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The role of TRAF6 in neurodegeneration of the spinal cord
Author(s) -
Butler Carrie Lynn,
Chang Jessica N,
Citron Bruce A
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.753.2
Tumor necrosis factor Receptor Associated Factor 6 (TRAF6) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase implicated in immune and apoptotic pathways. We sought to determine the role of TRAF6 in the degenerating spinal cord. We examined its expression in spinal cords from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients, the wobbler mouse model of motor neuron loss, and in mice transgenic for a familial ALS TDP‐43 mutation. TRAF6 is upregulated in human ALS and in the wobbler mouse model spinal cords as determined by qRT‐PCR. Protein expression is also elevated in the nuclear fraction of the wobbler spinal cord and in one of four ALS nuclear spinal cord extracts. Overexpression of TRAF6 is protective in the mouse hippocampal (HT22) cell line when injured with hydrogen peroxide. We are currently investigating TRAF6's interacting partners in the spinal cord by co‐immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry to better define the function of TRAF6 in neurodegeneration. This study was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development) and the Bay Pines Foundation. The contents do not represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.