Polyglutamine Atrophin provokes neurodegeneration in Drosophila by repressing fat
Open Access
- 28 January 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in The EMBO Journal
- Vol. 30 (5) , 945-958
Abstract
Large alterations in transcription accompany neurodegeneration in polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. These pathologies manifest both general polyQ toxicity and mutant protein‐specific effects. In this study, we report that the fat tumour suppressor gene mediates neurodegeneration induced by the polyQ protein Atrophin. We have monitored early transcriptional alterations in a Drosophila model of Dentatorubral‐pallidoluysian Atrophy and found that polyQ Atrophins downregulate fat . Fat protects from neurodegeneration and Atrophin toxicity through the Hippo kinase cascade. Fat/Hippo signalling does not provoke neurodegeneration by stimulating overgrowth; rather, it alters the autophagic flux in photoreceptor neurons, thereby affecting cell homeostasis. Our data thus provide a crucial insight into the specific mechanism of a polyQ disease and reveal an unexpected neuroprotective role of the Fat/Hippo pathway.Keywords
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