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Why Quantification Matters: Characterization of Phenotypes at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction
Published on: May 12, 2016
Mutant dynactin in motor neuron disease
Imke Puls1, Catherine Jonnakuty, Bernadette H LaMonte
1Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. pulsi@ninds.nih.gov
Abstract:
Impaired axonal transport in motor neurons has been proposed as a mechanism for neuronal degeneration in motor neuron disease. Here we show linkage of a lower motor neuron disease to a region of 4 Mb at chromosome 2p13. Mutation analysis of a gene in this interval that encodes the largest subunit of the axonal transport protein dynactin showed a single base-pair change resulting in an amino-acid substitution that is predicted to distort the folding of dynactin's microtubule-binding domain. Binding assays show decreased binding of the mutant protein to microtubules. Our results show that dysfunction of dynactin-mediated transport can lead to human motor neuron disease.
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