Mass spectrometry analyses of normal and polyglutamine expanded ataxin-3 reveal novel interaction partners involved
Line V Kristensen1, Felix S Oppermann2, Matthias J Rauen3
1Department of Neurodegeneration, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark; Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
Abstract:
Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) play important roles in a variety of cellular processes, including regulation of protein homeostasis. The DUB ataxin-3 is an enzyme implicated in protein quality control mechanisms. In the neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), ataxin-3 contains an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch that leads to aggregation of the protein and neuronal dysfunction. Increasing the understanding of ataxin-3 protein interaction partners could help to elucidate disease mechanisms. Hence, we analyzed the repertoire of proteins interacting with normal and polyQ expanded ataxin-3 by mass spectrometry. This showed that both normal and polyQ expanded ataxin-3 interacted with components of the protein quality control system and mitochondria. Five proteins showed increased interaction with polyQ expanded ataxin-3 relative to normal and three of these were mitochondrial proteins. The analyses underline the role of ataxin-3 in ubiquitin biology and point towards a role in mitochondrial biology.


