Huntington's disease and Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors

Mol Neurobiol. 2011 Feb;43(1):1-11. doi: 10.1007/s12035-010-8153-1. Epub 2010 Dec 9.

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary body movement, cognitive impairment and psychiatric disturbance. A polyglutamine expansion in the amino-terminal region of the huntingtin (htt) protein is the genetic cause of HD. Htt protein interacts with a wide variety of proteins, and htt mutation causes cell signaling alterations in various neurotransmitter systems, including dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and cannabinoid systems, as well as trophic factor systems. This review will overview recent findings concerning htt-promoted alterations in cell signaling that involve different neurotransmitters and trophic factor systems, especially involving mGluR1/5, as glutamate plays a crucial role in neuronal cell death. The neuronal cell death that takes place in the striatum and cortex of HD patients is the most important factor underlying HD progression. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5) have a very controversial role in neuronal cell death and it is not clear whether mGluR1/5 activation either protects or exacerbates neuronal death. Thus, understanding how mutant htt protein affects glutamatergic receptor signaling will be essential to further establish a role for glutamate receptors in HD and develop therapeutic strategies to treat HD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / metabolism
  • Cell Survival
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Huntington Disease / genetics
  • Huntington Disease / pathology
  • Huntington Disease / physiopathology*
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Peptides / genetics
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / genetics
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / metabolism*
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology

Substances

  • Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators
  • HTT protein, human
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • polyglutamine
  • Glutamic Acid