How does the Huntington's disease mutation damage cells?

Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2003 Sep 17;2003(37):PE26. doi: 10.1126/sageke.2003.37.pe26.

Abstract

Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative condition with devastating consequences. HD is caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat stretch in the coding sequence of the HD gene that gives rise to a long polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. How this mutated protein gives rise to the disease state is controversial. In this Perspective, I discuss the results of a new study on the effects of the mutated huntingtin protein in light of previous findings and suggest that the HD mutation damages cells by perturbing multiple parallel pathways by gain-of-function and possibly also dominant negative mechanisms.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Huntington Disease / genetics*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mutation*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Trinucleotide Repeats / genetics

Substances

  • HTT protein, human
  • Htt protein, mouse
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins