Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat which codes for glutamine in the protein ataxin-1. We have investigated the effect of this expansion on ataxin-1 by immunoblot analysis. The wild-type protein is detected in both normal and affected individuals; however, a mutant protein which varies in its migration properties according to the size of the CAG repeat is detected in cultured cells and tissues from SCA1 individuals. The protein has a nuclear localization in all normal and SCA1 brain regions examined but a cytoplasmic localization of ataxin-1 was also observed in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Our data show that in SCA1, the expanded alleles are faithfully translated into proteins of apparently normal stability and distribution.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Ataxin-1
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Ataxins
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Brain / metabolism*
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Cell Nucleus / metabolism
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Cells, Cultured
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Cerebellar Cortex / metabolism
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Cytoplasm / metabolism
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Female
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Gene Expression Regulation*
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Glutamine / metabolism
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Humans
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Immunoblotting
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Immunohistochemistry
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Lymphocytes / metabolism
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Male
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Mice
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / biosynthesis
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
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Nuclear Proteins / biosynthesis
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Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
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Purkinje Cells / metabolism
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Rats
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology
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Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*
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Spinocerebellar Degenerations / genetics*
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Spinocerebellar Degenerations / metabolism
Substances
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ATXN1 protein, human
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Ataxin-1
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Ataxins
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Atxn1 protein, mouse
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Atxn1 protein, rat
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Nuclear Proteins
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Glutamine