TR-FRET assays of Huntingtin protein fragments reveal temperature and polyQ length-dependent conformational changes

Sci Rep. 2014 Jul 7:4:5601. doi: 10.1038/srep05601.

Abstract

Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) technology is a widely used immunoassay that enables high-throughput quantitative measurements of proteins of interest. One of the well established examples is the TR-FRET assay for mutant huntingtin protein (HTT), which is the major cause of the neurodegenerative Huntington's disease (HD). To measure the mutant HTT protein, the published assays utilize a polyQ antibody, MW1, paired with HTT N-terminal antibodies. MW1 has much higher apparent affinity to mutant HTT with expanded polyQ stretch than to wild-type HTT with shorter polyQ, and thus the assays detect mutant HTT preferentially. Here we report a reversible temperature dependent change of TR-FRET signals for HTT N-terminal fragments: the signals become higher when the temperature is lowered from room temperature to 4°C. Interestingly, the temperature sensitivity of the TR-FRET signals is much higher for the Q25 (wild-type) than for the Q72 (mutant) protein. We further revealed that it is likely due to a temperature and polyQ length-dependent structural or spatial change of HTT, which is potentially useful for understanding polyQ structure and toxicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Exons
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry*
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Protein Stability
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Solubility
  • Transition Temperature

Substances

  • HTT protein, human
  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Peptides
  • polyglutamine