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Mol Psychiatry
Published

Familial Alzheimer's disease patient-derived neurons reveal distinct mutation-specific effects on amyloid beta.

Authors

Charles Arber, Jamie Toombs, Christopher Lovejoy, Natalie S Ryan, Ross W Paterson, Nanet Willumsen, Eleni Gkanatsiou, Erik Portelius, Kaj Blennow, Amanda Heslegrave, Jonathan M Schott, John Hardy, Tammaryn Lashley, Nick C Fox, Henrik Zetterberg, Selina Wray

Abstract

Familial Alzheimer's disease (fAD) mutations alter amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleavage by γ-secretase, increasing the proportion of longer amyloidogenic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides. Using five control induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines and seven iPSC lines generated from fAD patients, we investigated the effects of mutations on the Aβ secretome in human neurons generated in 2D and 3D. We also analysed matched CSF, post-mortem brain tissue, and iPSCs from the same participant with the APP V717I mutation. All fAD mutation lines demonstrated an increased Aβ42:40 ratio relative to controls, yet displayed varied signatures for Aβ43, Aβ38, and short Aβ fragments. We propose four qualitatively distinct mechanisms behind raised Aβ42:40. (1) APP V717I mutations alter γ-secretase cleavage site preference. Whereas, distinct presenilin 1 (PSEN1) mutations lead to either (2) reduced γ-secretase activity, (3) altered protein stability or (4) reduced PSEN1 maturation, all culminating in reduced γ-secretase carboxypeptidase-like activity. These data support Aβ mechanistic tenets in a human physiological model and substantiate iPSC-neurons for modelling fAD.

PMID:30980041 | DOI:

UK DRI Authors

Amanda Heslegrave

Dr Amanda Heslegrave

Principal Research Fellow

Co-leading the UK DRI Biomarker Factory platform based at UK DRI at UCL

Dr Amanda Heslegrave
John Hardy

Prof Sir John Hardy

Group Leader

Harnessing genetics to build a better understanding of dementia

Prof Sir John Hardy
Profile picture of Henrik Zetterberg

Prof Henrik Zetterberg

Group Leader

Pioneering the development of fluid biomarkers for dementia

Prof Henrik Zetterberg
Selina Wray

Prof Selina Wray

UK DRI Co-investigator

Professor of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL

Prof Selina Wray