropriate antibodies for their specific needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeka Fanti
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Riham Ayoubi
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Charles Alende
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Maryam Fotouhi
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sara González Bolívar
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Renu Chandrasekaran
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kathleen Southern
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Aled M Edwards
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rachel J Harding
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carl Laflamme
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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3
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Yadav M, Harding RJ, Li T, Xu X, Gall-Duncan T, Khan M, Bardile CF, Sequiera GL, Duan S, Chandrasekaran R, Pan A, Bu J, Yamazaki T, Hirose T, Prinos P, Tippett L, Turner C, Curtis MA, Faull RL, Pouladi MA, Pearson CE, He HH, Arrowsmith CH. Huntingtin is an RNA binding protein and participates in NEAT1-mediated paraspeckles. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado5264. [PMID: 39028820 PMCID: PMC11259171 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado5264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Huntingtin protein, mutated in Huntington's disease, is implicated in nucleic acid-mediated processes, yet the evidence for direct huntingtin-nucleic acid interaction is limited. Here, we show wild-type and mutant huntingtin copurify with nucleic acids, primarily RNA, and interact directly with G-rich RNAs in in vitro assays. Huntingtin RNA-immunoprecipitation sequencing from patient-derived fibroblasts and neuronal progenitor cells expressing wild-type and mutant huntingtin revealed long noncoding RNA NEAT1 as a significantly enriched transcript. Altered NEAT1 levels were evident in Huntington's disease cells and postmortem brain tissues, and huntingtin knockdown decreased NEAT1 levels. Huntingtin colocalized with NEAT1 in paraspeckles, and we identified a high-affinity RNA motif preferred by huntingtin. This study highlights NEAT1 as a huntingtin interactor, demonstrating huntingtin's involvement in RNA-mediated functions and paraspeckle regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Yadav
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel J. Harding
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tiantian Li
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xin Xu
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Terence Gall-Duncan
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mahreen Khan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Costanza Ferrari Bardile
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Edwin S. H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Glen L. Sequiera
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Edwin S. H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shili Duan
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Anni Pan
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jiachuan Bu
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tomohiro Yamazaki
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Hirose
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lynette Tippett
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- University Research Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Clinton Turner
- University Research Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Anatomical Pathology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A. Curtis
- University Research Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L.M. Faull
- University Research Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mahmoud A. Pouladi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Edwin S. H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christopher E. Pearson
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Housheng Hansen He
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cheryl H. Arrowsmith
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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4
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Louessard M, Cailleret M, Jarrige M, Bigarreau J, Lenoir S, Dufour N, Rey M, Saudou F, Deglon N, Perrier AL. Mono- and Biallelic Inactivation of Huntingtin Gene in Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveal HTT Roles in Striatal Development and Neuronal Functions. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:41-53. [PMID: 38427495 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-231509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Mutations in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene cause Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder. As a scaffold protein, HTT is involved in numerous cellular functions, but its normal and pathogenic functions during human forebrain development are poorly understood. Objective To investigate the developmental component of HD, with a specific emphasis on understanding the functions of wild-type and mutant HTT alleles during forebrain neuron development in individuals carrying HD mutations. Methods We used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to disrupt the ATG region of the HTT gene via non-homologous end joining to produce mono- or biallelic HTT knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) clones. Results We showed that the loss of wild-type, mutant, or both HTT isoforms does not affect the pluripotency of iPSCs or their transition into neural cells. However, we observed that HTT loss causes division impairments in forebrain neuro-epithelial cells and alters maturation of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) particularly in the acquisition of DARPP32 expression, a key functional marker of SPNs. Finally, young post-mitotic neurons derived from HTT-/- human iPSCs display cellular dysfunctions observed in adult HD neurons. Conclusions We described a novel collection of isogenic clones with mono- and biallelic HTT inactivation that complement existing HD-hiPSC isogenic series to explore HTT functions and test therapeutic strategies in particular HTT-lowering drugs. Characterizing neural and neuronal derivatives from human iPSCs of this collection, we show evidence that HTT loss or mutation has impacts on neuro-epithelial and striatal neurons maturation, and on basal DNA damage and BDNF axonal transport in post-mitotic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Michel Cailleret
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Margot Jarrige
- CECS/AFM, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Julie Bigarreau
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Maria Rey
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicole Deglon
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
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5
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Van Raamsdonk JM, Al-Shekaili HH, Wagner L, Bredy TW, Chan L, Pearson J, Schwab C, Murphy Z, Devon RS, Lu G, Kobor MS, Hayden MR, Leavitt BR. Huntingtin Decreases Susceptibility to a Spontaneous Seizure Disorder in FVN/B Mice. Aging Dis 2023; 14:2249-2266. [PMID: 37199581 PMCID: PMC10676795 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for the protein huntingtin (HTT in humans or Htt in mice). HTT is a multi-functional, ubiquitously expressed protein that is essential for embryonic survival, normal neurodevelopment, and adult brain function. The ability of wild-type HTT to protect neurons against various forms of death raises the possibility that loss of normal HTT function may worsen disease progression in HD. Huntingtin-lowering therapeutics are being evaluated in clinical trials for HD, but concerns have been raised that decreasing wild-type HTT levels may have adverse effects. Here we show that Htt levels modulate the occurrence of an idiopathic seizure disorder that spontaneously occurs in approximately 28% of FVB/N mice, which we have called FVB/N Seizure Disorder with SUDEP (FSDS). These abnormal FVB/N mice demonstrate the cardinal features of mouse models of epilepsy including spontaneous seizures, astrocytosis, neuronal hypertrophy, upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and sudden seizure-related death. Interestingly, mice heterozygous for the targeted inactivation of Htt (Htt+/- mice) exhibit an increased frequency of this disorder (71% FSDS phenotype), while over-expression of either full length wild-type HTT in YAC18 mice or full length mutant HTT in YAC128 mice completely prevents it (0% FSDS phenotype). Examination of the mechanism underlying huntingtin's ability to modulate the frequency of this seizure disorder indicated that over-expression of full length HTT can promote neuronal survival following seizures. Overall, our results demonstrate a protective role for huntingtin in this form of epilepsy and provide a plausible explanation for the observation of seizures in the juvenile form of HD, Lopes-Maciel-Rodan syndrome, and Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Adverse effects caused by decreasing huntingtin levels have ramifications for huntingtin-lowering therapies that are being developed to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M. Van Raamsdonk
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Metabolic Disorders and Complications (MeDiC) and Brain Repair and Integrated Neuroscience (BRaIN) Programs, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Hilal H. Al-Shekaili
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Laura Wagner
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Tim W Bredy
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia..
| | - Laura Chan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Jacqueline Pearson
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Claudia Schwab
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Zoe Murphy
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Rebecca S. Devon
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Ge Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Blair R. Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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6
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Estevez-Fraga C, Altmann A, Parker CS, Scahill RI, Costa B, Chen Z, Manzoni C, Zarkali A, Durr A, Roos RAC, Landwehrmeyer B, Leavitt BR, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, McColgan P. Genetic topography and cortical cell loss in Huntington's disease link development and neurodegeneration. Brain 2023; 146:4532-4546. [PMID: 37587097 PMCID: PMC10629790 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical cell loss is a core feature of Huntington's disease (HD), beginning many years before clinical motor diagnosis, during the premanifest stage. However, it is unclear how genetic topography relates to cortical cell loss. Here, we explore the biological processes and cell types underlying this relationship and validate these using cell-specific post-mortem data. Eighty premanifest participants on average 15 years from disease onset and 71 controls were included. Using volumetric and diffusion MRI we extracted HD-specific whole brain maps where lower grey matter volume and higher grey matter mean diffusivity, relative to controls, were used as proxies of cortical cell loss. These maps were combined with gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) to investigate the biological processes relating genetic topography and cortical cell loss. Cortical cell loss was positively correlated with the expression of developmental genes (i.e. higher expression correlated with greater atrophy and increased diffusivity) and negatively correlated with the expression of synaptic and metabolic genes that have been implicated in neurodegeneration. These findings were consistent for diffusion MRI and volumetric HD-specific brain maps. As wild-type huntingtin is known to play a role in neurodevelopment, we explored the association between wild-type huntingtin (HTT) expression and developmental gene expression across the AHBA. Co-expression network analyses in 134 human brains free of neurodegenerative disorders were also performed. HTT expression was correlated with the expression of genes involved in neurodevelopment while co-expression network analyses also revealed that HTT expression was associated with developmental biological processes. Expression weighted cell-type enrichment (EWCE) analyses were used to explore which specific cell types were associated with HD cortical cell loss and these associations were validated using cell specific single nucleus RNAseq (snRNAseq) data from post-mortem HD brains. The developmental transcriptomic profile of cortical cell loss in preHD was enriched in astrocytes and endothelial cells, while the neurodegenerative transcriptomic profile was enriched for neuronal and microglial cells. Astrocyte-specific genes differentially expressed in HD post-mortem brains relative to controls using snRNAseq were enriched in the developmental transcriptomic profile, while neuronal and microglial-specific genes were enriched in the neurodegenerative transcriptomic profile. Our findings suggest that cortical cell loss in preHD may arise from dual pathological processes, emerging as a consequence of neurodevelopmental changes, at the beginning of life, followed by neurodegeneration in adulthood, targeting areas with reduced expression of synaptic and metabolic genes. These events result in age-related cell death across multiple brain cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Andre Altmann
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1V 6LJ, UK
| | - Christopher S Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1V 6LJ, UK
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Beatrice Costa
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Zhongbo Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Claudia Manzoni
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Angeliki Zarkali
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), AP-HP, Inserm, CNRS, Paris 75013, France
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden 2333, The Netherlands
| | | | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V5Z 4H4Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Peter McColgan
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
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7
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Alteen MG, Deme JC, Alvarez CP, Loppnau P, Hutchinson A, Seitova A, Chandrasekaran R, Silva Ramos E, Secker C, Alqazzaz M, Wanker EE, Lea SM, Arrowsmith CH, Harding RJ. Delineation of functional subdomains of Huntingtin protein and their interaction with HAP40. Structure 2023; 31:1121-1131.e6. [PMID: 37390814 PMCID: PMC10527579 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The huntingtin (HTT) protein plays critical roles in numerous cellular pathways by functioning as a scaffold for its many interaction partners and HTT knock out is embryonic lethal. Interrogation of HTT function is complicated by the large size of this protein so we studied a suite of structure-rationalized subdomains to investigate the structure-function relationships within the HTT-HAP40 complex. Protein samples derived from the subdomain constructs were validated using biophysical methods and cryo-electron microscopy, revealing they are natively folded and can complex with validated binding partner, HAP40. Derivatized versions of these constructs enable protein-protein interaction assays in vitro, with biotin tags, and in cells, with luciferase two-hybrid assay-based tags, which we use in proof-of-principle analyses to further interrogate the HTT-HAP40 interaction. These open-source biochemical tools enable studies of fundamental HTT biochemistry and biology, will aid the discovery of macromolecular or small-molecule binding partners and help map interaction sites across this large protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Alteen
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; POINT Biopharma, 22 St Clair Avenue E Suite 1201, Toronto, ON M4T 2S3, Canada
| | - Justin C Deme
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Claudia P Alvarez
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; SCIEX, 71 Four Valley Dr, Vaughan, ON L4K 4V8, Canada
| | - Peter Loppnau
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ashley Hutchinson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Alma Seitova
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Renu Chandrasekaran
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Eduardo Silva Ramos
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher Secker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mona Alqazzaz
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Susan M Lea
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
| | - Rachel J Harding
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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8
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Laundos TL, Li S, Cheang E, De Santis R, Piccolo FM, Brivanlou AH. Huntingtin CAG-expansion mutation results in a dominant negative effect. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1252521. [PMID: 37727506 PMCID: PMC10505792 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1252521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington's disease (HD) remains an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disease long after CAG-expansion mutation in the huntingtin gene (HTT) was identified as the cause. The underlying pathological mechanism, whether HTT loss of function or gain of toxicity results from mutation, remains a matter of debate. Methods: In this study, we genetically modulated wild-type or mutant HTT expression levels in isogenic human embryonic stem cells to systematically investigate their contribution to HD-specific phenotypes. Results: Using highly reproducible and quantifiable in vitro micropattern-based assays, we observed comparable phenotypes with HD mutation and HTT depletion. However, halving endogenous wild-type HTT levels did not strongly recapitulate the HD phenotypes, arguing against a classical loss of function mechanism. Remarkably, expression of CAG-expanded HTT in non-HD cells induced HD like phenotypes akin to HTT depletion. Discussion: By corollary, these results indicate a dominant negative effect of mutated HTT on its wild-type counterpart. Complementation with additional copies of wild-type HTT ameliorated the HD-associated phenotypes, strongly supporting a classical dominant negative mechanism. Understanding the molecular basis of this dominant negative effect will guide the development of efficient clinical strategies to counteract the deleterious impact of mutant HTT on the wild-type HTT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago L. Laundos
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB—Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Eric Cheang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Francesco M. Piccolo
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Ali H. Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
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9
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Sturchio A, Duker AP, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Espay AJ. Subtyping monogenic disorders: Huntington disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 193:171-184. [PMID: 36803810 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85555-6.00003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is a highly disabling neurodegenerative disease characterized by psychiatric, cognitive, and motor deficits. The causal genetic mutation in huntingtin (Htt, also known as IT15), located on chromosome 4p16.3, leads to an expansion of a triplet coding for polyglutamine. The expansion is invariably associated with the disease when >39 repeats. Htt encodes for the protein huntingtin (HTT), which carries out many essential biological functions in the cell, in particular in the nervous system. The precise mechanism of toxicity is not known. Based on a one-gene-one-disease framework, the prevailing hypothesis ascribes toxicity to the universal aggregation of HTT. However, the aggregation process into mutant huntingtin (mHTT) is associated with a reduction of the levels of wild-type HTT. A loss of wild-type HTT may plausibly be pathogenic, contributing to the disease onset and progressive neurodegeneration. Moreover, many other biological pathways are altered in Huntington disease, such as in the autophagic system, mitochondria, and essential proteins beyond HTT, potentially explaining biological and clinical differences among affected individuals. As one gene does not mean one disease, future efforts at identifying specific Huntington subtypes are important to design biologically tailored therapeutic approaches that correct the corresponding biological pathways-rather than continuing to exclusively target the common denominator of HTT aggregation for elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Sturchio
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuro Svenningsson, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Andrew P Duker
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | | | - Alberto J Espay
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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10
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Lee Y, Kim H, Barker D, Vijayvargia R, Atwal RS, Specht H, Keshishian H, Carr SA, Lee R, Kwak S, Hyun KG, Loupe J, MacDonald ME, Song JJ, Seong IS. Huntingtin turnover: modulation of huntingtin degradation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation of C-HEAT domain Ser2550. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:30-45. [PMID: 35908190 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an inherited unstable HTT CAG repeat that expands further, thereby eliciting a disease process that may be initiated by polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin or a short polyglutamine-product. Phosphorylation of selected candidate residues is reported to mediate polyglutamine-fragment degradation and toxicity. Here to support the discovery of phosphosites involved in the life-cycle of (full-length) huntingtin, we employed mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics to systematically identify sites in purified huntingtin and in the endogenous protein by proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of members of an HD neuronal progenitor cell panel. Our results bring total huntingtin phosphosites to 95, with more located in the N-HEAT domain relative to numbers in the Bridge and C-HEAT domains. Moreover, phosphorylation of C-HEAT Ser2550 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), the top hit in kinase activity screens, was found to hasten huntingtin degradation, such that levels of the catalytic subunit (PRKACA) were inversely related to huntingtin levels. Taken together, these findings highlight categories of phosphosites that merit further study and provide a phosphosite kinase pair (pSer2550-PKA) with which to investigate the biological processes that regulate huntingtin degradation and thereby influence the steady state levels of huntingtin in HD cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yejin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea.,Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hyeongju Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Douglas Barker
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ravi Vijayvargia
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ranjit Singh Atwal
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Harrison Specht
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Hasmik Keshishian
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Steven A Carr
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ramee Lee
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Seung Kwak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Kyung-Gi Hyun
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jacob Loupe
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ji-Joon Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Ihn Sik Seong
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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11
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Palaiogeorgou AM, Papakonstantinou E, Golfinopoulou R, Sigala M, Mitsis T, Papageorgiou L, Diakou I, Pierouli K, Dragoumani K, Spandidos DA, Bacopoulou F, Chrousos GP, Eliopoulos E, Vlachakis D. Recent approaches on Huntington's disease (Review). Biomed Rep 2022; 18:5. [PMID: 36544856 PMCID: PMC9756286 DOI: 10.3892/br.2022.1587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Patients of all ages can present with a dysfunction of the nervous system, which leads to the progressive loss of movement control and disabilities in speech, swallowing, communications, etc. The molecular basis of the disease is well-known, as HD is related to a mutated gene, a trinucleotide expansion, which encodes to the huntingtin protein. This protein is linked to neurogenesis and the loss of its function leads to neurodegenerative disorders. Although the genetic cause of the disorder has been known for decades, no effective treatment is yet available to prevent onset or to eliminate the progression of symptoms. Thus, the present review focused on the development of novel methods for the timely and accurate diagnosis of HD in an aim to aid the development of therapies which may reduce the severity of the symptoms and control their progression. The majority of the therapies include gene-silencing mechanisms of the mutated huntingtin gene aiming to suppress its expression, and the use of various substances as drugs with highly promising results. In the present review, the latest approaches on the diagnosis of HD are discussed along with the need for genetic counseling and an up-to-date presentation of the applied treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Marina Palaiogeorgou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Papakonstantinou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Rebecca Golfinopoulou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Markezina Sigala
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Thanasis Mitsis
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Louis Papageorgiou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Io Diakou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Pierouli
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina Dragoumani
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Flora Bacopoulou
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George P. Chrousos
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Eliopoulos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Vlachakis
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece,University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, ‘Aghia Sophia’ Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece,Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece,Correspondence to: Dr Dimitrios Vlachakis, Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
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12
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Koshevaya YS, Kusakin AV, Buchinskaia NV, Pechnikova VV, Serebryakova EA, Koroteev AL, Glotov AS, Glotov OS. Description of the First Registered Case of Lopes-Maciel-Rodan Syndrome in Russia. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012437. [PMID: 36293294 PMCID: PMC9604141 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lopes−Maciel−Rodan syndrome (LOMARS) is an extremely rare disorder, with only a few cases reported worldwide. LOMARS is caused by a compound heterozygous mutation in the HTT gene. Little is known about LOMARS pathogenesis and clinical manifestations. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to achieve a definitive molecular diagnosis of the disorder. All NGS-identified variants underwent the Sanger confirmation. In addition, a literature review on genetic variations in the HTT gene was conducted. The paper reports a case of LOMARS in a pediatric patient in Russia. A preterm girl of non-consanguineous parents demonstrated severe psychomotor developmental delays in her first 12 months. By the age of 6 years, she failed to develop speech but was able to understand everyday phrases and perform simple commands. Autism-like behaviors, stereotypies, and bruxism were noted during the examination. WES revealed two undescribed variants of unknown clinical significance in the HTT gene, presumably associated with the patient’s phenotype (c.2350C>T and c.8440C>A). Medical re-examination of parents revealed that the patient inherited these variants from her father and mother. Lopes−Maciel−Rodan syndrome was diagnosed based on overlapping clinical findings and the follow-up genetic examination of parents. Our finding expands the number of reported LOMARS cases and provides new insights into the genetic basis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya S. Koshevaya
- Saint-Petersburg State Medical Diagnostic Center (Genetic Medical Center), 353912 St. Petersburg, Russia
- CerbaLab Ltd., 199106 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksey V. Kusakin
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Applied Genomics Laboratory, SCAMT Institute, ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Natalia V. Buchinskaia
- Saint-Petersburg State Medical Diagnostic Center (Genetic Medical Center), 353912 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Valentina V. Pechnikova
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 117418 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena A. Serebryakova
- Saint-Petersburg State Medical Diagnostic Center (Genetic Medical Center), 353912 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Genomic Medicine, D.O.Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander L. Koroteev
- Saint-Petersburg State Medical Diagnostic Center (Genetic Medical Center), 353912 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrey S. Glotov
- Department of Genomic Medicine, D.O.Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Oleg S. Glotov
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Genomic Medicine, D.O.Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductology, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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13
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Lenoir S, Lahaye RA, Vitet H, Scaramuzzino C, Virlogeux A, Capellano L, Genoux A, Gershoni-Emek N, Geva M, Hayden MR, Saudou F. Pridopidine rescues BDNF/TrkB trafficking dynamics and synapse homeostasis in a Huntington disease brain-on-a-chip model. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 173:105857. [PMID: 36075537 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine-encoding CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HTT is involved in the axonal transport of vesicles containing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In HD, diminished BDNF transport leads to reduced BDNF delivery to the striatum, contributing to striatal and cortical neuronal death. Pridopidine is a selective and potent sigma-1 receptor (S1R) agonist currently in clinical development for HD. The S1R is located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria interface, where it regulates key cellular pathways commonly impaired in neurodegenerative diseases. We used a microfluidic device that reconstitutes the corticostriatal network, allowing the investigation of presynaptic dynamics, synaptic morphology and transmission, and postsynaptic signaling. Culturing primary neurons from the HD mouse model HdhCAG140/+ provides a "disease-on-a-chip" platform ideal for investigating pathogenic mechanisms and drug activity. Pridopidine rescued the trafficking of BDNF and TrkB resulting in an increased neurotrophin signaling at the synapse. This increased the capacity of HD neurons to release glutamate and restored homeostasis at the corticostriatal synapse. These data suggest that pridopidine enhances the availability of corticostriatal BDNF via S1R activation, leading to neuroprotective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Romane A Lahaye
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Hélène Vitet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Chiara Scaramuzzino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Amandine Virlogeux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Laetitia Capellano
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Aurélie Genoux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics, Herzliya, Israel; The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France..
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14
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Shin JW, Hong EP, Park SS, Choi DE, Zeng S, Chen RZ, Lee JM. PAM-altering SNP-based allele-specific CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:547-561. [PMID: 36092363 PMCID: PMC9450073 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eun Pyo Hong
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Seri S. Park
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Doo Eun Choi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sophia Zeng
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Corresponding author Jong-Min Lee, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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15
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Kim H, Lenoir S, Helfricht A, Jung T, Karneva ZK, Lee Y, Beumer W, van der Horst GB, Anthonijsz H, Buil LC, van der Ham F, Platenburg GJ, Purhonen P, Hebert H, Humbert S, Saudou F, Klein P, Song JJ. A pathogenic proteolysis-resistant huntingtin isoform induced by an antisense oligonucleotide maintains huntingtin function. JCI Insight 2022; 7:154108. [PMID: 35943803 PMCID: PMC9536263 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.154108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a late-onset neurological disorder for which therapeutics are not available. Its key pathological mechanism involves the proteolysis of polyglutamine-expanded (polyQ-expanded) mutant huntingtin (mHTT), which generates N-terminal fragments containing polyQ, a key contributor to HD pathogenesis. Interestingly, a naturally occurring spliced form of HTT mRNA with truncated exon 12 encodes an HTT (HTTΔ12) with a deletion near the caspase-6 cleavage site. In this study, we used a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the therapeutic potential of targeting HTT exon 12. We show that HTTΔ12 was resistant to caspase-6 cleavage in both cell-free and tissue lysate assays. However, HTTΔ12 retained overall biochemical and structural properties similar to those of wt-HTT. We generated mice in which HTT exon 12 was truncated and found that the canonical exon 12 was dispensable for the main physiological functions of HTT, including embryonic development and intracellular trafficking. Finally, we pharmacologically induced HTTΔ12 using the antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) QRX-704. QRX-704 showed predictable pharmacology and efficient biodistribution. In addition, it was stable for several months and inhibited pathogenic proteolysis. Furthermore, QRX-704 treatments resulted in a reduction of HTT aggregation and an increase in dendritic spine count. Thus, ASO-induced HTT exon 12 splice switching from HTT may provide an alternative therapeutic strategy for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeongju Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Taeyang Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
| | | | - Yejin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pasi Purhonen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, The Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hans Hebert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, The Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Ji-Joon Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
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16
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Khan MQ, Mubeen H, Khan ZQ, Masood A, Zafar A, Wattoo JI, Nisa AU. Computational insights into missense mutations in HTT gene causing Huntington's disease and its interactome networks. Ir J Med Sci 2022:10.1007/s11845-022-03043-5. [PMID: 35829908 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-022-03043-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease is a rare neurodegenerative illness of the central nervous system that is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Mutant huntingtin protein is produced as a result of enlargement of CAG repeat in the N-terminal of the polyglutamine tract. AIM OF THE STUDY Herein, we aim to investigate the mutations and their effects on the HTT gene and its genetic variants. Additionally, the protein-protein interaction of HTT with other proteins and receptor-ligand interaction with the three-dimensional structure of huntingtin protein were identified. METHODS A comprehensive analysis of the HTT interactome and protein-ligand interaction has been carried out to provide a global picture of structure-function analysis of huntingtin protein. Mutations were analyzed and mutation verification tools were used to check the effect of mutation on protein function. RESULTS The results showed, mutations in a single gene are not only responsible for causing a particular disease but may also cause other hereditary disorders as well. Moreover, the modification at the nucleotide level also cause the change in the specific amino acid which may disrupt the function of HTT and its interacting proteins contributing in disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, the interaction between MECP2 and BDNF lowers the rate of transcriptional activity. Molecular docking further confirmed the strong interaction between MECP2 and BDNF with highest affinity. Amino acid residues of the HTT protein, involved in the interaction with tetrabenazine were N912, Y890, G2385, and V2320. These findings proved, tetrabenazine as one of the potential therapeutic agent for treatment of Huntington's disease. CONCLUSION These results give further insights into the genetics of Huntington's disease for a better understanding of disease models which will be beneficial for the future therapeutic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hira Mubeen
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | | | - Ammara Masood
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asma Zafar
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Javed Iqbal Wattoo
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Alim Un Nisa
- Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lahore, Pakistan
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17
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Common huntingtin-related genetic variation is associated with neurobiological and aging traits in humans. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:311. [PMID: 35810172 PMCID: PMC9271075 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-01114-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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18
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Wilbertz JH, Frappier J, Muller S, Gratzer S, Englaro W, Stanek LM, Calamini B. Time-resolved FRET screening identifies small molecular modifiers of mutant Huntingtin conformational inflexibility in patient-derived cells. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:219-228. [PMID: 35058188 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is the most common monogenic neurodegenerative disease and is fatal. CAG repeat expansions in mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) exon 1 encode for polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches and influence age of onset and disease severity, depending on their length. mHTT is more structured compared to wild-type (wt) HTT, resulting in a decreased N-terminal conformational flexibility. mHTT inflexibility may contribute to both gain of function toxicity, due to increased mHTT aggregation propensity, but also to loss of function phenotypes, due to decreased interactions with binding partners. High-throughput-screening techniques to identify mHTT flexibility states and potential flexibility modifying small molecules are currently lacking. Here, we propose a novel approach for identifying small molecules that restore mHTT's conformational flexibility in human patient fibroblasts. We have applied a well-established antibody-based time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) immunoassay, which measures endogenous HTT flexibility using two validated HTT-specific antibodies, to a high-throughput screening platform. By performing a small-scale compound screen, we identified several small molecules that can partially rescue mHTT inflexibility, presumably by altering HTT post-translational modifications. Thus, we demonstrated that the HTT TR-FRET immunoassay can be miniaturized and applied to a compound screening workflow in patient cells. This automated assay can now be used in large screening campaigns to identify previously unknown HD drugs and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Lisa M Stanek
- Sanofi Rare and Neurological Diseases, Framingham, MA, United States
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19
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Gusella JF, Lee JM, MacDonald ME. Huntington's disease: nearly four decades of human molecular genetics. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R254-R263. [PMID: 34169318 PMCID: PMC8490011 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurogenetic disorder whose familial nature and progressive course were first described in the 19th century but for which no disease-modifying treatment is yet available. Through the active participation of HD families, this disorder has acted as a flagship for the application of human molecular genetic strategies to identify disease genes, understand pathogenesis and identify rational targets for development of therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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