The cell biology of Alzheimer's disease: uncovering the secrets of secretases.
Progress has been made in characterizing the secretases involved in endoproteolytic processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein - the precursor of the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta), which is the main constituent of amyloid plaques that form in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is now thought that Abeta is pivotal in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and that reducing brain Abeta levels may help to treat or prevent the disease. Two essential factors for the proteolytic generation of Abeta have been identified, beta-secretase and the presenilins, which might aid the design of drugs against this disease.
Walter
J
J
Adolf Butenandt Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 Munich, Germany. jwalter@pbm.med.uni-muenchen.de
Kaether
C
C
Steiner
H
H
Haass
C
C
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human