Pro-domain removal in ASP-2 and the cleavage of the amyloid precursor are influenced by pH.
BACKGROUND
One of the signatures of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of aggregated amyloid protein, Abeta, in the brain. Abeta arises from cleavage of the Amyloid Precursor protein by beta and gamma secretases, which present attractive candidates for therapeutic targeting. Two beta-secretase candidates, ASP-1 and ASP-2, were identified as aspartic proteases, both of which cleave the amyloid precursor at the beta-site. These are produced as immature transmembrane proteins containing a pro-segment.


RESULTS
ASP-2 expressed in HEK293-cells cleaved the Swedish mutant amyloid precursor at different beta-sites at different pHs in vitro. Recent reports show that furin cleaves the pro-peptide of ASP-2, whereas ASP-1 undergoes auto-catalysis. We show that purified recombinant ASP-2 cleaves its own pro-peptide at ph 5 but not pH 8.5 as seen by mass spectrometry, electrophoresis and N-terminal sequencing.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that ASP-2 processing as well as activity are influenced by pH, and hence the cellular localisation of the protein may have profound effects on the production of Abeta. These factors should be taken into consideration in the design of potential inhibitors for these enzymes.
Dept of Surgery, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW 17 ORE, UK. csidera@sghms.ac.uk
Christina
C
Sidera
Chibuu
C
Liu
Brian
B
Austen
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases