Ataxin-3, the MJD1 gene product, interacts with the two human homologs of yeast DNA repair protein RAD23, HHR23A and HHR23B

Abstract

Machado–Joseph disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine tract near the C-terminus of the MJD1 gene product, ataxin-3. The mutant ataxin-3 forms intranuclear inclusions in cultured cells as well as in diseased human brain and also causes cell death in transfected cells. However, the normal function of ataxin-3 remains unknown. To explore the function of ataxin-3, we used the two-hybrid system to screen for the protein(s) that interacts with ataxin-3. We found that ataxin-3 interacts with two human homologs of the yeast DNA repair protein RAD23, HHR23A and HHR23B. Furthermore, we confirmed that ataxin-3 interacts with the ­ubiquitin-like domain at the N-terminus of the HHR23 proteins, which is important for nucleotide excision repair; however, ataxin-3 does not interact with ­ubiquitin, implying that ataxin-3 might be functionally associated with the HHR23 proteins through this specific interaction. The normal and mutant ataxin-3 proteins show no difference in their ability to bind to the HHR23 proteins. However, in 293 cells HHR23A is recruited to intranuclear inclusions formed by the mutant ataxin-3 through its interaction with ataxin-3. These results suggest that this interaction is associated with the normal function of ataxin-3 and that some functional abnormality of the HHR23 proteins might exist in MJD.