Neuron
Volume 67, Issue 6, 23 September 2010, Pages 929-935
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SCA1-like Disease in Mice Expressing Wild-Type Ataxin-1 with a Serine to Aspartic Acid Replacement at Residue 776

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Summary

Glutamine tract expansion triggers nine neurodegenerative diseases by conferring toxic properties to the mutant protein. In SCA1, phosphorylation of ATXN1 at Ser776 is thought to be key for pathogenesis. Here, we show that replacing Ser776 with a phosphomimicking Asp converted ATXN1 with a wild-type glutamine tract into a pathogenic protein. ATXN1[30Q]-D776-induced disease in Purkinje cells shared most features with disease caused by ATXN1[82Q] having an expanded polyglutamine tract. However, in contrast to disease induced by ATXN1[82Q] that progresses to cell death, ATXN1[30Q]-D776 failed to induce cell death. These results support a model where pathogenesis involves changes in regions of the protein in addition to the polyglutamine tract. Moreover, disease initiation and progression to neuronal dysfunction are distinct from induction of cell death. Ser776 is critical for the pathway to neuronal dysfunction, while an expanded polyglutamine tract is essential for neuronal death.

Highlights

► Glutamine expansion and D776 act synergistically to shape Ataxin-1-induced disease ► D776 converts wt Ataxin-1 with 30Qs to a pathogenic protein ► Disease initiation and neural dysfunction can occur without subsequent cell death

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Present address: Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA