title: Interaction of Akt-phosphorylated ataxin-1 with 14-3-3 mediates neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1.
abstract: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is one of several neurological disorders caused by a CAG repeat expansion. In SCA1, this expansion produces an abnormally long polyglutamine tract in the protein ataxin-1. Mutant polyglutamine proteins accumulate in neurons, inducing neurodegeneration, but the mechanism underlying this accumulation has been unclear. We have discovered that the 14-3-3 protein, a multifunctional regulatory molecule, mediates the neurotoxicity of ataxin-1 by binding to and stabilizing ataxin-1, thereby slowing its normal degradation. The association of ataxin-1 with 14-3-3 is regulated by Akt phosphorylation, and in a Drosophila model of SCA1, both 14-3-3 and Akt modulate neurodegeneration. Our finding that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling and 14-3-3 cooperate to modulate the neurotoxicity of ataxin-1 provides insight into SCA1 pathogenesis and identifies potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Hung-Kai
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Funez
authors.forename: Summer F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: Yung C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kaytor
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: Efthimios M C
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Skoulakis
authors.forename: Harry T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Botas
authors.forename: Huda Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zoghbi
mesh_terms: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000067696:Ataxin-1; D000067528:Ataxins; D019556:COS Cells; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D012694:Serine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020754:Spinocerebellar Ataxias / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019680:Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion / Q000235:genetics; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D000067696:Ataxin-1; D000067528:Ataxins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D012694:Serine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; C000593749:ATXN1 protein, human; C097188:polyglutamine; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C494917:Akt1 protein, Drosophila