ML348

ML348 increases brain palmitoylation and inhibits the palmitate-removing enzyme acyl-protein thioesterase 1 (APT1), restores axonal transport, synapse homeostasis, and survival signaling to wild-type levels without toxicity, also increases BDNF trafficking in human HD induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons.^[2]

ML348, palmostatin B, and ML349 are diluted in 100% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for primary concentration. For STHdh cells and immunofluorescence of neurons plated on coverslips, we administered acute treatment with 10 μM for 1 hour before and during the acquisition time. For the fractionation experiments, we plated cortical neurons on 10-cm dishes and we treated cells for 4 hours with 1 μM ML348 before lysis. For neurons within microchambers, 1 μM ML348 is administered within each compartment of the microfluidic device beginning on days in vitro (DIV)2 and continuing daily until DIV12, while for BDNF pHluorin analysis, compartments are treated for 4 hours with 1 μM ML348 before acquisition.

In HD knock-in mice, ML348 efficiently crosses the blood-brain barrier to restore palmitoylation levels and reverse neuropathology, locomotor deficits, and anxio-depressive behaviors.^[2]