Work package 4: Investigation of cellular mechanisms involving mhtt in dissociated primary neuronal cells

In this work package toxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction of mutant huntingtin in striatum and hypothalamus will be evaluated in vitro. Mhtt overexpressing neurons from BACHD rats will be transduced with a CRE-GFP expressing lentivirus to specifically delete mhtt expression or with a control GFP virus. Furthermore expression of pro/anti-apoptotic markers will be quantified by qPCR. Additionally, we will investigate mitochondrial morphology and dynamics in primary neurons from the striatum and hypothalamus.