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Enhanced immune response to MMP3 stimulation in microglia expressing mutant huntingtin

Connolly, C ; Magnusson-Lind, A LU ; Lu, G ; Wagner, P K ; Southwell, A L ; Hayden, M R ; Björkqvist, M LU orcid and Leavitt, B R (2016) In Neuroscience 325. p.74-88
Abstract

Huntington's Disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin protein. The YAC128 mouse model of HD expresses the full-length human huntingtin protein with 128 CAG repeats and replicates the phenotype and neurodegeneration that occur in HD. Several studies have implicated a role for neuroinflammation in HD pathogenesis. Studies on presymptomatic HD patients have illustrated microgliosis (activated microglia) in brain regions affected in HD. Mutant huntingtin expressing isolated primary monocytes (human HD patients) and primary macrophages (YAC128) are overactive in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. In this study we demonstrate that cultured primary microglia... (More)

Huntington's Disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin protein. The YAC128 mouse model of HD expresses the full-length human huntingtin protein with 128 CAG repeats and replicates the phenotype and neurodegeneration that occur in HD. Several studies have implicated a role for neuroinflammation in HD pathogenesis. Studies on presymptomatic HD patients have illustrated microgliosis (activated microglia) in brain regions affected in HD. Mutant huntingtin expressing isolated primary monocytes (human HD patients) and primary macrophages (YAC128) are overactive in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. In this study we demonstrate that cultured primary microglia (the resident immune cells of the brain cells) from YAC128 mice differentially express a wide number of cytokines compared to wildtype microglia cultures in response to LPS. Furthermore, this study outlines a direct interaction between mutant huntingtin and cytokine secretion in HD microglia. Increased cytokine release in YAC128 microglia can be blocked by cannabinoid activation or by mutant huntingtin knockdown with anti-sense oligonucleotide treatment. Matrix metalloprotease 3 (MMP3), an endogenous neuronal activator of microglia, also induces increased cytokine release from YAC128 microglia compared to wildtype microglia. We found elevated MMP levels in HD CSF, and MMP levels correlate with disease severity in HD. These data support a novel role for MMPs and microglial activation in HD pathogenesis. With an improved understanding of the specific cellular processes involved in HD neuroinflammation, novel therapeutic agents targeting these processes can be developed and hold great promise in the treatment of HD.

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organization
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Neuroscience
volume
325
pages
15 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84962166692
  • wos:000374503200008
  • pmid:27033979
ISSN
1873-7544
DOI
10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.031
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c950f818-cefb-4487-8c7d-2e12cd6eafec
date added to LUP
2016-04-26 09:36:46
date last changed
2024-01-18 22:02:21
@article{c950f818-cefb-4487-8c7d-2e12cd6eafec,
  abstract     = {{<p>Huntington's Disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin protein. The YAC128 mouse model of HD expresses the full-length human huntingtin protein with 128 CAG repeats and replicates the phenotype and neurodegeneration that occur in HD. Several studies have implicated a role for neuroinflammation in HD pathogenesis. Studies on presymptomatic HD patients have illustrated microgliosis (activated microglia) in brain regions affected in HD. Mutant huntingtin expressing isolated primary monocytes (human HD patients) and primary macrophages (YAC128) are overactive in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. In this study we demonstrate that cultured primary microglia (the resident immune cells of the brain cells) from YAC128 mice differentially express a wide number of cytokines compared to wildtype microglia cultures in response to LPS. Furthermore, this study outlines a direct interaction between mutant huntingtin and cytokine secretion in HD microglia. Increased cytokine release in YAC128 microglia can be blocked by cannabinoid activation or by mutant huntingtin knockdown with anti-sense oligonucleotide treatment. Matrix metalloprotease 3 (MMP3), an endogenous neuronal activator of microglia, also induces increased cytokine release from YAC128 microglia compared to wildtype microglia. We found elevated MMP levels in HD CSF, and MMP levels correlate with disease severity in HD. These data support a novel role for MMPs and microglial activation in HD pathogenesis. With an improved understanding of the specific cellular processes involved in HD neuroinflammation, novel therapeutic agents targeting these processes can be developed and hold great promise in the treatment of HD.</p>}},
  author       = {{Connolly, C and Magnusson-Lind, A and Lu, G and Wagner, P K and Southwell, A L and Hayden, M R and Björkqvist, M and Leavitt, B R}},
  issn         = {{1873-7544}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{74--88}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Neuroscience}},
  title        = {{Enhanced immune response to MMP3 stimulation in microglia expressing mutant huntingtin}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.031}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.031}},
  volume       = {{325}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}