Splice isoforms of the polyglutamine disease protein ataxin-3 exhibit similar enzymatic yet different aggregation properties.

ABSTRACT: Protein context clearly influences neurotoxicity in polyglutamine diseases, but the contribution of alternative splicing to this phenomenon has rarely been investigated. Ataxin-3, a deubiquitinating enzyme and the disease protein in SCA3, is alternatively spliced to encode either a C-terminal hydrophobic stretch or a third ubiquitin interacting motif (termed 2UIM and 3UIM isoforms, respectively). In light of emerging insights into ataxin-3 function, we examined the significance of this splice variation. We confirmed neural expression of several minor 5' variants and both of the known 3' ataxin-3 splice variants. Regardless of polyglutamine expansion, 3UIM ataxin-3 is the predominant isoform in brain. Although 2UIM and 3UIM ataxin-3 display similar in vitro deubiquitinating activity, 2UIM a

SUBMITTER: Harris GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2965175 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature