Early dysfunction and progressive degeneration of the subthalamic nucleus in mouse models of huntington’s disease

Jeremy F. Atherton, Eileen L. McIver, Matthew R.M. Mullen, David L. Wokosin, D. James Surmeier, Mark D. Bevan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an element of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuitry critical for action suppression. In Huntington’s disease (HD) action suppression is impaired, resembling the effects of STN lesioning or inactivation. To explore this potential linkage, the STN was studied in BAC transgenic and Q175 knock-in mouse models of HD. At <2 and 6 months of age autonomous STN activity was impaired due to activation of KATP channels. STN neurons exhibited prolonged NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic currents, caused by a deficit in glutamate uptake, and elevated mitochondrial oxidant stress, which was ameliorated by NMDA receptor antagonism. STN activity was rescued by NMDA receptor antagonism or the break down of hydrogen peroxide. At 12 months of age approximately 30% of STN neurons had been lost, as in HD. Together, these data argue that dysfunction within the STN is an early feature of HD that may contribute to its expression and course.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere21616
JournaleLife
Volume5
Issue numberDECEMBER2016
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 20 2016

Funding

This study was funded by CHDI Foundation and by NIH NINDS Grants 2 R37 NS041280 and 2 P50NS047085. We thank Drs. Vahri Beaumont (CHDI) and Ignacio Munoz-Sanjuan (CHDI) for their comments on the work and Sasha Ulrich, Danielle Schowalter, and Marisha Alicea for management of mouse colonies.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Immunology and Microbiology
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Neuroscience

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