Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the amino-terminal region of huntingtin. Mutant huntingtin is proteolytically cleaved by caspases, generating amino-terminal aggregates that are toxic for cells. The addition of calpains to total brain homogenates also leads to cleavage of wild-type huntingtin, indicating that proteolysis of mutant and wild-type huntingtin may play a role in HD. Here we report that endogenous wild-type huntingtin is promptly cleaved by calpains in primary neurons. Exposure of primary neurons to glutamate or 3-nitropropionic acid increases intracellular calcium concentration, leading to loss of intact full-length wild-type huntingtin. This cleavage could be prevented by calcium chelators and calpain inhibitors. Degradation of wild-type huntingtin by calcium-dependent proteases thus occurs in HD neurons, leading to loss of wild-type huntingtin neuroprotective activity.

Calcium-dependent cleavage of endogenous wild-type huntingtin in primary cortical neurons / D. Goffredo, D. Rigamonti, M. Tartari, A. De Micheli, C. Verderio, M. Matteoli, C. Zuccato, E. Cattaneo. - In: THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. - ISSN 0021-9258. - 277:42(2002 Oct 18), pp. 39594-39598.

Calcium-dependent cleavage of endogenous wild-type huntingtin in primary cortical neurons

D. Goffredo
Primo
;
D. Rigamonti
Secondo
;
M. Tartari;A. De Micheli;M. Matteoli;C. Zuccato
Penultimo
;
E. Cattaneo
Ultimo
2002

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the amino-terminal region of huntingtin. Mutant huntingtin is proteolytically cleaved by caspases, generating amino-terminal aggregates that are toxic for cells. The addition of calpains to total brain homogenates also leads to cleavage of wild-type huntingtin, indicating that proteolysis of mutant and wild-type huntingtin may play a role in HD. Here we report that endogenous wild-type huntingtin is promptly cleaved by calpains in primary neurons. Exposure of primary neurons to glutamate or 3-nitropropionic acid increases intracellular calcium concentration, leading to loss of intact full-length wild-type huntingtin. This cleavage could be prevented by calcium chelators and calpain inhibitors. Degradation of wild-type huntingtin by calcium-dependent proteases thus occurs in HD neurons, leading to loss of wild-type huntingtin neuroprotective activity.
Settore BIO/14 - Farmacologia
18-ott-2002
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/45174
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