Metabolism of presenilins

Genetics ignite focus on microglial inflammation in Alzheimer's disease

In the past five years, a series of large-scale genetic studies have revealed novel risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Analyses of these risk factors have focused attention upon the role of immune processes in AD, specifically microglial function. In this review, we discuss interpretation of genetic studies.  We then focus upon six genes implicated by AD genetics that impact microglial function: TREM2, CD33, CR1, ABCA7, SHIP1, and APOE. We review the literature regarding the biological functions of these six proteins and their putative role in AD pathogenesis. We then present a model for how these factors may interact to modulate microglial function in AD.

Generation of monoclonal antibody fragments binding the native γ-secretase complex for use in structural studies

A detailed understanding of γ-secretase structure is crucially needed to elucidate its unique properties of intramembrane protein cleavage and to design therapeutic compounds for the safe treatment of Alzheimer's disease. γ-Secretase is an enzyme complex composed of four membrane proteins, and the scarcity of its supply associated with the challenges of crystallizing membrane proteins is a major hurdle for the determination of its high-resolution structure. This study addresses some of these issues, first by adapting CHO cells overexpressing γ-secretase to growth in suspension, thus yielding multiliter cultures and milligram quantities of highly purified, active γ-secretase. Next, the amounts of γ-secretase were sufficient for immunization of mice and allowed generation of Nicastrin- and Aph-1-specific monoclonal antibodies, from which Fab fragments were proteolytically prepared and subsequently purified. The amounts of γ-secretase produced are compatible with robot-assisted crystallogenesis using nanoliter technologies. In addition, our Fab fragments bind exposed regions of native γ-secretase in a dose-dependent manner without interfering with its catalytic properties and can therefore be used as specific tools to facilitate crystal formation.

Rapid purification of active gamma-secretase, an intramembrane protease implicated in Alzheimer's disease

Gamma-secretase is an unconventional aspartyl protease that processes many type 1 membrane proteins within the lipid bilayer. Because its cleavage of amyloid-beta precursor protein generates the amyloid-beta protein (Abeta) of Alzheimer's disease, partially inhibiting gamma-secretase is an attractive therapeutic strategy, but the structure of the protease remains poorly understood. We recently used electron microscopy and single particle image analysis on the purified enzyme to generate the first 3D reconstruction of gamma-secretase, but at low resolution (15 A). The limited amount of purified gamma-secretase that can be produced using currently available cell lines and procedures has prevented the achievement of a high resolution crystal structure by X-ray crystallography or 2D crystallization. We report here the generation and characterization of a new mammalian cell line (S-20) that overexpresses strikingly high levels of all four gamma-secretase components (presenilin, nicastrin, Aph-1 and Pen-2). We then used these cells to develop a rapid protocol for the high-grade purification of proteolytically active gamma-secretase. The cells and purification methods detailed here provide a key step towards crystallographic studies of this ubiquitous enzyme.

Coordinated and widespread expression of gamma-secretase in vivo: evidence for size and molecular heterogeneity

Gamma-secretase is a high molecular weight protein complex composed of four subunits, namely, presenilin (PS; 1 or 2), nicastrin, anterior pharynx defective-1 (Aph-1; A or B), and presenilin enhancer-2 (Pen-2), and is responsible for the cleavage of a number of type-1 transmembrane proteins. A fundamental question is whether different gamma-secretase complexes exist in vivo. We demonstrate here by in situ hybridization and by Northern and Western blotting that the gamma-secretase components are widely distributed in all tissues investigated. The expression of the different subunits seems tightly coregulated. However, some variation in the expression of the Aph-1 proteins is observed, Aph-1A being more general and abundantly distributed than Aph-1B. The previously uncharacterized rodent-specific Aph-1C mRNA is highly expressed in the kidney and testis but not in brain or other tissues, indicating some tissue specificity for the Aph-1 component of the gamma-secretase complex. Blue-native electrophoresis revealed size heterogeneity of the mature gamma-secretase complex in various tissues. Using co-immunoprecipitations and blue-native electrophoresis at endogenous protein levels, we find evidence that several independent gamma-secretase complexes can coexist in the same cell type. In conclusion, our results suggest that gamma-secretase is a heterogeneous family of protein complexes widely expressed in the adult organism.

Release of a membrane-bound death domain by gamma-secretase processing of the p75NTR homolog NRADD

Neurotrophin receptor alike death domain protein (NRADD) is a death-receptor-like protein with a unique ectodomain and an intracellular domain homologous to p75(NTR). Expression of NRADD results in apoptosis, but only in certain cell types. This paper characterizes the expression and proteolytic processing of the mature 55 kDa glycoprotein. N-terminally truncated NRADD is processed by a gamma-secretase activity that requires presenilins and has the same susceptibility to gamma-secretase inhibitors as the secretion of amyloid beta (A beta). The ectodomain of endogenous NRADD is shed by activation of metalloproteinases. Inhibitor studies provide evidence that NRADD is cleaved in two steps typical of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP). Inhibition of gamma-secretase abrogates both the production of the soluble intracellular domain of NRADD and the appearance of NRADD in subnuclear structures. Thus, solubilized death domains with close homology to p75(NTR) might have a nuclear function. Furthermore, presenilin deficiency leads to abnormally glycosylated NRADD and overexpression of presenilin 2 inhibits NRADD maturation, which is dependent on the putative active site residue D366 but not on gamma-secretase activity. Our results demonstrate that NRADD is an additional gamma-secretase substrate and suggest that drugs against Alzheimer's disease will need to target gamma-secretase in a substrate-specific manner.

Presenilins and gamma-secretase inhibitors affect intracellular trafficking and cell surface localization of the gamma-secretase complex components

The intramembranous cleavage of Alzheimer beta-amyloid precursor protein and the signaling receptor Notch is mediated by the presenilin (PS, PS1/PS2)-gamma-secretase complex, the components of which also include nicastrin, APH-1, and PEN-2. In addition to its essential role in gamma-secretase activity, we and others have reported that PS1 plays a role in intracellular trafficking of select membrane proteins including nicastrin. Here we examined the fate of PEN-2 in the absence of PS expression or gamma-secretase activity. We found that PEN-2 is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and has a much shorter half-life in PS-deficient cells than in wild type cells, suggesting that PSs are required for maintaining the stability and proper subcellular trafficking of PEN-2. However, the function of PS in PEN-2 trafficking is distinct from its contribution to gamma-secretase activity because inhibition of gamma-secretase activity by gamma-secretase inhibitors did not affect the PEN-2 level or its egress from the endoplasmic reticulum. Instead, membrane-permeable gamma-secretase inhibitors, but not a membrane-impermeable derivative, markedly increased the cell surface levels of PS1 and PEN-2 without affecting that of nicastrin. In support of its role in PEN-2 trafficking, PS1 was also required for the gamma-secretase inhibitor-induced plasma membrane accumulation of PEN-2. We further showed that gamma-secretase inhibitors specifically accelerated the Golgi to the cell surface transport of PS1 and PEN-2. Taken together, we demonstrate an essential role for PSs in intracellular trafficking of the gamma-secretase components, and that selective gamma-secretase inhibitors differentially affect the trafficking of the gamma-secretase components, which may contribute to an inactivation of gamma-secretase.

Alzheimer's disease proteins in cerebellar and hippocampal synapses during postnatal development and aging of the rat

Alzheimer's dementia may be considered a synaptic disease of central neurons: the loss of synapses, reflected by early cognitive impairments, precedes the appearance of extra cellular focal deposits of beta-amyloid peptide in the brain of patients. Distinct immunocytochemical patterns of amyloid precursor proteins (APPs) have previously been demonstrated in the synapses by ultrastructural analysis in the cerebellum and hippocampus of adult rats and mice. Now we show that during postnatal development and during aging in these structures, the immunocytochemical expression of APPs increases in the synapses in parallel with the known up-regulation of total APPs brain levels. Interestingly, as shown previously in the adult rodents, the presenilins (PSs) 1 and 2, which intervene in APPs metabolism, exhibit a synaptic distribution pattern similar to that of APPs with parallel quantitative changes throughout life. In the brain tissue, single and double immunocytochemistry at the ultrastructural level shows co-localisation of APPs and PSs in axonal and dendritic synaptic compartments during postnatal synaptogenesis, adulthood and aging. In addition, double-labelling immunocytofluorescence detects these proteins close to synaptophysin at the growth cones of developing cultured neurons. Thusly, the brain expression of APPs and PSs appears to be regulated synchronously during lifespan in the synaptic compartments where the proteins are colocated. This suggests that PS-dependent processing of important synaptic proteins such as APPs could intervene in age-induced adjustments of synaptic relationships between specific types of neurons.

Oligomerization of human presenilin-1 fragments

To gain insight into presenilin-1 (PS1) structural aspects, we explored the structure-function relationship of its N- and C-terminal (NTF and CTF, respectively) complexes. We demonstrated that both NTF and CTF act as independent but inter-changing binding units capable of binding each other (NTF/CTF) or their homologues (NTF/NTF; CTF/CTF). The Alzheimer's disease-associated PS1 mutations Y115H and M146L do not affect their ability to hetero- and/or homodimerize, thus conserving their basic integrity and function(s). These results suggest that PS1 associates intra-molecularly to form higher order complexes, which may be needed for endoproteolytic cleavage and/or gamma-secretase-associated activity.

Partial purification and characterization of gamma-secretase from post-mortem human brain

One characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease is the deposition of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) as amyloid plaques within specific regions of the human brain. Abeta is derived from the amyloid beta-peptide precursor protein (beta-APP) by the intramembranous cleavage activity of gamma-secretase. Studies in cells have revealed that gamma-secretase is a large multimeric membrane-bound protein complex that is functionally dependent on several proteins, including presenilin, nicastrin, Aph-1, and Pen-2. However, the precise biochemical and molecular nature of gamma-secretase is as yet to be fully elucidated, and no investigations have analyzed gamma-secretase in human brain. To address this we have developed a novel in vitro gamma-secretase activity assay using detergent-solubilized cell membranes and a beta-APP-derived fluorescent probe. We report that human brain-derived gamma-secretase activity co-purifies with a high molecular weight protein complex comprising presenilin, nicastrin, Aph-1, and Pen-2. The inhibitor profile and solubility characteristics of brain-derived gamma-secretase are similar to those described in cells, and proteolysis occurs at the Abeta40- and Abeta42-generating cleavage sites. The ability to isolate gamma-secretase from post-mortem human brain may facilitate the identification of brain-specific modulators of beta-APP processing and provide new insights into the biology of this important factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

PEN-2 and APH-1 coordinately regulate proteolytic processing of presenilin 1

Presenilin (PS, PS1/PS2) complexes are known to be responsible for the intramembranous gamma-secretase cleavage of the beta-amyloid precursor protein and signaling receptor Notch. PS holoprotein undergoes endoproteolysis by an unknown enzymatic activity to generate NH(2)- and COOH-terminal fragments, a process that is required for the formation of the active and stable PS/-gamma-secretase complex. Biochemical and genetic studies have recently identified nicastrin, APH-1, and PEN-2 as essential cofactors that physically interact with PS1 and are necessary for the gamma-secretase activity. However, their precise function in regulating the PS complex and gamma-secretase activity remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that endogenous PEN-2 preferentially interacts with PS1 holoprotein. Down-regulation of PEN-2 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) abolishes the endoproteolysis of PS1, whereas overexpression of PEN-2 promotes the production of PS1 fragments, indicating a critical role for PEN-2 in PS1 endoproteolysis. Interestingly, accumulation of full-length PS1 resulting from down-regulation of PEN-2 is alleviated by additional siRNA down-regulation of APH-1. Furthermore, overexpression of APH-1 facilitates PEN-2-mediated PS1 proteolysis, resulting in a significant increase in PS1 fragments. Our data reveal a direct role of PEN-2 in proteolytic cleavage of PS1 and a regulatory function of APH-1, in coordination with PEN-2, in the biogenesis of the PS1 complex.

Presenilin 1 is required for maturation and cell surface accumulation of nicastrin

Proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein generates beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptides that are deposited in senile plaques in brains of aged individuals and patients with Alzheimer's disease. Presenilins (PS1 and PS2) facilitate the final step in Abeta production, the intramembranous gamma-secretase cleavage of amyloid precursor protein. Biochemical and pharmacological evidence support a catalytic or accessory role for PS1 in gamma-secretase cleavage, as well as a regulatory role in select membrane protein trafficking. In this report, we demonstrate that PS1 is required for maturation and cell surface accumulation of nicastrin, an integral component of the multimeric gamma-secretase complex. Using kinetic labeling studies we show that in PS1(-/-)/PS2(-/-) cells nicastrin fails to reach the medial Golgi compartment, and as a consequence, is incompletely glycosylated. Stable expression of human PS1 restores these deficiencies in PS1(-/-) fibroblasts. Moreover, membrane fractionation studies show co-localization of PS1 fragments with mature nicastrin. These results indicate a novel chaperone-type role for PS1 and PS2 in facilitating nicastrin maturation and transport in the early biosynthetic compartments. Our findings are consistent with PS1 influencing gamma-secretase processing at multiple steps, including maturation and intracellular trafficking of substrates and component(s) of the gamma-secretase complex.