Huntingtin polyglutamine expansion modulates protein interaction dynamics in the striatum

Huntington’s disease is a monogenic disorder, with only one known causative gene, huntingtin (HTT). Expansion of a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat within the HTT gene results in a mutant protein containing polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches. While mutant HTT is the primary driver of cellular degeneration in the brain, the molecular and cellular mechanisms are incompletely understood. To further understand the role of polyQ in disease pathogenesis, we studied the dynamics of HTT protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in the striatum of mice with wild-type (Q20) and mutant (Q140) HTT at pre-symptomatic and manifest HD ages using label-free and isotope-labeled IP-MS approaches. Combining these approaches, we demonstrated that HTT PPI dynamics are distinct in early and later disease phases. Computational analysis pointed to early protein interaction changes involving synaptic transmission and vesicle fusion functions, while later interactions underlie changes in synapse morphogenesis and impact the actin cytoskeletal network.