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- CLINICA NEUROL, 44: 768|770, 2004
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The 45th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology
Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: implications from amyloid research front
Takeshi Iwatsubo, M.D.
Department of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo
Deposition of amyloid β peptides as senile plaques is a hallmark lesion of Alzheimer's disease that is implicated in its pathogenesis. Aβ is produced from amyloid precursor protein by sequential cleavages by β- and γ-secretases. γ-Secretase is a membrane protease complex harboring presenilin as a catalytic subunit. Recent studies revealed how presenilin is assembled with its cofactor proteins and acquires the γ-secretase activity: Aph-1 and nicastrin initially form a subcomplex to bind and stabilize presenilin, and then Pen-2 confers the γ-secretase activity and facilitates endoproteolysis of presenilin. Understanding the mechanism of γ-secretase cleavage will help to clarify how intercellular cell signaling through transmembrane proteins are regulated by intramembrane proteolysis, and eventually to cure Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting secretases.
(CLINICA NEUROL, 44: 768|770, 2004)
key words: Alzheimer's disease, β-amyloid, Aβ, presenilin, γ-secretase
(Received: 12-May-04)