Increased expression of the amyloid precursor beta-secretase in Alzheimer's disease

R M Damian Holsinger; Catriona A McLean; Konrad Beyreuther; Colin L Masters; Geneviève Evin

doi:10.1002/ana.10208

Increased expression of the amyloid precursor beta-secretase in Alzheimer's disease

Ann Neurol. 2002 Jun;51(6):783-6. doi: 10.1002/ana.10208.

Authors

R M Damian Holsinger¹, Catriona A McLean, Konrad Beyreuther, Colin L Masters, Geneviève Evin

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pathology, Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.

PMID: 12112088
DOI: 10.1002/ana.10208

Abstract

Beta-secretase cleavage represents the first step in the generation of Abeta polypeptides and initiates the amyloid cascade that leads to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. By comparative Western blot analysis, we show a 2.7-fold increase in protein expression of the beta-secretase enzyme BACE in the brain cortex of Alzheimer's disease patients as compared to age-matched controls. Similarly, we found the levels of the amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragment produced by beta-secretase to be increased by nearly twofold in Alzheimer's disease cortex.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease / enzymology*
Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
Cerebral Cortex / enzymology*
Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
Endopeptidases / genetics
Endopeptidases / metabolism*
Humans
Middle Aged
RNA, Messenger / genetics
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

RNA, Messenger
Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
Endopeptidases
Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
BACE1 protein, human