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S Sisodia

Publications and source records attributed to S Sisodia.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Post-translational processing of beta-secretase (beta-amyloid-converting enzyme) and its ectodomain shedding. The pro- and transmembrane/cytosolic domains affect its cellular activity and amyloid-beta production.

Processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) by beta- and gamma-secretases generates the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta, a major factor in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. Following the recent identification of the beta-secretase beta-amyloid-converting enzyme (BACE), we herein investigate its zymogen processing, molecular properties, and cellular trafficking. Our data show that among the proprotein convertase family members, furin is the major converting enzyme of pro-BACE into BACE within the trans-Golgi network of HK293 cells. While we demonstrate that the 24-amino acid prosegment is required for the efficient exit of pro-BACE from the endoplasmic reticulum, it may not play a strong inhibitory role since we observe that pro-BACE can produce significant quantities of the Swedish mutant betaAPP(sw) beta-secretase product C99. BACE is palmitoylated at three Cys residues within its transmembrane/cytosolic tail and is sulfated at mature N-glycosylated moieties. Data with three different antibodies show that a small fraction of membrane-bound BACE is shed into the medium and that the extent of ectodomain shedding is palmitoylation-dependent. Overexpression of full-length BACE causes a significant increase in the production of C99 and a decrease in the alpha-secretase product APPsalpha. Although there is little increase in the generation of Abeta by full-length BACE, overexpression of either a soluble form of BACE (equivalent to the shed form) or one lacking the prosegment leads to enhanced Abeta levels. These findings suggest that the shedding of BACE may play a role in the amyloidogenic processing of betaAPP.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Mice with combined gene knock-outs reveal essential and partially redundant functions of amyloid precursor protein family members.

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) involved in Alzheimer's disease is a member of a larger gene family including amyloid precursor-like proteins APLP1 and APLP2. We generated and examined the phenotypes of mice lacking individual or all possible combinations of APP family members to assess potential functional redundancies within the gene family. Mice deficient for the nervous system-specific APLP1 protein showed a postnatal growth deficit as the only obvious abnormality. In contrast to this minor phenotype, APLP2(-/-)/APLP1(-/-) and APLP2(-/-)/APP(-/-) mice proved lethal early postnatally. Surprisingly, APLP1(-/-)/APP(-/-) mice were viable, apparently normal, and showed no compensatory upregulation of APLP2 expression. These data indicate redundancy between APLP2 and both other family members and corroborate a key physiological role for APLP2. This view gains further support by the observation that APLP1(-/-)/APP(-/-)/APLP2(+/-) mice display postnatal lethality. In addition, they provide genetic evidence for at least some distinct physiological roles of APP and APLP2 by demonstrating that combinations of single knock-outs with the APLP1 mutation resulted in double mutants of clearly different phenotypes, being either lethal, or viable. None of the lethal double mutants displayed, however, obvious histopathological abnormalities in the brain or any other organ examined. Moreover, cortical neurons from single or combined mutant mice showed unaltered survival rates under basal culture conditions and unaltered susceptibility to glutamate excitotoxicity in vitro.

Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor↗

Defective neurite extension is caused by a mutation in amyloid beta/A4 (A beta) protein precursor found in familial Alzheimer's disease.

Clonal central nervous system neuronal cells, B103, do not synthesize detectable endogenous APP or APLP. B103 cells transfected with both wild-type (B103/APP) and mutant APP construct (B103/APP delta NL) secreted comparable amounts of soluble forms of APP (sAPP). B103/APP cells produced sAPP and cleaved at amyloid beta/A4 (A beta) 16, the alpha-secretase site, and B103/APP delta NL cells produced sAPP beta cleaved at A beta 1, the beta-secretase site. B103/APP delta NL cells developed fewer neurites than B103/APP cells in a serum-free defined medium. Neurite numbers of parent B103 cells were increased by the 50% conditioned medium (CM) from B103/APP cells but reduced by the CM from B103/APP delta NL cells. Chemically synthesized A beta at concentration levels higher than 1 nM reduced numbers of neurites from B103 or B103/APP delta NL cells. However, A beta at 1-100 nM could not reduce the neurite number of B103/APP cells. The protective activity against A beta's deleterious effect to reduce neurite numbers was attributed to sAPP alpha in the CM. Although sAPP alpha could block the effect of A beta, sAPP beta could not do so under the identical condition, suggesting the importance of the C-terminal 15-amino acid sequence in sAPP alpha. Nevertheless, sAPP alpha's protective activity required the N-terminal sequence around RERMS, previously identified to be the active domain of sAPP beta. The overall effect of APP mutation which overproduced A beta and sAPP beta and underproduced sAPP alpha was a marked decline in the neurotrophic effect of APP. We suggest that the disruption of balance between the detrimental effect of A beta and the trophic effect of sAPP may be important in the pathogenesis of AD caused by this pathogenic APP mutation.

Alzheimer Disease↗

The mouse APLP2 gene. Chromosomal localization and promoter characterization.

Senile plaques are primarily comprised of deposits of the beta-amyloid precursor-like proteins APLP1 and APLP2. proteins (APPs). APP is a member of a gene family, including amyloid precursor-like proteins APLP1 and APLP2. Using interspecific mouse backcross mapping, we localized the mouse APLP2 gene to the promixmal region of mouse chromosome 9, syntenic with a region of human 11q. We cloned an approximately 1.2-kilobase mouse genomic fragment containing the APLP2 gene promoter. The APLP2 promoter lacks a typical TATA box, is GC-rich, and contains several sequences for transcription factor binding. S1 nuclease protection analysis revealed the presence of multiple transcription start sites. The lack of a TATA box, the presence of a high GC content, and multiple transcription start sites place the APLP2 promoter in the class of promoters of "housekeeping genes." Regulatory regions within the promoter were assayed by transfection of mouse N2a and Ltk- cells with constructs containing progressive 5'-deletions of the APLP2 promoter fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene. A minimal region that includes sequences 99 bp upstream of the predominant transcription start site of the APLP2 promoter was sufficient to direct high levels of CAT expression.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Mutations associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis convert superoxide dismutase from an antiapoptotic gene to a proapoptotic gene: studies in yeast and neural cells.

Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) is associated with mutations in SOD1, the gene encoding copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD). However, the mechanism by which these mutations lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is unknown. We report that FALS mutant SODs expressed in yeast lacking CuZnSOD are enzymatically active and restore the yeast to the wild-type phenotype. In mammalian neural cells, the overexpression of wild-type SOD1 inhibits apoptosis induced by serum and growth factor withdrawal or calcium ionophore. In contrast, FALS-associated SOD1 mutants promote, rather than inhibit, neural apoptosis, in a dominant fashion, despite the fact that these mutants retain enzymatic SOD activity both in yeast and in mammalian neural cells. The results dissociate the SOD activity of FALS-associated mutants from the induction of neural cell death, suggesting that FALS associated with mutations in SOD1 may not be simply the result of a decrease in the enzymatic function of CuZnSOD. Furthermore, the results provide an in vitro model that may help to define the mechanism by which FALS-associated SOD1 mutations lead to neural cell death.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