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Human Molecular Genetics Advance Access published online on February 19, 2004

Human Molecular Genetics, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddh101
© 2004 by Oxford University Press
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©2004

Article

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy-like nuclear inclusions are present in normal magnocellular neurosecretory neurons of the hypothalamus

Maria T. Berciano 1, Nuria T. Villagra 1, Jose L. Ojeda 1, Joaquin Navascues 1, Anita Gomes 2, Miguel Lafarga 1, and Maria Carmo-Fonseca 3*

1 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biomedicine Unit Associated to the CSIC, University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
2 Institute of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
3 Institute of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: carmo.fonseca{at}fm.ul.pt.


   Abstract

Intranuclear inclusions composed of tubular filaments constitute a pathological hallmark of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Autosomal dominant OPMD is caused by (GCG) repeat expansions in the gene that encodes for poly(A) binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). The mutation results in the expansion of a polyalanine stretch in the N-terminus of the protein. It has been proposed that mutated PABPN1 induces protein aggregation, which in turn causes the formation of the filamentous nuclear inclusions. Here we report the presence of intranuclear inclusions composed of tubular filaments in oxytocin-producing neurons from normal rat hypothalamus. Like OPMD inclusions, the filamentous structures in neurosecretory neurons accumulate PABPN1, poly(A) RNA, ubiquitin and proteasomes. These inclusions do not contain members of Hsp40 and HDJ-2/DNAJ families of chaperones. The proportion of oxytocin-producing neurons that contain inclusions decreases during parturition and lactation (when synthesis and release of oxytocin is maximal) and increases at 1 day post-weaning (when occurs a drastic reduction in the production of the hormone). Thus, PABPN1 filaments in normal neurons are dynamic structures, the appearance of which correlate with changes in cellular activity. These data provide the first physiological evidence that polyalanine expansions are not essential to induce polymerization of PABPN1 into filamentous nuclear inclusions.


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