Loss of huntingtin function slows synaptic vesicle endocytosis in striatal neurons from the httQ140/Q140 mouse model of Huntington's disease.

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by CAG repeat expansion within the HTT gene, with the dysfunction and eventual loss of striatal medium spiny neurons a notable feature. Since medium spiny neurons receive high amounts of synaptic input, we hypothesised that this vulnerability originates from an inability to sustain presynaptic performance during intense neuronal activity. To test this hypothesis, primary cultures of either hippocampal or striatal neurons were prepared from either wild-type mice or a knock-in HD mouse model which contains 140 poly-glutamine repeats in the huntingtin protein (httQ140/Q140). We identified a striatum-specific defect in synaptic vesicle (SV) endocytosis in httQ..