RESUMO
The neuronal adaptor protein X11alpha/mint-1/APBA-1 binds to the cytoplasmic domain of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to modulate its trafficking and metabolism. We investigated the consequences of reducing X11alpha in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We crossed hAPPswe/PS-1DeltaE9 transgenic (AD tg) mice with X11alpha heterozygous knockout mice in which X11alpha expression is reduced by approximately 50%. The APP C-terminal fragments C99 and C83, as well as soluble Abeta40 and Abeta42, were increased significantly in brain of X11alpha haploinsufficient mice. Abeta/amyloid plaque burden also increased significantly in the hippocampus and cortex of one year old AD tg/X11alpha (+/-) mice compared to AD tg mice. In contrast, the levels of sAPPalpha and sAPPbeta were not altered significantly in AD tg/X11alpha (+/-) mice. The increased neuropathological indices of AD in mice expressing reduced X11alpha suggest a normal suppressor role for X11alpha on CNS Abeta/amyloid deposition.
Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/deficiência , Doença de Alzheimer/genética , Doença de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Proteínas de Membrana/deficiência , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/classificação , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/genética , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Precursor de Proteína beta-Amiloide/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/patologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática/métodos , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/genética , Humanos , Proteínas de Membrana/classificação , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Mutação/genética , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/metabolismo , Presenilina-1/genéticaRESUMO
Understanding the pathogenicity of amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides constitutes a major goal in research on Alzheimer's disease (AD). One hypothesis entails that Abeta peptides induce uncontrolled, neurotoxic ion flux through cellular membranes. The exact biophysical mechanism of this ion flux is, however, a subject of an ongoing controversy which has attenuated progress toward understanding the importance of Abeta-induced ion flux in AD. The work presented here addresses two prevalent controversies regarding the nature of transmembrane ion flux induced by Alphabeta peptides. First, the results clarify that Alphabeta can induce stepwise ion flux across planar lipid bilayers as opposed to a gradual increase in transmembrane current; they show that the previously reported gradual thinning of membranes with concomitant increase in transmembrane current arises from residues of the solvent hexafluoroisopropanol, which is commonly used for the preparation of amyloid samples. Second, the results provide additional evidence suggesting that Abeta peptides can induce ion channel-like ion flux in cellular membranes that is independent from the postulated ability of Alphabeta to modulate intrinsic cellular ion channels or transporter proteins.
