The serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase SGK inhibits mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity by phosphorylating serine 421 of huntingtin

Hélène Rangone, Ghislaine Poizat, Juan Troncoso, Christopher A. Ross, Marcy E. MacDonald, Frédéric Saudou, Sandrine Humbert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

107 Scopus citations

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by abnormal polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the protein huntingtin. We have previously demonstrated the importance of the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1 )/Akt pathway in HD. Indeed, upon IGF-1 activation, Akt phosphorylates polyQ-huntingtin at serine 421 and abrogates its toxicity. In addition, we have demonstrated that Akt is altered in the brain of HD patients. Here, we investigate the role of the serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase (SGK) in HD. We show that SGK phosphorylates huntingtin at serine 421 and that phosphorylation can protect striatal neurons against polyQ-huntingtin-induced toxicity. We find that SGK levels are increased in the brain of HD patients. Using a cellular model of HD, we demonstrate that the SGK dysregulation induced by polyQ-huntingtin occurs via the p38/MAPK pathway. Collectively, our results strongly suggest the involvement of SGK in HD and further imply that IGF-1 downstream signalling is a key transduction pathway that regulates the toxicity of huntingtin.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)273-279
Number of pages7
JournalEuropean Journal of Neuroscience
Volume19
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2004

Keywords

  • CAG expansion
  • Huntington's disease
  • IGF-1
  • Neuronal death
  • Polyglutamine disorders

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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