Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics for SCA17

Abstract

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17) is caused by polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the TATA box-binding protein (TBP), which functions as a general transcription factor. Like other polyQ expansion-mediated diseases, SCA17 is characterized by late-onset and selective neurodegeneration, despite the disease protein being ubiquitously expressed in the body. To date, the pathogenesis of polyQ diseases is not fully understood, and there are no effective treatments for these devastating disorders. The well-characterized function of TBP and typical neurodegeneration in SCA17 give us opportunities to understand how polyQ expansion causes selective neurodegeneration and to develop effective therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms behind SCA17, focusing on transcriptional dysregulation as its major cause. Mounting evidence suggests that reversing transcriptional alterations induced by mutant TBP and reducing the expression of mutant TBP are promising strategies to treat SCA17.