Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is one of several inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion, but it is the only one in which the retina is affected. Increasing evidence suggests that transcriptional alterations contribute to polyQ pathogenesis, although the mechanism is unclear. We previously demonstrated that theSCA7 gene product, ataxin-7 (ATXN7), is a subunit of the GCN5 histone acetyltransferase–containing coactivator complexes TFTC/STAGA. We show here that TFTC/STAGA complexes purified from SCA7 mice have normal TRRAP, GCN5, TAF12, and SPT3 levels and that their histone or nucleosomal acetylation activities are unaffected. However, rod photoreceptors from SCA7 mouse models showed severe chromatin decondensation. In agreement, polyQ-expanded ataxin-7 induced histone H3 hyperacetylation, resulting from an increased recruitment of TFTC/STAGA to specific promoters. Surprisingly, hyperacetylated genes were transcriptionally down-regulated, and expression analysis revealed that nearly all rod-specific genes were affected, leading to visual impairment in SCA7 mice. In conclusion, we describe here a set of events accounting for SCA7 pathogenesis in the retina, in which polyQ-expanded ATXN7 deregulated TFTC/STAGA recruitment to a subset of genes specifically expressed in rod photoreceptors, leading to chromatin alterations and consequent progressive loss of rod photoreceptor function.

Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) belong to a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in corresponding proteins. Transcriptional alteration is a unifying feature of polyQ disorders; however, the relationship between polyQ-induced gene expression deregulation and degenerative processes remains unclear. R6/2 and R7E mouse models of HD and SCA7, respectively, present a comparable retinal degeneration characterized by progressive reduction of electroretinograph activity and important morphological changes of rod photoreceptors. The retina, which is a simple central nervous system tissue, allows correlating functional, morphological and molecular defects. Taking advantage of comparing polyQ-induced degeneration in two retina models, we combined gene expression profiling and molecular biology techniques to decipher the molecular pathways underlying polyQ expansion toxicity. We show that R7E and R6/2 retinal phenotype strongly correlates with loss of expression of a large cohort of genes specifically involved in phototransduction function and morphogenesis of differentiated rod photoreceptors. Accordingly, three key transcription factors (Nrl, Crx and Nr2e3) controlling rod differentiation genes, hence expression of photoreceptor specific traits, are down-regulated. Interestingly, other transcription factors known to cause inhibitory effects on photoreceptor differentiation when mis-expressed, such as Stat3, are aberrantly re-activated. Thus, our results suggest that independently from the protein context, polyQ expansion overrides the control of neuronal differentiation and maintenance, thereby causing dysfunction and degeneration.