1. Apolipoprotein E aggregation in microglia initiates Alzheimer's disease pathology by seeding β-amyloidosis.
- Author
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Kaji S, Berghoff SA, Spieth L, Schlaphoff L, Sasmita AO, Vitale S, Büschgens L, Kedia S, Zirngibl M, Nazarenko T, Damkou A, Hosang L, Depp C, Kamp F, Scholz P, Ewers D, Giera M, Ischebeck T, Wurst W, Wefers B, Schifferer M, Willem M, Nave KA, Haass C, Arzberger T, Jäkel S, Wirths O, Saher G, and Simons M
- Subjects
- Animals, Mice, Humans, Signal Transduction, Plaque, Amyloid metabolism, Plaque, Amyloid pathology, Brain metabolism, Brain pathology, Disease Models, Animal, Lipid Metabolism, Protein Aggregation, Pathological, STAT Transcription Factors metabolism, Janus Kinases metabolism, Alzheimer Disease metabolism, Alzheimer Disease pathology, Microglia metabolism, Mice, Transgenic, Amyloid beta-Peptides metabolism, Amyloidosis metabolism, Amyloidosis pathology, Amyloidosis genetics, Apolipoproteins E metabolism, Apolipoproteins E genetics
- Abstract
The seeded growth of pathogenic protein aggregates underlies the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but how this pathological cascade is initiated is not fully understood. Sporadic AD is linked genetically to apolipoprotein E (APOE) and other genes expressed in microglia related to immune, lipid, and endocytic functions. We generated a transgenic knockin mouse expressing HaloTag-tagged APOE and optimized experimental protocols for the biochemical purification of APOE, which enabled us to identify fibrillary aggregates of APOE in mice with amyloid-β (Aβ) amyloidosis and in human AD brain autopsies. These APOE aggregates that stained positive for β sheet-binding dyes triggered Aβ amyloidosis within the endo-lysosomal system of microglia, in a process influenced by microglial lipid metabolism and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Taking these observations together, we propose a model for the onset of Aβ amyloidosis in AD, suggesting that the endocytic uptake and aggregation of APOE by microglia can initiate Aβ plaque formation., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests C.H. has collaboration contract with Denali for the development of TREM2 agonists., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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