Ku70 alleviates neurodegeneration in Drosophila models of Huntington's disease

PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27408. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027408. Epub 2011 Nov 7.

Abstract

DNA damage accumulates in genome DNA during the long life of neurons, thus DNA damage repair is indispensable to keep normal functions of neurons. We previously reported that Ku70, a critical molecule for DNA double strand break (DSB) repair, is involved in the pathology of Huntington's disease (HD). Mutant huntingtin (Htt) impaired Ku70 function via direct interaction, and Ku70 supplementation recovered phenotypes of a mouse HD model. In this study, we generate multiple Drosophila HD models that express mutant huntingtin (Htt) in eye or motor neuron by different drivers and show various phenotypes. In such fly models, Ku70 co-expression recovers lifespan, locomotive activity and eye degeneration. In contrast, Ku70 reduction by heterozygous null mutation or siRNA-mediated knock down accelerates lifespan shortening and locomotion disability. These results collectively support that Ku70 is a critical mediator of the HD pathology and a candidate therapeutic target in HD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Nuclear / genetics
  • Antigens, Nuclear / metabolism*
  • DNA Damage
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drosophila
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Huntington Disease / genetics
  • Huntington Disease / metabolism*
  • Huntington Disease / therapy*
  • Ku Autoantigen
  • Locomotion / genetics
  • Locomotion / physiology
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology*
  • RNA, Small Interfering

Substances

  • Antigens, Nuclear
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Htt protein, Drosophila
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Xrcc6 protein, mouse
  • Ku Autoantigen