title: Pore-forming scissors? A first structural glimpse of gamma-secretase.
abstract: Amyloid plaques, which are composed of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta), signify Alzheimer's disease pathology. Secretases generate Abeta by processing the beta-amyloid precursor protein. gamma-Secretase, a complex comprising four different proteins, liberates Abeta from its precursor by intramembrane proteolysis. The first impression of the shape of gamma-secretase has recently been revealed by electron microscopy. It indicates a spherical transmembrane particle with an interior chamber that, presumably, accommodates its catalytic residues, and two openings that might be exit sites for the cleavage products.
authors.affiliation: Adolf-Butenandt-Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Research, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Schillerstrasse 44, 80336 Munich, Germany. harald.steiner@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Than
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haass
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008954:Models, Biological; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases