A team of scientists from National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) in Pune have observed that the pathogenic Huntingtin protein causes a decrease in the overall protein production in cells.
Huntingtin disease is a progressive genetic disorder.
It affects the brain and causes
uncontrolled movements,
impaired coordination of balance and movement,
a decline in cognitive abilities,
difficulty in concentrating and memory lapses,
mood swings and
personality changes.
It is caused by a mutation in a gene called HTT gene(huntingtin gene).
The HTT genes are involved in the production of a protein called huntingtin.
They provide the instruction for making the protein.
When the genes mutate, they provide faulty instructions leading to production of abnormal huntingtin proteins and these form into clumps.
v The clumps disrupt the normal functioning of the brain cells, which eventually leads to death of neurons in the brain, resulting in Huntington disease.