Publications by authors named "Marie Heath"

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to altered gene expression. However, the mechanisms leading to disrupted RNA processing in HD remain unclear. Here we identify TDP-43 and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer protein METTL3 to be upstream regulators of exon skipping in multiple HD systems.

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Oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) signaling influences complex social behaviors in diverse species, including social monogamy in prairie voles. How Oxtr regulates specific components of social attachment behaviors and the neural mechanisms mediating them remains unknown. Here, we examine prairie voles lacking Oxtr and demonstrate that pair bonding comprises distinct behavioral modules: the preference for a bonded partner, and the rejection of novel potential mates.

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Article Synopsis
  • Huntington's disease (HD) is linked to a mutation in the Huntingtin gene that disrupts normal brain function, and the study investigates how SUMOylation affects proteins involved in neuronal activity in HD mice.* -
  • Using advanced mass spectrometry, researchers found changes in SUMOylated proteins related to synaptic function and signaling pathways in HD tissue, which were different from non-transgenic mice.* -
  • Experiments on neurons from HD and control mice revealed that altering SUMOylation, particularly via the Pias1 protein, can improve signaling and activity deficits observed in HD cells.*
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Understanding the normal function of the Huntingtin (HTT) protein is of significance in the design and implementation of therapeutic strategies for Huntington's disease (HD). Expansion of the CAG repeat in the gene, encoding an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat within the HTT protein, causes HD and may compromise HTT's normal activity contributing to HD pathology. Here, we investigated the previously defined role of HTT in autophagy specifically through studying HTT's association with ubiquitin.

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