Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is a recessive, predominantly neurodegenerative disorder caused in most cases by mutations in the first intron of the frataxin (FXN) gene. This mutation drives the expansion of a homozygous GAA repeat that results in decreased levels of FXN transcription and frataxin protein. Frataxin (Fxn) is a ubiquitous mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis...

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a GAA repeat expansion mutation within intron 1 of the FXN gene, resulting in reduced levels of frataxin protein. We have previously reported the generation of human FXN yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) transgenic FRDA mouse models containing 90-190 GAA repeats, but the presence of multiple GAA repeats wi...

The genetic mutation in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is a hyperexpansion of the triplet-repeat sequence GAA·TTC within the first intron of the FXN gene. Although yeast and reporter construct models for GAA·TTC triplet-repeat expansion have been reported, studies on FRDA pathogenesis and therapeutic development are limited by the availability of an appropriate cell model in which to study the mechan...

Friedreich ataxia is caused by an expanded (GAA.TTC)n sequence in intron 1 of the FXN gene. Small pool PCR analysis showed that pure (GAA.TTC)44+ sequences at the FXN locus are unstable in somatic cells in vivo, displaying both expansions and contractions. On searching the entire human and mouse genomes we identified three other genomic loci with pure (GAA.TTC)44+ sequences. Alleles at these lo...

Fe-S bound proteins are ubiquitous and contribute to most basic cellular processes. A defect in the ISC components catalyzing Fe-S cluster biogenesis leads to drastic phenotypes in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In this context, the Frataxin protein (FXN) stands out as an exception. In eukaryotes, a defect in FXN results in severe defects in Fe-S cluster biogenesis, and in humans, this is ass...

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Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is the most frequent progressive autosomal recessive disorder associated with unstable expansion of GAA trinucleotide repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene, which encodes for the mitochondrial frataxin protein. The number of repeats correlates with disease severity, where impaired transcription of the FXN gene results in reduced expression of the frataxin protein....

Increasing NAD+ levels by supplementing with the precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) improves cardiac function in multiple mouse models of disease. While NMN influences several aspects of mitochondrial metabolism, the molecular mechanisms by which increased NAD+ enhances cardiac function are poorly understood. A putative mechanism of NAD+ therapeutic action exists via activation of the ...

Iron sulfur clusters are essential universal prosthetic groups which can be formed inorganically but, in biology, are bound to proteins and produced enzymatically. Most of the components of the machine that produces the clusters are conserved throughout evolution. In bacteria, they are encoded in the isc operon. Previous reports provide information on the role of specific components but a clear...