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N-alpha-acetylation of Huntingtin protein increases its propensity to aggregate

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a poly-CAG expansion in the first exon of the HTT gene, resulting in an extended poly-glutamine tract in the N-terminal domain of the Huntingtin (Htt) protein product. Proteolytic fragments of the poly-glutamine–containing N-termina...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Gottlieb, Leah, Guo, Lin, Shorter, James, Marmorstein, Ronen
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8640455/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34732320
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101363
Descripción
Sumario:Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a poly-CAG expansion in the first exon of the HTT gene, resulting in an extended poly-glutamine tract in the N-terminal domain of the Huntingtin (Htt) protein product. Proteolytic fragments of the poly-glutamine–containing N-terminal domain form intranuclear aggregates that are correlated with HD. Post-translational modification of Htt has been shown to alter its function and aggregation properties. However, the effect of N-terminal Htt acetylation has not yet been considered. Here, we developed a bacterial system to produce unmodified or N-terminally acetylated and aggregation-inducible Htt protein. We used this system together with biochemical, biophysical, and imaging studies to confirm that the Htt N-terminus is an in vitro substrate for the NatA N-terminal acetyltransferase and show that N-terminal acetylation promotes aggregation. These studies represent the first link between N-terminal acetylation and the promotion of a neurodegenerative disease and implicates NatA-mediated Htt acetylation as a new potential therapeutic target in HD.