title: Mutant huntingtin and glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta accumulate in neuronal lipid rafts of a presymptomatic knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease.
abstract: Patients with Huntington's disease have an expanded polyglutamine tract in huntingtin and suffer severe brain atrophy and neurodegeneration. Because membrane dysfunction can occur in Huntington's disease, we addressed whether mutant huntingtin in brain and primary neurons is present in lipid rafts, which are cholesterol-enriched membrane domains that mediate growth and survival signals. Biochemical analysis of detergent-resistant membranes from brains and primary neurons of wild-type and presymptomatic Huntington's disease knock-in mice showed that wild-type and mutant huntingtin were recovered in lipid raft-enriched detergent-resistant membranes. The association with lipid rafts was stronger for mutant huntingtin than wild-type huntingtin. Lipid rafts extracted from Huntington's disease mice had normal levels of lipid raft markers (G(alphaq), Ras, and flotillin) but significantly more glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta. Increases in glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta have been associated with apoptotic cell death. Treating Huntington's disease primary neurons with inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta reduced neuronal death. We speculate that accumulation of mutant huntingtin and glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta in lipid rafts of presymptomatic Huntington's disease mouse neurons contributes to neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sapp
authors.forename: Xueyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Kimberly B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kegel
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chase
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aronin
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DiFiglia
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008301:Maleimides / Q000494:pharmacology; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C506812:Htt protein, mouse; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D007211:Indoles; D008301:Maleimides; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C417521:SB 216763; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3