Tay-Sachs disease mutations in HEXA target the ? chain of hexosaminidase A to endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation.
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ABSTRACT: Loss of function of the enzyme ?-hexosaminidase A (HexA) causes the lysosomal storage disorder Tay-Sachs disease (TSD). It has been proposed that mutations in the ? chain of HexA can impair folding, enzyme assembly, and/or trafficking, yet there is surprisingly little known about the mechanisms of these potential routes of pathogenesis. We therefore investigated the biosynthesis and trafficking of TSD-associated HexA ? mutants, seeking to identify relevant cellular quality control mechanisms. The ? mutants E482K and G269S are defective in enzymatic activity, unprocessed by lysosomal proteases, and exhibit altered folding pathways compared with wild-type ?. E482K is more severely misfolded than G269S, as observed by its aggregation and inability to associate with the HexA ? chain. Importantly, both mutants are retrotranslocated from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol and are degraded by the proteasome, indicating that they are cleared via ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Leveraging these discoveries, we observed that manipulating the cellular folding environment or ERAD pathways can alter the kinetics of mutant ? degradation. Additionally, growth of patient fibroblasts at a permissive temperature or with chemical chaperones increases cellular Hex activity by improving mutant ? folding. Therefore modulation of the ER quality control systems may be a potential therapeutic route for improving some forms of TSD.
SUBMITTER: Dersh D
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5170605 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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