title: Huntington's disease gene product, huntingtin, associates with microtubules in vitro.
abstract: The gene responsible for Huntington's disease produces a large protein with a molecular weight of approximately 350 k, designated huntingtin. Here, we report that the protein can associate in vitro with the microtubules. Through the process of assembly and disassembly of microtubules, both wild-type and mutant huntingtin associate with microtubules to almost the same degree. Huntingtin does not bind to the tubulin-affinity column directly. Huntingtin appears to interact with polymerized tubulin. These results suggest that huntingtin may have a role in intracellular organelle transport or axonal transport by its association with microtubules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tukamoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nukina
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D005260:Female; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C086055:HTT protein, human; C499524:Htt protein, rat; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases