Huntington's disease protein contributes to RNA-mediated gene silencing through association with Argonaute and P bodies

Huntington's disease is a dominant autosomal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of polyglutamines in the huntingtin (Htt) protein, whose cellular function remains controversial. To gain insight into Htt function, we purified epitope-tagged Htt and identified Argonaute as associated proteins. Colocalization studies demonstrated Htt and Ago2 to be present in P bodies, and depletion of Htt showed compromised RNA-mediated gene silencing. Mouse striatal cells expressing mutant Htt showed fewer P bodies and reduced reporter gene silencing activity compared with wild-type counterparts. These data suggest that the previously reported transcriptional deregulation in HD may be attributed in part to mutant Htt's role in post-transcriptional processes.