Ivana Serrano Lachapel

All Publications

• Control of the structural landscape and neuronal proteotoxicity of mutant Huntingtin by domains flanking the polyQ tract. eLife Shen, K., Calamini, B., Fauerbach, J. A., Ma, B., Shahmoradian, S. H., Serrano Lachapel, I. L., Chiu, W., Lo, D. C., Frydman, J. 2016; 5

  Abstract

  Many neurodegenerative diseases are linked to amyloid aggregation. In Huntington's disease (HD), neurotoxicity correlates with an increased aggregation propensity of a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in exon 1 of mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt). Here we establish how the domains flanking the polyQ tract shape the mHtt conformational landscape in vitro and in neurons. In vitro, the flanking domains have opposing effects on the conformation and stabilities of oligomers and amyloid fibrils. The N-terminal N17 promotes amyloid fibril formation, while the C-terminal Proline Rich Domain destabilizes fibrils and enhances oligomer formation. However, in neurons both domains act synergistically to engage protective chaperone and degradation pathways promoting mHtt proteostasis. Surprisingly, when proteotoxicity was assessed in rat corticostriatal brain slices, either flanking region alone sufficed to generate a neurotoxic conformation, while the polyQ tract alone exhibited minimal toxicity. Linking mHtt structural properties to its neuronal proteostasis should inform new strategies for neuroprotection in polyQ-expansion diseases.

  View details for DOI 10.7554/eLife.18065

  View details for PubMedID 27751235

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5135392

• Control of the structural landscape and neuronal proteotoxicity of mutant Huntingtin by domains flanking the polyQ tract ELIFE Shen, K., Calamini, B., Fauerbach, J. A., Ma, B., Shahmoradian, S. H., Lachapei, I. L., Chiu, W., Lo, D. C., Frydman, J. 2016; 5

  Abstract

  Many neurodegenerative diseases are linked to amyloid aggregation. In Huntington's disease (HD), neurotoxicity correlates with an increased aggregation propensity of a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in exon 1 of mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt). Here we establish how the domains flanking the polyQ tract shape the mHtt conformational landscape in vitro and in neurons. In vitro, the flanking domains have opposing effects on the conformation and stabilities of oligomers and amyloid fibrils. The N-terminal N17 promotes amyloid fibril formation, while the C-terminal Proline Rich Domain destabilizes fibrils and enhances oligomer formation. However, in neurons both domains act synergistically to engage protective chaperone and degradation pathways promoting mHtt proteostasis. Surprisingly, when proteotoxicity was assessed in rat corticostriatal brain slices, either flanking region alone sufficed to generate a neurotoxic conformation, while the polyQ tract alone exhibited minimal toxicity. Linking mHtt structural properties to its neuronal proteostasis should inform new strategies for neuroprotection in polyQ-expansion diseases.

  View details for DOI 10.7554/eLife.18065

  View details for Web of Science ID 000390025200001

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5135392