Mutated huntingtin (htt) is ubiquitously expressed in tissues of Huntington's disease (HD) patients. In the brain, the mutated protein leads to neuronal cell dysfunction and death, associated with formation of htt-positive inclusions. Given increasing evidence of abnormalities in HD skeletal muscle, we extensively analyzed primary muscle cell cultures from seven HD subjects (including two unaffected mutation carriers). Myoblasts from presymptomatic and symptomatic HD subjects showed cellular abnormalities in vitro, namely mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome c release, increased caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities, and defective cell differentiation. Another notable feature was the formation of htt inclusions in differentiated myotubes. This study helps to advance current knowledge about the downstream effects of the htt mutation in human tissues. Further applications may include drug screening using this human cellular model.

Increased apoptosis, huntingtin inclusions and altered differentiation in muscle cell cultures from Huntington's disease subjects / A. Ciammola, J. Sassone, L. Alberti, G. Meola, E. Mancinelli, M.A. Russo, F. Squitieri, V. Silani. - In: CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION. - ISSN 1350-9047. - 13:12(2006 Dec), pp. 2068-2078.

Increased apoptosis, huntingtin inclusions and altered differentiation in muscle cell cultures from Huntington's disease subjects

J. Sassone;G. Meola;E. Mancinelli;V. Silani
Ultimo
2006

Abstract

Mutated huntingtin (htt) is ubiquitously expressed in tissues of Huntington's disease (HD) patients. In the brain, the mutated protein leads to neuronal cell dysfunction and death, associated with formation of htt-positive inclusions. Given increasing evidence of abnormalities in HD skeletal muscle, we extensively analyzed primary muscle cell cultures from seven HD subjects (including two unaffected mutation carriers). Myoblasts from presymptomatic and symptomatic HD subjects showed cellular abnormalities in vitro, namely mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome c release, increased caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities, and defective cell differentiation. Another notable feature was the formation of htt inclusions in differentiated myotubes. This study helps to advance current knowledge about the downstream effects of the htt mutation in human tissues. Further applications may include drug screening using this human cellular model.
Huntington's disease ; human muscle cell culture ; apoptosis ; mitochondrial membrane potential ; huntingtin inclusions
Settore MED/26 - Neurologia
Settore BIO/09 - Fisiologia
dic-2006
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/22096
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