The Alzheimer amyloid precursor-related transcript lacking the beta/A4 sequence is specifically increased in Alzheimer's disease brain.
The deposition of cerebrovascular and plaque amyloid in the CNS is a primary feature of Alzheimer's disease and aged Down's syndrome pathology. The localization of the Alzheimer amyloid protein precursor (APP) gene on chromosome 21, along with its overexpression in Down's syndrome brain compared with normal brain, suggests that alterations in APP gene expression may play a role in the development of the neuropathology common to the two diseases. In the present report, we demonstrate that a specific spliced form of mRNA that is transcribed from the APP gene and that lacks the beta/A4 sequence is elevated in the nucleus basalis, occipitotemporal cortex, and parahippocampal gyrus in Alzheimer's disease brain relative to controls. These results are based on combined data from RNA slot blot analysis, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction quantification of specific mRNAs taken directly from tissue sections.
Department of Psychobiology, University of California, Irvine 92717.
R L
RL
Neve
J
J
Rogers
G A
GA
Higgins
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D000682:Amyloid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D000682:Amyloid; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger