Characterization of Alternative Routes for Processing of the Alzheimer ?/A4-Amyloid Precursor Protein

Pathophysiological roles of amyloidogenic carboxy-terminal fragments of the beta-amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease

Several lines of evidence suggest that some of the neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is attributed to proteolytic fragments of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and beta-amyloid (Abeta) may not be the sole active component involved in the pathogenesis of AD. The potential effects of other cleavage products of APP need to be explored. The CTFs, carboxy-terminal fragments of APP, have been found in AD patients' brain and reported to exhibit much higher neurotoxicity in a variety of preparations than Abeta. Furthermore CTFs are known to impair calcium homeostasis and learning and memory through blocking LTP, triggering a strong inflammatory reaction through MAPKs- and NF-kappaB-dependent astrocytosis and iNOS induction. Recently, it was reported that CTF translocated into the nucleus, binding with Fe65 and CP2, and in turn, affected transcription of genes including glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, which results in the induction of tau-rich neurofibrillary tangles and subsequently cell death. Spatial memory of transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing CT100 was significantly impaired and CTFs were detected in the neurons as well as in plaques of the Tg mice and double Tg mice carrying CT100 and mutant tau. In this review, we summarize observations indicating that both CTF and Abeta may participate in the neuronal degeneration in the progress of AD by differential mechanisms.

Neurotoxic APP C-terminal and beta-amyloid domains colocalize in the nuclei of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons undergoing delayed degeneration

Increased amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression and intracellular accumulation of its toxic fragments have been associated with acute neuronal death processes. However, the role of APP fragments in delayed neurodegeneration remains poorly understood. We have characterized the appearance of APP domains in rat substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpR) neurons targeted for delayed degeneration following neurotoxic striatal lesion. From 4 to 8 days postlesion (dpl) SNpR neurons ipsilateral to the lesion showed marked cytosolic accumulation of full length APP. Moreover, the nuclei of affected neurons also showed intense immunoreactivity (IR) for APP C-terminal and beta-amyloid domains but not for an N-terminal sequence. These data suggested the presence of APP C-terminal fragment. The absence of nuclear IR for a beta1-40 specific antibody supports this conclusion. Ultrastructural analysis of nigral sections from 6 dpl rats using a beta-amyloid domain antibody showed pronounced accumulation of immunogold-silver reaction product in the nuclei of affected SNpR neurons that was absent in control, contralateral SNpR neurons. These findings suggest that intranuclear APP C-terminal fragment may play a role in genomic events contributing to delayed neuron degeneration in the SNpR.

IL-1 and anti-inflammatory drugs modulate A beta cytotoxicity in PC12 cells

We studied the effect of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) and several anti-inflammatory drugs on amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) cytotoxicity. Incubation of PC12 cells with 10(-6) M A beta 1-42 for 24 h reduced viabilty to 36%; coincubation with 10(-7) M IL-1 further reduced viability to 13% of baseline. With preincubation of PC12 cells with the drugs indomethacin, dexamethasone and chloroquine, reduction in viability was limited to 51%, 48% and 44%, respectively, compared to 32% with A beta alone. These experiments support further study of anti-inflammatory therapy in Alzheimer's disease.

Familial Alzheimer's disease cells abnormally accumulate beta-amyloid-harbouring peptides preferentially in cytosol but not in extracellular fluid

The proteolytic processing of beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) was analyzed and compared for familial Alzheimer's disease and normal lymphoid cells, focusing on beta-amyloid-harbouring peptides and the extracellular fragments released into the medium. Tris/tricine gel electrophoresis of anti-beta A4-(8-17)-immunoprecipitated peptides and subsequent N-terminal amino acid sequencing revealed previously unidentified peptides; the 14-kDa peptide with a beta A4 N-terminus and the 12-kDa peptide with an Esch's-site N-terminus in the cytosols, and the same 12-kDa peptide predominating in the media. Moreover, some early onset familial Alzheimer's disease cells, but not normal cells, express a 4-kDa peptide with a beta-amyloid N-terminus in the cytosol. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the extracellular APP peptides immunoprecipitated with anti-APP-(144-654)-peptide showed that familial Alzheimer's disease cells are deficient in processing, especially the 50-53-kDa peptides with the Kunitz-protease-inhibitor domain. This may reflect their unique expression of a serine protease identified as cleaving APP at the beta-amyloid N-terminus.

What is primary and what secondary for amyloid deposition in Alzheimer's disease

The fact that physiologically beta-amyloid precursor proteins are synthesized by all cells of the body without any amyloid deposition in other organs raises a question about an isolated deposition of amyloid in the brain. One of the most important mechanisms in the pathogenesis of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type is the marked decrease of the cerebral glucose metabolism, a cholinergic deficit, by a disturbed acetyl-CoA synthesis and a critically lowered oxidative phosphorylation. Remembering that aging is the most important predisposing factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease, it is argued that a decrease of the oxidative energy metabolism in senile dementia and the resulting ATP deficit may change protein degradation, synaptic transmission and ion homeostasis. Therefore, a more than 50% decline of oxidative energy turnover could be a trigger for an accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain, because the degradation of beta-amyloid precursor protein could be directly or indirectly disturbed by an ATP deficit. Amyloidosis and a cholinergic deficit in SDAT would then be a secondary phenomenon of the decreased glucose metabolism in the brain.

Cell cycle-dependent regulation of the phosphorylation and metabolism of the Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein

Accumulation of the amyloid A beta peptide, which is derived from a larger precursor protein (APP), and the formation of plaques, are major events believed to be involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal regulation of the metabolism of APP may contribute to the deposition of plaques. APP is an integral membrane protein containing several putative phosphorylation sites within its cytoplasmic domain. We report here that APP is phosphorylated at Thr668 by p34cdc2 protein kinase (cdc2 kinase) in vitro, and in a cell cycle-dependent manner in vivo. At the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, when APP phosphorylation is maximal, the levels of mature APP (mAPP) and immature APP (imAPP) do not change significantly. However, imAPP is altered qualitatively. Furthermore, the level of the secreted extracellular N-terminal domain (APPS) is decreased and that of the truncated intracellular C-terminal fragment (APPCOOH) is increased. These findings suggest the possibility that phosphorylation-dependent events occurring during the cell cycle affect the metabolism of APP. Alterations in these events might play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Regulated cleavage of the Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein: molecular and cellular basis

The relative utilization of alternative processing pathways for APP can be regulated by the activation state of certain protein phosphorylation signal transduction pathways. For example, activation of protein kinase C (PKC), or inactivation of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, leads to a relative increase in utilization of the nonamyloidogenic, 'alpha-secretase' cleavage pathway for APP processing at the expense of other pathways. The molecular and cellular basis for this regulatory event is unknown. The possible mechanisms of regulated APP cleavage include (either singly or in combination): 1) substrate (ie APP) activation; 2) substrate redistribution; 3) enzyme (ie alpha-secretase) activation; or 4) enzyme redistribution. APP is a phosphoprotein; however, recent evidence from studies of the metabolism of mutant APP molecules suggests that changes in the APP cytoplasmic tail phosphorylation state may not be necessary for the phosphorylation-dependent activation of 'alpha-secretase' cleavage. Further, indirect immunofluorescent studies of the subcellular distribution of APP in the absence or presence of phorbol esters (PKC activators) fail to disclose obvious phorbol-induced redistribution of APP immunoreactivity. Taken together, current data suggest that major candidate phosphorylation-state sensitive targets relevant to the molecular basis of PKC-activated processing (or 'regulated cleavage') of APP include the APP ectodomain as well as secretase enzymes and/or other components of the APP trafficking/processing apparatus. Progress in distinguishing among these possibilities is discussed.