 |
Previous Article | Next Article 
The Journal of Neuroscience, September 15, 2002, 22(18):7862-7872
Caspase Cleavage of Mutant Huntingtin Precedes Neurodegeneration
in Huntington's Disease
Cheryl L.
Wellington1,
Lisa M.
Ellerby2,
Claire-Anne
Gutekunst3,
Danny
Rogers1,
Simon
Warby1,
Rona K.
Graham1,
Odell
Loubser1,
Jeremy
van
Raamsdonk1,
Roshni
Singaraja1,
Yu-Zhou
Yang1,
Juliette
Gafni2,
Dale
Bredesen2,
Steven M.
Hersch4,
Blair R.
Leavitt1,
Sophie
Roy5,
Donald W.
Nicholson5, and
Michael R.
Hayden1
1 Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics,
British Columbia Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada V5Z 4H4, 2 Buck Institute for Research in
Aging, Novato, California 94945, 3 Department of Neurology,
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, 4 Department of
Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
02129, and 5 Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H9R 4P8
Huntington's disease (HD) results from polyglutamine expansion in
huntingtin (htt), a protein with several consensus caspase cleavage
sites. Despite the identification of htt fragments in the brain, it has
not been shown conclusively that htt is cleaved by caspases in
vivo. Furthermore, no study has addressed when htt cleavage
occurs with respect to the onset of neurodegeneration. Using antibodies
that detect only caspase-cleaved htt, we demonstrate that htt is
cleaved in vivo specifically at the caspase consensus site at amino acid 552. We detect caspase-cleaved htt in control human
brain as well as in HD brains with early grade neuropathology, including one homozygote. Cleaved htt is also seen in wild-type and HD
transgenic mouse brains before the onset of neurodegeneration. These
results suggest that caspase cleavage of htt may be a normal physiological event. However, in HD, cleavage of mutant htt would release N-terminal fragments with the potential for increased toxicity
and accumulation caused by the presence of the expanded polyglutamine
tract. Furthermore, htt fragments were detected most abundantly in
cortical projection neurons, suggesting that accumulation of expanded
htt fragments in these neurons may lead to corticostriatal dysfunction
as an early event in the pathogenesis of HD.
Key words:
Huntington's disease; huntingtin; caspase cleavage; in vivo; corticostriatal pathway; neurodegeneration
Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/02/22187862-11$05.00/0
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. Ratovitski, M. Gucek, H. Jiang, E. Chighladze, E. Waldron, J. D'Ambola, Z. Hou, Y. Liang, M. A. Poirier, R. R. Hirschhorn, et al.
Mutant Huntingtin N-terminal Fragments of Specific Size Mediate Aggregation and Toxicity in Neuronal Cells
J. Biol. Chem.,
April 17, 2009;
284(16):
10855 - 10867.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. Wang, F. Lin, J. Wu, and Z. Qin
High efficiency adenovirus-mediated expression of truncated N-terminal huntingtin fragment (htt552) in primary rat astrocytes
Acta Biochim Biophys Sin,
April 1, 2009;
41(4):
325 - 334.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Luo and D. C. Rubinsztein
Huntingtin promotes cell survival by preventing Pak2 cleavage
J. Cell Sci.,
March 15, 2009;
122(6):
875 - 885.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Mugat, M.-L. Parmentier, N. Bonneaud, H. Y. E. Chan, and F. Maschat
Protective role of Engrailed in a Drosophila model of Huntington's disease
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
November 15, 2008;
17(22):
3601 - 3616.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C.-E. Wang, H. Zhou, J. R. McGuire, V. Cerullo, B. Lee, S.-H. Li, and X.-J. Li
Suppression of neuropil aggregates and neurological symptoms by an intracellular antibody implicates the cytoplasmic toxicity of mutant huntingtin
J. Cell Biol.,
October 20, 2008;
181(5):
803 - 816.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C.-E. Wang, S. Tydlacka, A. L. Orr, S.-H. Yang, R. K. Graham, M. R. Hayden, S. Li, A. W.S. Chan, and X.-J. Li
Accumulation of N-terminal mutant huntingtin in mouse and monkey models implicated as a pathogenic mechanism in Huntington's disease
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
September 1, 2008;
17(17):
2738 - 2751.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. C. Warby, C. N. Doty, R. K. Graham, J. B. Carroll, Y.-Z. Yang, R. R. Singaraja, C. M. Overall, and M. R. Hayden
Activated caspase-6 and caspase-6-cleaved fragments of huntingtin specifically colocalize in the nucleus
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
August 1, 2008;
17(15):
2390 - 2404.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Luo, H. Mizuta, and D. C. Rubinsztein
p21-activated kinase 1 promotes soluble mutant huntingtin self-interaction and enhances toxicity
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
March 15, 2008;
17(6):
895 - 905.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. L. Orr, S. Li, C.-E. Wang, H. Li, J. Wang, J. Rong, X. Xu, P. G. Mastroberardino, J. T. Greenamyre, and X.-J. Li
N-Terminal Mutant Huntingtin Associates with Mitochondria and Impairs Mitochondrial Trafficking
J. Neurosci.,
March 12, 2008;
28(11):
2783 - 2792.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. B. Fernandes, K. G. Baimbridge, J. Church, M. R. Hayden, and L. A. Raymond
Mitochondrial Sensitivity and Altered Calcium Handling Underlie Enhanced NMDA-Induced Apoptosis in YAC128 Model of Huntington's Disease
J. Neurosci.,
December 12, 2007;
27(50):
13614 - 13623.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Shao and M. I. Diamond
Polyglutamine diseases: emerging concepts in pathogenesis and therapy
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
October 15, 2007;
16(R2):
R115 - R123.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. E. Young, L. Gouw, S. Propp, B. L. Sopher, J. Taylor, A. Lin, E. Hermel, A. Logvinova, S. F. Chen, S. Chen, et al.
Proteolytic Cleavage of Ataxin-7 by Caspase-7 Modulates Cellular Toxicity and Transcriptional Dysregulation
J. Biol. Chem.,
October 12, 2007;
282(41):
30150 - 30160.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Haacke, F. U. Hartl, and P. Breuer
Calpain Inhibition Is Sufficient to Suppress Aggregation of Polyglutamine-expanded Ataxin-3
J. Biol. Chem.,
June 29, 2007;
282(26):
18851 - 18856.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Solans, A. Zambrano, M. Rodriguez, and A. Barrientos
Cytotoxicity of a mutant huntingtin fragment in yeast involves early alterations in mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes II and III
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
October 15, 2006;
15(20):
3063 - 3081.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Schilling, J. Gafni, C. Torcassi, X. Cong, R. H. Row, M. A. LaFevre-Bernt, M. P. Cusack, T. Ratovitski, R. Hirschhorn, C. A. Ross, et al.
Huntingtin Phosphorylation Sites Mapped by Mass Spectrometry: MODULATION OF CLEAVAGE AND TOXICITY
J. Biol. Chem.,
August 18, 2006;
281(33):
23686 - 23697.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
W. Li, L. C. Serpell, W. J. Carter, D. C. Rubinsztein, and J. A. Huntington
Expression and Characterization of Full-length Human Huntingtin, an Elongated HEAT Repeat Protein
J. Biol. Chem.,
June 9, 2006;
281(23):
15916 - 15922.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. J. Milnerwood, D. M. Cummings, G. M. Dallerac, J. Y. Brown, S. C. Vatsavayai, M. C. Hirst, P. Rezaie, and K. P.S.J. Murphy
Early development of aberrant synaptic plasticity in a mouse model of Huntington's disease
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
May 15, 2006;
15(10):
1690 - 1703.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Benchoua, Y. Trioulier, D. Zala, M.-C. Gaillard, N. Lefort, N. Dufour, F. Saudou, J.-M. Elalouf, E. Hirsch, P. Hantraye, et al.
Involvement of Mitochondrial Complex II Defects in Neuronal Death Produced by N-Terminus Fragment of Mutated Huntingtin
Mol. Biol. Cell,
April 1, 2006;
17(4):
1652 - 1663.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. Pardo, E. Colin, E. Regulier, P. Aebischer, N. Deglon, S. Humbert, and F. Saudou
Inhibition of Calcineurin by FK506 Protects against Polyglutamine-Huntingtin Toxicity through an Increase of Huntingtin Phosphorylation at S421
J. Neurosci.,
February 1, 2006;
26(5):
1635 - 1645.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. M. Van Raamsdonk, Z. Murphy, E. J. Slow, B. R. Leavitt, and M. R. Hayden
Selective degeneration and nuclear localization of mutant huntingtin in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
December 15, 2005;
14(24):
3823 - 3835.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. C. Warby, E. Y. Chan, M. Metzler, L. Gan, R. R. Singaraja, S. F. Crocker, H. A. Robertson, and M. R. Hayden
Huntingtin phosphorylation on serine 421 is significantly reduced in the striatum and by polyglutamine expansion in vivo
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
June 1, 2005;
14(11):
1569 - 1577.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Luo, C. Vacher, J. E. Davies, and D. C. Rubinsztein
Cdk5 phosphorylation of huntingtin reduces its cleavage by caspases: implications for mutant huntingtin toxicity
J. Cell Biol.,
May 23, 2005;
169(4):
647 - 656.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. M. Van Raamsdonk, J. Pearson, D. A. Rogers, N. Bissada, A. W. Vogl, M. R. Hayden, and B. R. Leavitt
Loss of wild-type huntingtin influences motor dysfunction and survival in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
May 15, 2005;
14(10):
1379 - 1392.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. Goti, S. M. Katzen, J. Mez, N. Kurtis, J. Kiluk, L. Ben-Haiem, N. A. Jenkins, N. G. Copeland, A. Kakizuka, A. H. Sharp, et al.
A Mutant Ataxin-3 Putative-Cleavage Fragment in Brains of Machado-Joseph Disease Patients and Transgenic Mice Is Cytotoxic above a Critical Concentration
J. Neurosci.,
November 10, 2004;
24(45):
10266 - 10279.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Gafni, E. Hermel, J. E. Young, C. L. Wellington, M. R. Hayden, and L. M. Ellerby
Inhibition of Calpain Cleavage of Huntingtin Reduces Toxicity: ACCUMULATION OF CALPAIN/CASPASE FRAGMENTS IN THE NUCLEUS
J. Biol. Chem.,
May 7, 2004;
279(19):
20211 - 20220.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
W.-C. M. Lee, M. Yoshihara, and J. T. Littleton
Cytoplasmic aggregates trap polyglutamine-containing proteins and block axonal transport in a Drosophila model of Huntington's disease
PNAS,
March 2, 2004;
101(9):
3224 - 3229.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. L. Sugars, R. Brown, L. J. Cook, J. Swartz, and D. C. Rubinsztein
Decreased cAMP Response Element-mediated Transcription: AN EARLY EVENT IN EXON 1 AND FULL-LENGTH CELL MODELS OF HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO POLYGLUTAMINE PATHOGENESIS
J. Biol. Chem.,
February 6, 2004;
279(6):
4988 - 4999.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Z.-H. Qin, Y. Wang, E. Sapp, B. Cuiffo, E. Wanker, M. R. Hayden, K. B. Kegel, N. Aronin, and M. DiFiglia
Huntingtin Bodies Sequester Vesicle-Associated Proteins by a Polyproline-Dependent Interaction
J. Neurosci.,
January 7, 2004;
24(1):
269 - 281.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y P Bao, S Sarkar, E Uyama, and D C Rubinsztein
Congo red, doxycycline, and HSP70 overexpression reduce aggregate formation and cell death in cell models of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy
J. Med. Genet.,
January 1, 2004;
41(1):
47 - 51.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Zhou, F. Cao, Z. Wang, Z.-X. Yu, H.-P. Nguyen, J. Evans, S.-H. Li, and X.-J. Li
Huntingtin forms toxic NH2-terminal fragment complexes that are promoted by the age-dependent decrease in proteasome activity
J. Cell Biol.,
October 13, 2003;
163(1):
109 - 118.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. A. LaFevre-Bernt and L. M. Ellerby
Kennedy's Disease: PHOSPHORYLATION OF THE POLYGLUTAMINE-EXPANDED FORM OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR REGULATES ITS CLEVAGE BY CASPASE-3 AND ENHANCES CELL DEATH
J. Biol. Chem.,
September 12, 2003;
278(37):
34918 - 34924.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Spiro and C. T. McMurray
Nuclease-Deficient FEN-1 Blocks Rad51/BRCA1-Mediated Repair and Causes Trinucleotide Repeat Instability
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
September 1, 2003;
23(17):
6063 - 6074.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. J. Slow, J. van Raamsdonk, D. Rogers, S. H. Coleman, R. K. Graham, Y. Deng, R. Oh, N. Bissada, S. M. Hossain, Y.-Z. Yang, et al.
Selective striatal neuronal loss in a YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
July 1, 2003;
12(13):
1555 - 1567.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Bizat, J.-M. Hermel, F. Boyer, C. Jacquard, C. Creminon, S. Ouary, C. Escartin, P. Hantraye, S. Kajewski, and E. Brouillet
Calpain Is a Major Cell Death Effector in Selective Striatal Degeneration Induced In Vivo by 3-Nitropropionate: Implications for Huntington's Disease
J. Neurosci.,
June 15, 2003;
23(12):
5020 - 5030.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. L. Apostol, A. Kazantsev, S. Raffioni, K. Illes, J. Pallos, L. Bodai, N. Slepko, J. E. Bear, F. B. Gertler, S. Hersch, et al.
A cell-based assay for aggregation inhibitors as therapeutics of polyglutamine-repeat disease and validation in Drosophila
PNAS,
May 13, 2003;
100(10):
5950 - 5955.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Ravikumar, A. Stewart, H. Kita, K. Kato, R. Duden, and D. C. Rubinsztein
Raised intracellular glucose concentrations reduce aggregation and cell death caused by mutant huntingtin exon 1 by decreasing mTOR phosphorylation and inducing autophagy
Hum. Mol. Genet.,
May 1, 2003;
12(9):
985 - 994.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
F. C. Nucifora Jr., L. M. Ellerby, C. L. Wellington, J. D. Wood, W. J. Herring, A. Sawa, M. R. Hayden, V. L. Dawson, T. M. Dawson, and C. A. Ross
Nuclear Localization of a Non-caspase Truncation Product of Atrophin-1, with an Expanded Polyglutamine Repeat, Increases Cellular Toxicity
J. Biol. Chem.,
April 4, 2003;
278(15):
13047 - 13055.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|

|