Monitoring fibrillation of the pathogenic huntingtin protein using NMR

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by abnormal polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the huntingtin protein (Htt). There is no cure for HD so far. Although exact molecular mechanism of HD pathogenesis is still elusive, fibril formation of the expanded Htt is linked to the toxicity. In this study, we prepared the expanded Htt containing 46 glutamines, and induced the fibrillation by proteolytic cleavage. Fibrillation of the pathogenic Htt has been monitored by time course NMR experiment. The NMR-based monitoring method could be widely used to screen the candidates to inhibit the fibrillation of the pathogenic Htt.