Histone deacetylases and acute kidney injury / 生理学报

Histone acetylation is one of the epigenetic modifications. Histone acetylation, which is catalyzed by histone acetyltransferases and negatively regulated by histone deacetylases, plays an important role in a variety of cellular physiological and pathophysiological processes. Recent studies have shown that histone deacetylases are involved in a variety of pathophysiological responses to acute kidney injury, such as apoptosis, dedifferentiation, proliferation and regeneration. This article reviews the role and underlying mechanism of histone deacetylases in acute kidney injury induced by ischemia reperfusion, nephrotoxicants, sepsis and rhabdomyolysis.

Identification of a novel missense variant of the KAT6B gene in a child with Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a child suspected for Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson syndrome.@*METHODS@#Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the proband. Suspected variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. The impact of the variants was predicted by bioinformatic analysis.@*RESULTS@#The child was found to harbor a de novo missense variant c.2623C>T (p.Asp875Tyr) in exon 13 of the KAT6B gene. The variant was previously unreported, and was not recorded in the major allele frequency database and predicted to be pathogenic based on PolyPhen-2, MutationTaster and PROVEAN analysis. As predicted by UCSF chimera and CASTp software, the variant can severely impact the substrate-binding pocket of histone acetyltransferase, resulting in loss of its enzymatic activity. Based on standards and guidelines by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the variant was classified to be likely pathogenic (PS2+PM2+PP3).@*CONCLUSION@#The child's condition may be attributed to the de novo missense c.2623C>T (p.Asp875Tyr) variant of the KAT6B gene.

Molecular cloning and subcellular localization of six HDACs and their roles in response to salt and drought stress in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L)

BACKGROUND: Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic modification that regulates gene activity in response to stress. Histone acetylation levels are reversibly regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). The imperative roles of HDACs in gene transcription, transcriptional regulation, growth and responses to stressful environment have been widely investigated in Arabidopsis. However, data regarding HDACs in kenaf crop has not been disclosed yet. RESULTS: In this study, six HDACs genes (HcHDA2, HcHDA6, HcHDA8, HcHDA9, HcHDA19, and HcSRT2) were isolated and characterized. Phylogenetic tree revealed that these HcHDACs shared high degree of sequence homology with those of Gossypium arboreum. Subcellular localization analysis showed that GFP-tagged HcHDA2 and HcHDA8 were predominantly localized in the nucleus, HcHDA6 and HcHDA19 in nucleus and cytosol. The HcHDA9 was found in both nucleus and plasma membranes. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that the six HcHDACs genes were expressed with distinct expression patterns across plant tissues. Furthermore, we determined differential accumulation of HcHDACs transcripts under salt and drought treatments, indicating that these enzymes may participate in the biological process under stress in kenaf. Finally, we showed that the levels of histone H3 and H4 acetylation were modulated by salt and drought stress in kenaf. CONCLUSIONS: We have isolated and characterized six HDACs genes from kenaf. These data showed that HDACs are imperative players for growth and development as well abiotic stress responses in kenaf.

Free fatty acid-induced histone acetyltransferase activity accelerates lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disease triggered by epigenetic alterations, including lysine acetylation at histone or non-histone proteins, affecting the stability or transcription of lipogenic genes. Although various natural dietary compounds have anti-lipogenic effects, their effects on the acetylation status and lipid metabolism in the liver have not been thoroughly investigated. MATERIALS/METHODS: Following oleic-palmitic acid (OPA)-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells, the acetylation status of histone and non-histone proteins, HAT activity, and mRNA expression of representative lipogenic genes, including PPARγ, SREBP-1c, ACLY, and FASN, were evaluated. Furthermore, correlations between lipid accumulation and HAT activity for 22 representative natural food extracts (NExs) were evaluated. RESULTS: Non-histone protein acetylation increased following OPA treatment and the acetylation of histones H3K9, H4K8, and H4K16 was accelerated, accompanied by an increase in HAT activity. OPA-induced increases in the mRNA expression of lipogenic genes were down-regulated by C-646, a p300/CBP-specific inhibitor. Finally, we detected a positive correlation between HAT activity and lipid accumulation (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.604) using 22 NExs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NExs have novel applications as nutraceutical agents with HAT inhibitor activity for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

A case of SBBYSS syndrome caused by KAT6B gene variant / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical and molecular genetics features of a family affected with Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson syndrome (SBBYSS).@*METHODS@#High-throughput sequencing was used to detect copy number variations (CNVs) and pathogenic variant within the whole exome of the affected child.@*RESULTS@#No pathogenic CNV was found in the child, while exome sequencing identified a heterozygous c.3367_c.3370delAGAA (p.Arg1123Argfs*6) frameshifting variant in the exon 16 of the KAT6B gene. The same variant was not found in either parent.@*CONCLUSION@#The c.3367_c.3370delAGAA (p.R1123Rfs*6) probably underlies the disease in the affected child. Above finding has facilitated genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for the family.

K (lysine) acetyltransferase 2A affects the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells through the canonical Wnt pathway / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#This study aims to investigate the mechanism of K (lysine) acetyltransferase 2A (KAT2A) regulation and control on the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs).@*METHODS@#The expression levels of KAT2A in PDLSCs were compared from each generation of the normal (H-PDLSCs) and periodontitis tissues (P-PDLSCs). The influences of KAT2A gene interference on the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs were also detected. In addition, the influences of the KAT2A gene interference to the canonical Wnt pathway and ligands were detected. The upstream and down-stream relationships between KAT2A and canonical Wnt pathway were also determined.@*RESULTS@#The decreased expression of KAT2A in PDLSCs from the inflammatory tissue in each generation was compared with that in PDLSCs from the healthy tissue, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). When the KAT2A gene was disrupted, the osteogenesis ability of PDLSC was declined, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The canonical Wnt pathway was activated, and the antagonist Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) was reduced. After the DKK-1 addition, the osteogenic differentiation of the disturbed PDLSCs was recovered, and KAT2A was unaffected.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The KAT2A expression in PDLSCs was decreased because of perio-dontitis. The classical Wnt pathway was activated to inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of the cells.

Interactive regulatory effect of histone H3K9ac acetylation and histone H3K9me3 methylation on cardiomyogenesis in mice / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the interactive regulatory effect of histone acetylation and methylation on cardiomyogenesis, and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of congenital heart disease.@*METHODS@#A total of 24 Kunming mice were randomly divided into embryo day 14.5 (ED 14.5) group, embryo day 16.5 (ED 16.5) group, postnatal day 0.5 (PND 0.5) group, and postnatal day 7 (PND 7) group, with 6 mice in each group, and the heart tissue of fetal and neonatal mice was collected. Colorimetry was used to measure the activities of histone acetylases (HATs) and histone methyltransferases (HMTs) in the myocardium. Western blot was used to measure the expression of H3K9ac and H3K9me3 in the myocardium.@*RESULTS@#Colorimetry showed that the activities of HATs and HMTs were higher before birth and were lower after birth. There was a significant difference in the activity of HATs in the myocardium between the PND 0.5 and PND 7 groups and the ED 14.5 group (P<0.05), as well as between the PND 7 group and the ED 16.5 group (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference in the activity of HMTs in the myocardium between the PND 7 group and the ED 14.5 and ED 16.5 groups (P<0.05). Western blot showed higher expression of H3K9ac and H3K9me3 before birth and lower expression of H3K9ac and H3K9me3 after birth, and there were significant differences in the expression H3K9ac and H3K9me3 in the myocardium between the PND 0.5 and PND 7 groups and the ED 14.5 and ED 16.5 groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The dynamic expression of HATs, HMTs, H3K9ac, and H3K9me3 is observed during cardiomyogenesis, suggesting that histone H3K9ac acetylation and histone H3K9me3 methylation mediated by HATs and HMTs may play a role in interactive regulation during cardiomyogenesis.

Modulation of gene expression dynamics by co-transcriptional histone methylations

Co-transcriptional methylations of histone H3 at lysines 4 and 36, highly conserved methyl marks from yeast to humans, have profound roles in regulation of histone acetylation. These modifications function to recruit and/or activate distinct histone acetyltransferases (HATs) or histone deacetylases (HDACs). Whereas H3K4me3 increases acetylation at promoters via multiple HATs, H3K4me2 targets Set3 HDAC to deacetylate histones in 5' transcribed regions. In 3' regions of genes, H3K36me2/3 facilitates deacetylation by Rpd3S HDAC and slows elongation. Despite their important functions in deacetylation, no strong effects on global gene expression have been seen under optimized or laboratory growth conditions. Instead, H3K4me2-Set3 HDAC and Set2-Rpd3S pathways primarily delay the kinetics of messenger RNA (mRNA) and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) induction upon environmental changes. A majority of mRNA genes regulated by these pathways have an overlapping lncRNA transcription either from an upstream or an antisense promoter. Surprisingly, the distance between mRNA and lncRNA promoters seems to specify the repressive effects of the two pathways. Given that co-transcriptional methylations and acetylation have been linked to many cancers, studying their functions in a dynamic condition or during cancer progression will be much more important and help identify novel genes associated with cancers.

