title: Reconstitution of gamma-secretase activity.
abstract: gamma-Secretase is a membrane protein complex with an unusual aspartyl protease activity that catalyses the regulated intramembranous cleavage of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) to release the Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) and the APP intracellular domain (AICD). Here we show the reconstitution of gamma-secretase activity in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which lacks endogenous gamma-secretase activity. Reconstituted gamma-secretase activity depends on the presence of four complex components including presenilin (PS), nicastrin (Nct), APH-1 (refs 3-6) and PEN-2 (refs 4, 7), is associated with endoproteolysis of PS, and produces Abeta and AICD in vitro. Thus, the biological activity of gamma-secretase is reconstituted by the co-expression of human PS, Nct, APH-1 and PEN-2 in yeast.
authors.affiliation: Adolf-Butenandt-Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Edbauer
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Joerg T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Regula
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pesold
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haass
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000201:enzymology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D053764:Presenilin-1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C508853:PSEN1 protein, human; C469349:PSENEN protein, human; D053764:Presenilin-1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C413604:nicastrin protein; C475154:APH1A protein, human; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human