title: A central role for autophagy in Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration.
abstract: The macroautophagy (autophagy) pathway is thought to be involved in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). It is not clear however, if autophagy plays a causative role, a protective role or is a consequence of the disease process itself. Using a Drosophila model of neuron-limited expression of AD-associated amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides, we have demonstrated an autophagy-mediated neurodegenerative cascade that is initiated by Abeta(1-42) and enhanced by aging. Our results suggest a central role for the autophagy pathway in AD type neurodegeneration and a new framework to understand seemingly unrelated AD phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Daijun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Salvaterra
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D022162:Cytoplasmic Vesicles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000473:pathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42)