title: Apolipoprotein E uptake and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein expression by the NTera2/D1 cell line: a cell culture model of relevance for late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Apolipoprotein E has been shown to be a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, with the apolipoprotein epsilon 4 allele conferring the risk. Apolipoprotein E is found in neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, the pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. To date there is no direct evidence that human neurons can take up exogenous apolipoprotein E, which is necessary if apolipoprotein E is involved in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. To examine apolipoprotein E uptake we employed the human NTera2/D1 cell line, which can be induced by retinoic acid to differentiate into postmitotic NTera2-N neurons, which have the characteristics and morphology of human central nervous system neurons. We defined the cell line as genotype apolipoprotein epsilon 3/3 and demonstrated that the cells do not synthesize apolipoprotein E but can take up and internalize exogenous recombinant apolipoprotein E3. We also confirmed the expression of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein, a known receptor for apolipoprotein E. The NTera2/D1 cell line therefore provides a useful human cell model for examining the effects of other apolipoprotein E isoforms with a view to defining intraneuronal interactions of apolipoprotein E.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Unit, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pye
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Roses
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Armati
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D026503:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1; D008938:Mitosis; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D026503:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014212:Tretinoin