title: Colocalization of transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43 and huntingtin in inclusions of Huntington disease.
abstract: Transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a component of pathological inclusions in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and several forms of sporadic and familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43-immunostained inclusions have also been found in other neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and parkinsonism dementia complex of Guam. Here, we analyzed the occurrence of TDP-43 immunostaining in Huntington disease, which is characterized by inclusions containing mutated huntingtin. In all Huntington disease cases studied, TDP-43 was frequently colocalized with huntingtin in dystrophic neurites and various intracellular inclusions, but not in intranuclear inclusions; the latter were only stained with huntingtin and anti-ubiquitin antibodies. Two phosphorylation-dependent TDP-43 antibodies proved to be superior for detecting pathological inclusions because they did not stain nonphosphorylated TDP-43 in normal nuclei; staining of normal nuclei with phosphorylation-independent antibodies obscured the inclusions. Our results further add to the hypothesis that TDP-43 may be involved in the pathology of a variety of neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: Tetsuaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McGeer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C086055:HTT protein, human; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin