Exon 1 of the HD gene with an expanded CAG repeat is sufficient to cause a progressive neurological phenotype in transgenic mice.
Huntington's disease (HD) is one of an increasing number of neurodegenerative disorders caused by a CAG/polyglutamine repeat expansion. Mice have been generated that are transgenic for the 5' end of the human HD gene carrying (CAG)115-(CAG)150 repeat expansions. In three lines, the transgene is ubiquitously expressed at both mRNA and protein level. Transgenic mice exhibit a progressive neurological phenotype that exhibits many of the features of HD, including choreiform-like movements, involuntary stereotypic movements, tremor, and epileptic seizures, as well as nonmovement disorder components. This transgenic model will greatly assist in an eventual understanding of the molecular pathology of HD and may open the way to the testing of intervention strategies.
Division of Medical and Molecular Genetics, UMDS, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
L
L
Mangiarini
K
K
Sathasivam
M
M
Seller
B
B
Cozens
A
A
Harper
C
C
Hetherington
M
M
Lawton
Y
Y
Trottier
H
H
Lehrach
S W
SW
Davies
G P
GP
Bates
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants / Q000235:genetics*; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D019076:Transgenes; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats
C086055:HTT protein, human; C506812:Htt protein, mouse; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins