DMSO and glycerol reduce bacterial death induced by expression of truncated N-terminal huntingtin with expanded polyglutamine tracts.
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of a large gene, IT15, possessing 67 exons. Transgenic mice expressing a truncated N-terminal peptide of huntingtin with an expanded polyglutamine tract translated only from exon 1 develop symptoms similar to Huntington's disease. In the present study, a bacterial system (Escherichia coli) was used to express truncated peptides of huntingtin translated from exon 1 of the HD gene. Bacterial death was observed after the induction of peptides with expanded polyglutamine tracts, and both sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-soluble peptides and insoluble aggregated material were detected by immunoblotting in the homogenates of such E. coli. E. coli death was partially reduced by the addition of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or glycerol to the medium, with a consequent decrease in aggregated material and an increase in SDS-soluble peptide in the homogenate. These results suggest that DMSO and glycerol may decrease the toxicity of huntingtin with expanded polyglutamine tracts by acting as chemical chaperones.
Nagao
Y
Y
Laboratory for CAG Repeat Diseases, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
Ishiguro
H
H
Nukina
N
N
D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D015870:Gene Expression; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats
C086055:HTT protein, human; C506812:Htt protein, mouse; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; C097188:polyglutamine; D005990:Glycerol; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide