Regulation of Neurodegenerative Diseases by Classic Interplay of RNA Binding Proteins and Hsp40 Chaperones

Author(s): Snehal Ahire, Sayali Marathe, Ankita Deo, Tania Bose

Neurodegenerative diseases are a class of diseases involving a gradual loss of neurons and cognitive impairments. Protein depositions in the brain is another hallmark of these conditions. Along with clinical manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases, this review focuses on the use of heat shock proteins to combat the toxicity related to these conditions, especially Huntington’s Disease (HD). This includes screening of Hsp40 and related chaperones to look for suppressors of Huntington’s disease-related phenotypes. Crosstalk amongst Huntingtin aggregates and RNA binding proteins is explored shedding light on prion-like protein Orb2A and another Hsp40 chaperone Mrj being rescuers of HD-related toxicity. Some of these chaperones show conserved protein sequences across species of yeast, flies, and humans making them potential targets for treating HD-related pathophysiologies