Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the N-terminal region of mutant huntingtin (mHtt). As a result, mHtt forms aggregates that are abundant in the nuclei and processes of neuronal cells. Although the roles of mHtt aggregates are still debated, the formation of aggregates points to deficient clearance of mHtt in brain cells. Since the accumulation of mHtt is a prerequisite for its neurotoxicity, exploring the mechanisms for mHtt accumulation and clearance would advance our understanding of HD pathogenesis and help us develop treatments for HD. We know that the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy play important roles in clearing mHtt; however, how mHtt preferentially accumulates in neuronal nuclei and processes remains unclear. Studying the clearance of mHtt in neuronal cells is a challenge because neurons are morphologically and functionally polarized, which means the turnover of mHtt may be distinct in different cellular compartments. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge about the clearance and accumulation of mHtt and strategies examining mHtt clearance and accumulation in different subcellular regions.
Highlights
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded polyglutamine tract in the N-terminal region of mutant huntingtin
We know that the ubiquitinproteasome system (UPS) and autophagy play important roles in clearing mutant huntingtin (mHtt); how mHtt preferentially accumulates in neuronal nuclei and processes remains unclear
Since the UPS is a highly ATP-dependent system (Schrader et al, 2009), defective mitochondria transport may lead to ATP deficiency in neurites and nerve terminals, which can impair the local degradation of mHtt by the proteasome and causes the aggregation of mHtt in these subcellular regions
Summary
Given the known genetic mutation in HD and its wellcharacterized neuropathology, HD makes an ideal model for investigating how selective neuropathology occurs with aging. This progressive neurodegeneration is consistent with the late-onset neurological symptoms of HD
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