RNA-binding protein TLS is a major nuclear aggregate-interacting protein in huntingtin exon 1 with expanded polyglutamine-expressing cells

J Biol Chem. 2008 Mar 7;283(10):6489-500. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M705306200. Epub 2007 Dec 31.

Abstract

Formation of intracellular aggregates is the hallmark of polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. We analyzed the components of purified nuclear polyQ aggregates by mass spectrometry. As a result, we found that the RNA-binding protein translocated in liposarcoma (TLS) was one of the major components of nuclear polyQ aggregate-interacting proteins in a Huntington disease cell model and was also associated with neuronal intranuclear inclusions of R6/2 mice. In vitro study revealed that TLS could directly bind to truncated N-terminal huntingtin (tNhtt) aggregates but could not bind to monomer GST-tNhtt with 18, 42, or 62Q, indicating that the tNhtt protein acquired the ability to sequester TLS after forming aggregates. Thioflavin T assay and electron microscopic study further supported the idea that TLS bound to tNhtt-42Q aggregates at the early stage of tNhtt-42Q amyloid formation. Immunohistochemistry showed that TLS was associated with neuronal intranuclear inclusions of Huntington disease human brain. Because TLS has a variety of functional roles, the sequestration of TLS to polyQ aggregates may play a role in diverse pathological changes in the brains of patients with polyQ diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Exons*
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Huntington Disease / genetics
  • Huntington Disease / metabolism*
  • Huntington Disease / pathology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies / genetics
  • Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies / metabolism*
  • Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / metabolism*

Substances

  • Htt protein, mouse
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Peptides
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS
  • polyglutamine