Biomaterial Database

The identification of a functional nuclear localization signal in the Huntington disease protein. 1995

D A Bessert, and K L Gutridge, and J C Dunbar, and L R Carlock

Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.

Positional cloning has shown that the Huntington disease (HD) mutation is an expanded trinucleotide repeat in the IT15 gene. Although this mutation clearly produces the HD phenotype, the function of the Huntington disease protein remains undefined. One recent immunocytochemical study suggested that the IT15 protein preferentially localizes to the nucleus of affected neuronal cells. If this result is accurate, it could link the biochemical function of this protein to nuclear activities such as gene regulation. To examine the nuclear transport of the Huntington disease protein, we searched for basic peptide motifs that could produce nuclear localization. One peptide (RRKGKEK) was identified that is highly homologous to a consensus nuclear localization signal. When fused to the cytoplasmic reporter protein, beta-galactosidase, nuclear localization was observed in stably transformed human cell lines. In a complementary study, an anti-peptide polyclonal antibody, raised against a sequence adjacent to the putative nuclear localization sequence, detected the IT15 protein in the nucleus of human cells. These results extend and confirm the previous localization studies and identify an IT15 peptide motif that can function for nuclear localization.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008856	Microscopy, Fluorescence	Microscopy of specimens stained with fluorescent dye (usually fluorescein isothiocyanate) or of naturally fluorescent materials, which emit light when exposed to ultraviolet or blue light. Immunofluorescence microscopy utilizes antibodies that are labeled with fluorescent dye.	Fluorescence Microscopy,Immunofluorescence Microscopy,Microscopy, Immunofluorescence,Fluorescence Microscopies,Immunofluorescence Microscopies,Microscopies, Fluorescence,Microscopies, Immunofluorescence
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009419	Nerve Tissue Proteins		Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D009687	Nuclear Proteins	Proteins found in the nucleus of a cell. Do not confuse with NUCLEOPROTEINS which are proteins conjugated with nucleic acids, that are not necessarily present in the nucleus.	Nucleolar Protein,Nucleolar Proteins,Nuclear Protein,Protein, Nuclear,Protein, Nucleolar,Proteins, Nuclear,Proteins, Nucleolar
D011506	Proteins	Linear POLYPEPTIDES that are synthesized on RIBOSOMES and may be further modified, crosslinked, cleaved, or assembled into complex proteins with several subunits. The specific sequence of AMINO ACIDS determines the shape the polypeptide will take, during PROTEIN FOLDING, and the function of the protein.	Gene Products, Protein,Gene Proteins,Protein,Protein Gene Products,Proteins, Gene
D002460	Cell Line	Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.	Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006816	Huntington Disease	A familial disorder inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and characterized by the onset of progressive CHOREA and DEMENTIA in the fourth or fifth decade of life. Common initial manifestations include paranoia; poor impulse control; DEPRESSION; HALLUCINATIONS; and DELUSIONS. Eventually intellectual impairment; loss of fine motor control; ATHETOSIS; and diffuse chorea involving axial and limb musculature develops, leading to a vegetative state within 10-15 years of disease onset. The juvenile variant has a more fulminant course including SEIZURES; ATAXIA; dementia; and chorea. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1060-4)	Huntington Chorea,Juvenile Huntington Disease,Akinetic-Rigid Variant of Huntington Disease,Chorea, Chronic Progressive Hereditary (Huntington),Chronic Progressive Hereditary Chorea (Huntington),Huntington Chronic Progressive Hereditary Chorea,Huntington Disease, Akinetic-Rigid Variant,Huntington Disease, Juvenile,Huntington Disease, Juvenile-Onset,Huntington Disease, Late Onset,Huntington's Chorea,Huntington's Disease,Juvenile-Onset Huntington Disease,Late-Onset Huntington Disease,Progressive Chorea, Chronic Hereditary (Huntington),Progressive Chorea, Hereditary, Chronic (Huntington),Akinetic Rigid Variant of Huntington Disease,Chorea, Huntington,Chorea, Huntington's,Huntington Disease, Akinetic Rigid Variant,Huntington Disease, Juvenile Onset,Huntington Disease, Late-Onset,Juvenile Onset Huntington Disease,Late Onset Huntington Disease
D000071058	Huntingtin Protein	A protein that is highly expressed in the nervous system as well as other tissues; its size and structure vary due to polymorphisms. Expanded CAG TRINUCLEOTIDE REPEATS have been identified in the Huntingtin (HD) Gene of patients with HUNTINGTON DISEASE and are associated with abnormal PROTEIN AGGREGATES. Huntingtin interacts with proteins involved in a variety of gene expression and cellular processes; it is also essential for embryonic development.	Huntington Disease Protein,IT15 Protein
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein