title: Neuronal or glial expression of human apolipoprotein e4 affects parenchymal and vascular amyloid pathology differentially in different brain regions of double- and triple-transgenic mice.
abstract: Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) is associated with Alzheimer's disease by unknown mechanisms. We generated six transgenic mice strains expressing human ApoE4 in combination with mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) and mutant presenilin-1 (PS1) in single-, double-, or triple-transgenic combinations. Diffuse, but not dense, amyloid plaque-load in subiculum and cortex was increased by neuronal but not glial ApoE4 in old (15 months) double-transgenic mice, whereas both diffuse and dense plaques formed in thalamus in both genotypes. Neuronal and glial ApoE4 promoted cerebral amyloid angiopathy as extensively as mutant PS1 but with pronounced regional differences: cortical angiopathy was induced by neuronal ApoE4 while thalamic angiopathy was again independent of ApoE4 source. Angiopathy correlated more strongly with soluble Abeta40 and Abeta42 levels in cortex than in thalamus throughout the six genotypes. Neither neuronal nor glial ApoE4 affected APP proteolytic processing, as opposed to mutant PS1. Neuronal ApoE4 increased soluble amyloid levels more than glial ApoE4, but the Abeta42/40 ratios were similar, although significantly higher than in single APP transgenic mice. We conclude that although the cellular origin of ApoE4 differentially affects regional amyloid pathology, ApoE4 acts on the disposition of amyloid peptides downstream from their excision from APP but without induction of tauopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department Human Genetics, Experimental Genetics Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Dooren
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muyllaert
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borghgraef
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cresens
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Devijver
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van der Auwera
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wera
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dewachter
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Leuven
mesh_terms: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D016657:Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D053764:Presenilin-1; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C508853:PSEN1 protein, human; D053764:Presenilin-1; D016875:tau Proteins