No description available.

La maladie de Huntington (HD) est une pathologie génétique multisystémique neurodégénérative rare caractérisée par des atteintes motrices, cognitives et psychiatriques. Elle est due à une augmentation de la répétition de triplet CAG dans l'exon 1 du gène HTT, dont la taille normale est de 6 à 35 répétitions. Cette expansion de triplets conduit à la présence d'une répétition de glutamine de taille anormale dans l'extrémité N-terminale de la protéine huntingtine (HTT). Les conséquences de la mutation sont d’une part la diminution de l’expression de la protéine non mutée et d’autre part l’expression d’une protéine mutée. L’une des fonctions de la HTT est le transport intracellulaire de vésicules le long des microtubules dans les neurones. Par ailleurs, une phénocopie : Huntington disease like 2 maladie ayant un phénotype similaire, est due à une perte de fonction de la junctophilin-3 ayant pour rôle l’établissement de points de contact entre la membrane plasmique et le reticulum endoplasmique au niveau neuronal. Les présents travaux visent à découvrir les mécanismes au sein desquels la HTT est impliquée dans un modèle différent de la cellule neuronale : la cellule musculaire. En effet, les points de contact nommées triades sont le cœur du couplage excitation-contraction. Les travaux ont permis de montrer, après avoir créé des modèles cellulaires et in vivo avec baisse d’expression de la protéine, un défaut de la fonction musculaire au niveau cellulaire comme au niveau physiologique. Les relâchements calciques sont altérés. La force est diminuée. De plus, ces altérations de fonctionnement sont corrélées à une baisse d’expression des principaux récepteurs de la triade. Enfin, une fraction exogène de la partie N-terminale de la protéine non mutée restaure les défauts calciques observés. La huntingtine a donc un rôle prépondérant dans la fonction princeps du muscle : la contraction. / Huntington Disease (HD) is a rare multisystemic neurodegenerative genetic disorder, which combines psychiatric, cognitive and motor alterations. It is caused by an increase in CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene, resulting in an expansion of polyglutamine stretch in the protein. This induced a loss of the huntingtin protein (HTT) normal function associated with production of a mutant protein. HTT is an ubiquitous microtubules associated protein, with numerous functions among which vesicles and organelles traffic along microtubules. Along this line, one of its functions could be the traffic of reticulum vesicles to form contact point with the plasma membrane in neurons. Moreover, a phenocopy named Huntington’s disease like 2 is due to junctophilin-3 loss of function. Junctophilin 3 is involved in contact points between endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane in neurons. These studies are dedicated to the validation of the hypothesis of the role of HTT in contact points between endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane in another model, in which contacts between reticulum and plasma membrane are of major importance: the skeletal muscle cell. Indeed, the contact points between sarcoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane (T-Tubule), called the triads, are the basis of excitation-contraction coupling in muscle. In these studies, we develop cellular and animals models with a loss of expression of HTT in skeletal muscle specifically. Theses studies show that calcium release is altered at the cellular level and muscle force is altered at animal model level. Theses alterations are correlated with loss of expression of the main receptors of the triad. Finally, fragment of the normal protein can restore calcium defects. Theses studies put forward the role of huntingtine in skeletal muscle.

In neurons, modification by the lipid palmitate regulates trafficking and function of signaling molecules, neurotransmitter receptors and associated synaptic scaffolding proteins. HIP14 (huntingtin interacting protein 14) is the first identified and characterized mammalian palmitoyl transferase that regulates this process. I have shown that HIP14 has striking effects on modulating trafficking and function of many proteins important for synapse formation and plasticity such as PSD-95, a postsynaptic scaffolding molecule. The importance of the finding that HIP14 is a neuronal palmitoyl transferase is further emphasized by our recent discovery that huntingtin protein folding, trafficking and function are regulated by the enzyme HIP14. Expansion of the polyglutamine tract in huntingtin as seen in Huntington Disease (HD) results in reduced association with HIP14 and decreased palmitoylation of huntingtin, which contributes to the formation of inclusion bodies and enhanced neuronal toxicity. By manipulating HIP14 levels through expression or knockdown, we can manipulate the number of huntingtin inclusion bodies and neuronal cell viability. Overall, these discoveries offer novel mechanism for HD pathogenesis and provide new approaches to therapy for HD. The tight association of HIP14 with wild-type huntingtin, which differs from other known enzyme-substrate interactions, indicates that huntingtin serves other functions beyond being a substrate of HIP14. I have discovered that, in vitro, wild-type huntingtin may facilitate activity of HIP14 to palmitoylate other neuronal substrates such as SNAP25, PSD95 and GAD65. By contrast, mutant htt does not act this way, probably due to lack of interaction with HIP14. Furthermore, immunoprecipitated HIP14 from huntingtin+/- mice also exhibits less enzyme activity in palmitoylating GST-SNAP25 in vitro, suggesting that decreased huntingtin expression compromises HIP14 activity. In vivo, using Acyl Biotin Exchange assay, I have also found that palmitoylation of a number of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins that are involved in neurotransmission are reduced in huntingtin+/- mice. This study not only ascribes an important biochemical function to wild-type huntingtin, but also suggests that defects in protein palmitoylation in general due to mutant huntingtin lack of ability to facilitate HIP14 activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of HD.

