title: Nuclear targeting of mutant Huntingtin increases toxicity.
abstract: Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting from expansion of the polyglutamine region in huntingtin. Although huntingtin is normally cytoplasmic, in affected brain regions proteolytic fragments of mutant huntingtin containing the polyglutamine repeat form intranuclear inclusions. Here, we examine the contribution of nuclear localization to toxicity by transiently transfecting neuro-2a cells with an N-terminal huntingtin fragment similar in size to that believed to be present in patients. The huntingtin fragment, HD-N63, was targeted either to the cytoplasm with a nuclear export signal (NES) or to the nucleus with a nuclear localization signal (NLS). The NES decreased the number of cells with aggregates in the nucleus while an NLS had the opposite effect. By cotransfecting HD-N63 with GFP as a marker, we observed direct cell loss with constructs containing expanded polyglutamine repeats. Compared to unmodified HD-N63-75Q, adding an NES reduced cell loss by 57% while an NLS increased cell loss by 111%. These results indicate that nuclear localization of mutant huntingtin fragments plays an important role in cell toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205-2196, USA.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Nucifora
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kushi
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Seaman
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009498:Neurotoxins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C086055:HTT protein, human; C506812:Htt protein, mouse; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins