单位:[1]Emory Univ, Dept Human Genet, Sch Med, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA[2]Huazhong Univ Sci & Technol,Tongji Hosp,Dept Neurol,Tongji Med Coll,Wuhan 430032,Peoples R China神经内科华中科技大学同济医学院附属同济医院神经科[3]Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Genet & Dev Biol, State Key Lab Mol Dev Biol, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China[4]Emory Univ, Dept Pharmacol, Sch Med, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
Growing evidence indicates that non-neuronal mutant huntingtin toxicity plays an important role in Huntington's disease (HD); however, whether and how mutant huntingtin affects oligodendrocytes, which are vitally important for neural function and axonal integrity, remains unclear. We first verified the presence of mutant huntingtin in oligodendrocytes in HD140Q knockin mice. We then established transgenic mice (PLP-150Q) that selectively express mutant huntingtin in oligodendrocytes. PLP-150Q mice show progressive neurological symptoms and early death, as well as age-dependent demyelination and reduced expression of myelin genes that are downstream of myelin regulatory factor (MYRF or MRF), a transcriptional regulator that specifically activates and maintains the expression of myelin genes in mature oligodendrocytes. Consistently, mutant huntingtin binds abnormally to MYRF and affects its transcription activity. Our findings suggest that dysfunction of mature oligodendrocytes is involved in HD pathogenesis and may also make a good therapeutic target.
基金:
NIH [NS036232, NS041669, NS045016, AG019206, AG31153]; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology (China); Emory Integrated Genomics Core Shared Resource of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University; NIH/National Cancer Center [P30CA138292]; PHS [MH/NS 31862]; Emory Alzheimer's Disease Center Brain Bank [P50-AG025688]
第一作者单位:[1]Emory Univ, Dept Human Genet, Sch Med, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
通讯作者:
通讯机构:[1]Emory Univ, Dept Human Genet, Sch Med, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA[3]Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Genet & Dev Biol, State Key Lab Mol Dev Biol, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China[*1]Emory Univ, Dept Human Genet, Sch Med, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA