Abeta-independent roles of apolipoprotein E4 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Human apolipoprotein (APO) E has three common isoforms that differentially affect lipid and neuronal homeostasis. APOE4, the major known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), increases the occurrence and lowers the age of onset of AD. APOE4 carriers account for 65-80% of all AD cases, highlighting the importance of APOE4 in AD pathogenesis. Emerging data suggest that APOE4 contributes to AD through various pathways, some of which are dependent on amyloid-beta (Abeta). Although these Abeta-dependent roles of APOE4 have been widely studied, APOE4 has detrimental effects on neurons independent of Abeta: aberrant proteolysis of APOE4 generates neurotoxic fragments, stimulates Tau phosphorylation, which disrupts the cytoskeleton, and impairs mitochondrial function.
The Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. yhuang@gladstone.ucsf.edu
Yadong
Y
Huang
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4