Presenilins as therapeutic targets for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Studies demonstrating that accumulation and aggregation of the amyloid beta protein (Abeta) within the brain is likely to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD) have provided the rationale for therapeutic strategies aimed at influencing Abeta production, aggregation and clearance. gamma-secretase catalyzes the final cleavage that releases the Abeta from its precursor; therefore, it is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of AD. Recent data show that the polytopic membrane proteins presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 are either catalytic components or essential co-factors of a membrane-bound proteolytic complex that possesses gamma-secretase activity. Although recent findings demonstrating that gamma-secretase inhibitors bind directly to presenilins (PSs) further support a catalytic role for PSs in gamma-secretase cleavage, additional studies are still needed to clarify the role of PSs in gamma-secretase cleavage and the use of targeting PSs to reduce Abeta production.
Golde
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Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Dept of Neuroscience, 4500 San Pablo Road, 32224, Jacksonville, FL, USA. tgolde@mayo.edu
Younkin
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D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D002384:Catalysis; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D053764:Presenilin-1; D053766:Presenilin-2
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C508853:PSEN1 protein, human; C508861:PSEN2 protein, human; D053764:Presenilin-1; D053766:Presenilin-2; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human