E3 ligase UHRF2 stabilizes the acetyltransferase TIP60 and regulates H3K9ac and H3K14ac via RING finger domain

UHRF2 is a ubiquitin-protein ligase E3 that regulates cell cycle, genomic stability and epigenetics. We conducted a co-immunoprecipitation assay and found that TIP60 and HDAC1 interact with UHRF2. We previously demonstrated that UHRF2 regulated H3K9ac and H3K14ac differentially in normal and cancer cells. However, the accurate signal transduction mechanisms were not clear. In this study, we found that TIP60 acted downstream of UHRF2 to regulate H3K9ac and H3K14ac expression. TIP60 is stabilized in normal cells by UHRF2 ubiquitination. However, TIP60 is destabilized in cancer cells. Depletion or inhibition of TIP60 disrupts the regulatory relationship between UHRF2, H3K9ac and H3K14ac. In summary, the findings suggest that UHRF2 mediated the post-translational modification of histones and the initiation and progression of cancer.

Identifying the KAT6B Mutation via Diagnostic Exome Sequencing to Diagnose Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson Syndrome in Three Generations of a Family

Diagnostic exome sequencing (DES) is a powerful tool to analyze the pathogenic variants leading to development delay (DD) and intellectual disability (ID). Recently, heterozygous de novo mutation of the histone acetyltransferase encoding gene KAT6B has been recognized as causing a syndrome with congenital anomalies and intellectual disability, namely Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson (SBBYS) syndrome. Here we report a case of SBBYS syndrome in a third generation Korean family affected with a missense mutation in KAT6B, c.2292C>T p.(His767Tyr) identified by DES. This is the first confirmed familial inherited mutation of the KAT6B reported worldwide. Our case emphasizes again the importance of basic physical examination and taking a family history. Furthermore, advances in genetic diagnostic tools are becoming key to identifying the etiology of DD and ID. This allows a physiatrist to predict the disease's clinical evolution with relative certainty, and offer an appropriate rehabilitation plan for patients.

Roles of histone acetyltransferase and histone deacetylase in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the roles of various cytokines, histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BALB/C mice were randomly assigned to control, untreated asthma, hormone treatment and TSA treatment groups. Bronchial asthma was induced by intraperitoneal injections and atomization inhalation of ovalbumin (OVA) in the asthma, hormone treatment and trichostatin (TSA) treatment groups. The mice in the hormone treatment and TSA treatment groups were administered with dexamethasone 1.0 mg/kg and TSA 1.0 mg/kg respectively by an intraperitoneal injection 30 minutes before challenge of asthma. At 24 hours after the last challenge, IL-4, IL-8 and IFN- levels in serum were measured using ELISA, and activities of HAT and HDAC in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were determined by the enzyme linked immunofluorescence assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum levels of IL-4 and IL-8 in the untreated asthma group were higher than in the control, hormone treatment and TSA treatment groups (P<0.05). There was no difference in the serum levels of IL-4 and IL-8 among the control, hormone treatment and TSA treatment groups (P>0.05). The activity of HDAC in the untreated asthma group was lower than in the control, hormone treatment and TSA treatment groups (P<0.05). Hormone treatment significantly decreased the activity of HAT compared with the untreated asthma group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the activities of HAT and HDAC among the control, hormone treatment and TSA treatment groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The decreased activity of HDAC leads to an increased secretion of inflammatory factors and thus induces asthma.</p>

Temporal regulation of transcription factor Mef2c by histone acetylases during cardiogenesis / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the temporal modification of transcription factor Mef2c by histone acetylases (HATs) P300, PCAF, and SRC1 during cardiogenesis and to provide a basis for investigating the pathogenesis of congenital heart disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The normal heart tissues from embryonic mice (embryonic days 14.5 and 16.5) and neonatal mice (postnatal days 0.5 and 7) were collected. The binding of P300, PCAF, and SRC1 to Mef2c gene and level of histone H3 acetylation in the promoter region of Mef2c were evaluated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Meanwhile, real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of Mef2c.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>P300, PCAF, SRC1 were involved in histone acetylation in the promoter region of Mef2c during cardiogenesis in mice, and binding of P300, PCAF, and SRC1 to the promoter of Mef2c varied significantly in different stages of cardiogenesis (P<0.01). The level of histone H3 acetylation and mRNA expression of Mef2c in the promoter region of Mef2c also varied significantly in different stages of cardiac development (P<0.01). The levels of acetylated H3, Mef2c mRNA, and HATs (P300, PCAF, SRC1) changed over time. They were highest on embryonic day 14.5 (P<0.01), decreased gradually with cardiac development, and were maintained at low levels after birth.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The mRNA expression of Mef2c varies during cardiogenesis in mice, which indicates that Mef2c plays an important role in the process of cardiac development. Meanwhile, histone acetylation in the promoter region of Mef2c is regulated temporally by HATs P300, PCAF, and SRC1.</p>

Histone Acetylation Level and Histone Acetyltransferase/Deacetylase Activity in Ejaculated Sperm from Normozoospermic Men

PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to evaluate nuclear histone acetylation level and total histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and deacetylase (HDAC) activity in ejaculated sperm and their relevance to conventional sperm parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three normozoospermic men were included in this study. Semen samples were processed by swim-up and then immunostained by six acetylation antibodies (H3K9ac, H3K14ac, H4K5ac, H4K8ac, H4K12ac, and H4K16ac). Our preliminary study verified the expression of HAT/HDAC1 in mature human sperm. From vitrified-warmed sperm samples, total HAT/HDAC activity was measured by commercially available kits. Nuclear DNA integrity was also measured by TUNEL assay. RESULTS: The levels of six acetylation marks were not related with conventional sperm parameters including sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) as well as HAT/HDAC activity. However, sperm DFI was positively correlated with HAT activity (r=0.038 after adjustment, p<0.02). HAT activity showed a negative relationship with HDAC activity (r=-0.51, p<0.01). Strict morphology was negatively correlated with acetylation enzyme index (=HAT activity/HDAC activity) (r=-0.53, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our works demonstrated a significant relationship of acetylation-associated enzyme activity and strict morphology or sperm DFI.

Histone acetylation and expression of acetylation-related enzymes in children with tetralogy of Fallot / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) in children with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), and to investigate the role of histone acetylation and acetylation-related enzymes in the pathogenesis of TOF.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Myocardial tissue samples in the TOF group were obtained from 46 children with TOF who underwent radical operation, and myocardial tissue samples in the control group were obtained from 16 children who suffered accidental deaths and had no cardiac anomalies as shown by autopsy. The acetylation of H3K9, H3K18 and H3K27 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of HATs and HDACs in the myocardium was measured by real-time PCR. The correlation between mRNA expression of HATs and HDACs and histone acetylation was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the TOF group showed significantly increased acetylation of H3K9 (P=0.0165) and significantly decreased acetylation of H3K18 (P=0.0048) and H3K27 (P=0.0084). As to 4 HATs and 6 HDACs, the mRNA expression of EP300 and CBP was significantly higher in the TOF group than in the control group (P=0.025; P=0.017), and there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression of other HATs and HDACs between the two groups. The correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between H3K9 acetylation and mRNA expression of EP300 (r=0.71, P<0.01) and CBP (r=0.72, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Upregulated mRNA expression of EP300 and CBP may be associated with increased H3K9 acetylation, suggesting that EP300 and CBP might affect cardiac development by regulating H3K9 acetylation.</p>

Expression of HAT1 and HDAC1, 2, 3 in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas, Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas, and NK/T-Cell Lymphomas

BACKGROUND: It has generally been proven that histone acetylation and deacetylation are involved in the malignant transformation. To date, however, this has rarely been studied in cases of malignant lymphoma. METHODS: We studied nine cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, 78 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 13 cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS), and 13 cases of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (NKTCL). Thus, we attempted to elucidate the associations of the degree of the expression of histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1), histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1, HDAC2, and HDAC3 with the clinical behaviors of above malignant lymphomas using the immunohistochemistry and a western blot analysis. RESULTS: The degree of the expression of HAT1 was higher in cases of DLBCL, PTCL-NOS or NKTCL as compared with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (p0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HAT1, HDAC1, and HDAC2 play a critical role in the development of malignant lymphomas. Both HAT1 and HDAC1 might be indicators for a poor prognosis in cases of DLBCL as cooperating factors.

Chromatin regulation in schistosomes and histone modifying enzymes as drug targets

Only one drug is currently available for the treatment and control of schistosomiasis and the increasing risk of selecting strains of schistosome that are resistant to praziquantel means that the development of new drugs is urgent. With this objective we have chosen to target the enzymes modifying histones and in particular the histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDAC). Inhibitors of HDACs (HDACi) are under intense study as potential anti-cancer drugs and act via the induction of cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. Schistosomes like other parasites can be considered as similar to tumours in that they maintain an intense metabolic activity and rate of cell division that is outside the control of the host. We have shown that HDACi can induce apoptosis and death of schistosomes maintained in culture and have set up a consortium (Schistosome Epigenetics: Targets, Regulation, New Drugs) funded by the European Commission with the aim of developing inhibitors specific for schistosome histone modifying enzymes as novel lead compounds for drug development.

The Histone Acetyltransferase hMOF is Overexpressed in Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: One of the histone acetyltransferases (HATs) family of proteins, human MOF (hMOF, MYST1), is involved in histone H4 acetylation, particularly at lysine 16 (H4K16Ac), an epigenetic mark of active genes. Dysregulation of the epigenetic mark influences cellular biology and possibly leads to oncogenesis. We examined the involvement of hMOF and H4K16Ac in primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using fresh-frozen lung cancer tissues and lung cancer cell lines and immunohistochemistry for hMOF and H4K16Ac via tissue microarray of 551 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded NSCLC tissue blocks were conducted. RESULTS: hMOF mRNA was frequently overexpressed in lung cancer tissues, compared with normal lung tissues (10/20, 50%). NSCLC tissues were positive for hMOF in 37.6% (184/489) and H4K16Ac in 24.7% (122/493) of cases. hMOF protein expression was tightly correlated with the H4K16Ac level in tumors (p<0.001). Knockdown of hMOF mRNA with siRNA led to a significant inhibition of growth in the Calu-6 cell line. CONCLUSIONS: hMOF was frequently expressed in NSCLC and was correlated with H4K16Ac. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has focused on the expression status of HATs and hMOF in NSCLC. Our results clearly suggest a potential oncogenic role of the gene and support its utility as a potential therapeutic target.

The impact of acetylation and deacetylation on the p53 pathway

The p53 tumor suppressor is a sequence-specific transcription factor that undergoes an abundance of post-translational modifications for its regulation and activation. Acetylation of p53 is an important reversible enzymatic process that occurs in response to DNA damage and genotoxic stress and is indispensible for p53 transcriptional activity. p53 was the first non-histone protein shown to be acetylated by histone acetyl transferases, and a number of more recent in vivo models have underscored the importance of this type of modification for p53 activity. Here, we review the current knowledge and recent findings of p53 acetylation and deacetylation and discuss the implications of these processes for the p53 pathway.

Biphasic modulation of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference through inhibition of histone acetyltransferase and histone deacetylase

To examine the causative relationship between aberrant histone acetylation changes and cocaine-induced reward. Male Sprague-Dawley rats [n=160] were tested by conditioned place preference [CPP] - procedure, to evaluate the effects of inhibitors of histone deacetylase [HDAC] and histone acetyltransferase [HAT] on the conditioned effects of cocaine. Conditioning sessions were conducted twice daily for 2-4 days. For each conditioning session, rats were injected with either HDAC [or HAT] inhibitors or saline in home cages, followed by cocaine [intraperitoneally [ip]] or saline [ip] 30 minutes later, and then immediately confined for 50 minutes in the cue-specific chamber. On the day following the last conditioning session, the rats were tested for place preference for 15 minutes. The present study was carried out at the Department of Pharmacology of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, and Pharmacology Research Center of Fudan University, Shanghai, China between October 2007 and January 2009. Our results showed that pretreatment with HDAC inhibitor [sodium butyrate], potentiated cocaine-induced CPP, but did not itself lead to conditioned preferences, or aversions. On the contrary, rats pretreated with curcumin [HAT inhibitor] markedly inhibited cocaine-induced CPP, but did not itself lead to conditioned preferences or aversions. Histone modifications may be an important mechanism that underlies conditioned effects of cocaine. Moreover, HAT may bye a potential therapeutic target for cocaine addiction

Histone deacetylase inhibitors as therapeutic agents for polyglutamine disorders / 中华医学遗传学杂志

During the past few years, gene expression studies have shown that the perturbation of transcription frequently results in neuronal dysfunction in polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD). Histone deacetylases (HDACs) act as repressors of transcription through interaction with co-repressor complexes, leading to chromatin remodelling. Aberrant interaction between PolyQ proteins and regulators of transcription could be one mechanism by which transcriptional dysregulation occurs. Here, the authors discuss the possible mechanism of transcriptional dysfunction in PolyQ disease, including the effect of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and HDACs on pathogenesis, and the potential therapeutic pathways through which histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) might act to correct the aberrant transcription observed in HD and other PolyQ diseases.