Overexpression of the autophagic beclin-1 protein clears mutant ataxin-3 and alleviates Machado-Joseph disease.
Brain
; 134(Pt 5): 1400-15, 2011 May.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21478185
ABSTRACT
Machado-Joseph disease, also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, is the most common of the dominantly inherited ataxias worldwide and is characterized by mutant ataxin-3 misfolding, intracellular accumulation of aggregates and neuronal degeneration. Here we investigated the implication of autophagy, the major pathway for organelle and protein turnover, in the accumulation of mutant ataxin-3 aggregates and neurodegeneration found in Machado-Joseph disease and we assessed whether specific stimulation of this pathway could mitigate the disease. Using tissue from patients with Machado-Joseph disease, transgenic mice and a lentiviral-based rat model, we found an abnormal expression of endogenous autophagic markers, accumulation of autophagosomes and decreased levels of beclin-1, a crucial protein in the early nucleation step of autophagy. Lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression of beclin-1 led to stimulation of autophagic flux, mutant ataxin-3 clearance and overall neuroprotective effects in neuronal cultures and in a lentiviral-based rat model of Machado-Joseph disease. These data demonstrate that autophagy is a key degradation pathway, with beclin-1 playing a significant role in alleviating Machado-Joseph disease pathogenesis.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Proteínas Represoras
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Autofagia
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Proteínas Nucleares
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Enfermedad de Machado-Joseph
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Proteínas Reguladoras de la Apoptosis
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Proteínas de la Membrana
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Mutación
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Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Aged
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Animals
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Brain
Año:
2011
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Portugal