No description available.

In neurons, modification by the lipid palmitate regulates trafficking and function of signaling molecules, neurotransmitter receptors and associated synaptic scaffolding proteins. HIP14 (huntingtin interacting protein 14) is the first identified and characterized mammalian palmitoyl transferase that regulates this process. I have shown that HIP14 has striking effects on modulating trafficking and function of many proteins important for synapse formation and plasticity such as PSD-95, a postsynaptic scaffolding molecule. The importance of the finding that HIP14 is a neuronal palmitoyl transferase is further emphasized by our recent discovery that huntingtin protein folding, trafficking and function are regulated by the enzyme HIP14. Expansion of the polyglutamine tract in huntingtin as seen in Huntington Disease (HD) results in reduced association with HIP14 and decreased palmitoylation of huntingtin, which contributes to the formation of inclusion bodies and enhanced neuronal toxicity. By manipulating HIP14 levels through expression or knockdown, we can manipulate the number of huntingtin inclusion bodies and neuronal cell viability. Overall, these discoveries offer novel mechanism for HD pathogenesis and provide new approaches to therapy for HD. The tight association of HIP14 with wild-type huntingtin, which differs from other known enzyme-substrate interactions, indicates that huntingtin serves other functions beyond being a substrate of HIP14. I have discovered that, in vitro, wild-type huntingtin may facilitate activity of HIP14 to palmitoylate other neuronal substrates such as SNAP25, PSD95 and GAD65. By contrast, mutant htt does not act this way, probably due to lack of interaction with HIP14. Furthermore, immunoprecipitated HIP14 from huntingtin+/- mice also exhibits less enzyme activity in palmitoylating GST-SNAP25 in vitro, suggesting that decreased huntingtin expression compromises HIP14 activity. In vivo, using Acyl Biotin Exchange assay, I have also found that palmitoylation of a number of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins that are involved in neurotransmission are reduced in huntingtin+/- mice. This study not only ascribes an important biochemical function to wild-type huntingtin, but also suggests that defects in protein palmitoylation in general due to mutant huntingtin lack of ability to facilitate HIP14 activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of HD.

In neurons, modification by the lipid palmitate regulates trafficking and function of signaling molecules, neurotransmitter receptors and associated synaptic scaffolding proteins. HIP14 (huntingtin interacting protein 14) is the first identified and characterized mammalian palmitoyl transferase that regulates this process. I have shown that HIP14 has striking effects on modulating trafficking and function of many proteins important for synapse formation and plasticity such as PSD-95, a postsynaptic scaffolding molecule. The importance of the finding that HIP14 is a neuronal palmitoyl transferase is further emphasized by our recent discovery that huntingtin protein folding, trafficking and function are regulated by the enzyme HIP14. Expansion of the polyglutamine tract in huntingtin as seen in Huntington Disease (HD) results in reduced association with HIP14 and decreased palmitoylation of huntingtin, which contributes to the formation of inclusion bodies and enhanced neuronal toxicity. By manipulating HIP14 levels through expression or knockdown, we can manipulate the number of huntingtin inclusion bodies and neuronal cell viability. Overall, these discoveries offer novel mechanism for HD pathogenesis and provide new approaches to therapy for HD. The tight association of HIP14 with wild-type huntingtin, which differs from other known enzyme-substrate interactions, indicates that huntingtin serves other functions beyond being a substrate of HIP14. I have discovered that, in vitro, wild-type huntingtin may facilitate activity of HIP14 to palmitoylate other neuronal substrates such as SNAP25, PSD95 and GAD65. By contrast, mutant htt does not act this way, probably due to lack of interaction with HIP14. Furthermore, immunoprecipitated HIP14 from huntingtin+/- mice also exhibits less enzyme activity in palmitoylating GST-SNAP25 in vitro, suggesting that decreased huntingtin expression compromises HIP14 activity. In vivo, using Acyl Biotin Exchange assay, I have also found that palmitoylation of a number of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins that are involved in neurotransmission are reduced in huntingtin+/- mice. This study not only ascribes an important biochemical function to wild-type huntingtin, but also suggests that defects in protein palmitoylation in general due to mutant huntingtin lack of ability to facilitate HIP14 activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of HD. / Medicine, Faculty of / Graduate

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited, fatal neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure. HD is clinically characterized by progressively worsening motor, cognitive, and psychiatric disturbances. Currently available therapeutics for HD only treat symptoms, but do not address underlying disease pathology. HD pathogenesis is linked to a mutation in the huntingtin gene, which encodes a protein called huntingtin (Htt) that is normally involved in a variety of cellular processes. In healthy individuals, the N-terminus of huntingtin possesses a polyglutamine stretch containing less than 35 glutamines, however, the mutated huntingtin protein (mHtt) has an elongated polyglutamine tract that correlates with the development of HD. The mechanism of deleterious action by mHtt is unknown, but a major hypothesis postulates that mHtt may cause mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the data regarding involvement of mitochondrial impairment in HD pathology are contradictory. Some investigators previously reported, for example, that mHtt suppresses mitochondrial respiratory activity and decreases mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake capacity. However, other investigators found increased respiratory activity and augmented mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake capacity. We used transgenic mouse models of HD to investigate the effect of full-length and fragments of mHtt on oxidative metabolism and Ca2+ handling using a combination of isolated mitochondria, primary neurons, and whole-animal metabolic measurements. We evaluated the effect of full-length mHtt on isolated mitochondria and primary neurons from YAC128 mice. We found no alteration in respiratory activity or Ca2+ uptake capacity, indicative of mitochondrial damage, between mitochondria or neurons from YAC128 mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, we measured whole animal oxidative metabolism and physical activity level and found that YAC128 mice do not display any decline in metabolic and physical activity. Although full-length mHtt expressing YAC128 mice may be a more faithful genetic recapitulation of HD, data suggests mHtt fragments may be more toxic. To assess the effect of mHtt fragments, we used isolated brain mitochondria and primary striatal neurons from the R6/2 mouse model and found no significant impairment in respiration or Ca2+ handling. Thus, our data strongly support the hypothesis that mHtt does not alter mitochondrial functions assessed either with isolated mitochondria, primary neurons, or whole animals.

The huntingtin N17 domain is the master regulator of huntingtin intracellular localization. N17 is post-translationally modified, and phosphorylation of N17 serines 13 and 16 facilitate the stress dependent nuclear translocation of huntingtin by inhibiting CRM1 binding and nuclear export. In Huntington’s disease (HD), mutant huntingtin is hypo-phosphorylated and increasing N17 phosphorylation has been shown to be protective in HD mouse models. N17 phosphorylation is therefore a valid therapeutic sub-target of huntingtin. The ER stresses that have been previously characterized to affect huntingtin phosphorylation are broad, likely activating a plethora of response pathways. Thus, in this study, we sought to define a specific stress that could affect huntingtin phosphorylation and nuclear localization. Here we show that huntingtin localization and phosphorylation can be specifically affected by reactive oxygen species (ROS). We identify a highly conserved methionine at position 8 (M8) as the specific sensor of oxidative species within N17 and show the capacity of oxido-mimetic M8 point mutations to affect N17 structure, localization and phosphorylation. We also define a specific molecular mechanism whereby N17 oxidation promotes membrane dissociation, thus increasing kinase accessibility and subsequent phosphorylation. These results define a precise molecular mechanism for the normal biological regulation of huntingtin phosphorylation by oxidative signalling. This ability of huntingtin to sense ROS levels at the ER provides a link between age-associated stress and altered huntingtin function. It suggests that ROS stress due to aging may be a critical molecular trigger of HD that could explain the age-onset nature of disease. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

<p>The primary cilium is a singular signaling organelle found on most mammalian cell types. Dysfunction of the primary cilium or associated structures form a group of genetic disorders called ciliopathies. Recently, Huntington’s disease (HD), a monogenetic neurodegenerative disorder, was classified, at least in part, as a ciliopathy. How the primary cilium contributes to the pathogenesis of HD is the focus of this work. We demonstrate that huntingtin localization to the basal body or primary cilium is dependent on the phosphorylation status of serine residues 13 and 16. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, compared to controls, HD cell models have an increased number of cells with a primary cilium and that these cells have higher presence of huntingtin within the ciliary compartment. The primary cilia that form in HD cell lines demonstrate abnormal dynamics and morphology with bulging tips, characteristic of defective retrograde trafficking. We also demonstrate that alpha tubulin acetyltransferase 1 (αTAT1) expression and localization is increased in the primary cilium of HD cell lines. Subsequently, the primary cilium of HD cell lines are highly acetylated when compared to controls. These data support that primary cilia structure, ciliogenesis and ciliome are altered in HD.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)