Niemann Pick type C cells show cholesterol dependent decrease of APP expression at the cell surface its increased processing through the beta-secretase pathway
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010 May 18. [Epub ahead of print]
| Authors/Editors: |
Malnar M Kosicek M Mitterreiter S Omerbasic D Goate A Hecimovic S |
|---|---|
| Publication Date: | 2010 |
| Type of Publication: | Journal Article |
The link between cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease has recently been revealed in Niemann Pick type C disease. We found that NPC1(-/-) cells show decreased expression of APP at the cell surface and increased processing of APP through the beta-secretase pathway resulting in increased C99, sAPPbeta and intracellular Abeta40 levels. This effect is dependent on increased cholesterol levels, since cholesterol depletion reversed cell surface APP expression and lowered Abeta/C99 levels in NPC1(-/-) cells to the levels observed in wt cells. Finding that overexpression of C99, a direct gamma-secretase substrate, does not lead to increased intracellular Abeta levels in NPC1(-/-) cells vs. CHOwt suggests that the effect on intracellular Abeta upon cholesterol accumulation in NPC1(-/-) cells is not due to increased APP cleavage by gamma-secretase. Our results indicate that cholesterol may modulate APP processing indirectly by modulating APP expression at the cell surface and, thus, its cleavage by beta-secretase. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.
