title: Huntington's disease: a synaptopathy?
abstract: Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the protein huntingtin. In its terminal stage, HD is characterized by widespread neuronal death in the neocortex and the striatum. Classically, this neuronal death has been thought to underlie most of the symptoms of the disease. Accumulating evidence suggests, however, that cellular dysfunction is important in the pathogenesis of HD. We propose that specific impairment of the exocytosis and endocytosis machinery contributes to the development of HD. We also suggest that abnormal synaptic transmission underlies the early symptoms of HD and can contribute to the triggering of cell death in later stages of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Section for Neuronal Survival, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
authors.forename: Jia-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plomann
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brundin
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013569:Synapses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: C086055:HTT protein, human; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins