Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.23.5 (cathepsin D)
4,130 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

With the rationale that the neuropathological similarities between scrapie and Alzheimer's disease reflect convergent pathological mechanisms involving altered gene expression, we set out to identify molecular events involved in both processes, using scrapie as a model to study the time course of these changes. We differentially screened a cDNA library constructed from scrapie-infected mice to identify mRNAs that increase or decrease during disease and discovered in this way two mRNAs that are increased in scrapie and Alzheimer's disease. These mRNAs were subsequently shown by sequence analysis to encode apolipoprotein E and cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5). Using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry to define the cellular and anatomic pathology of altered gene expression, we found that in both diseases the increase in apolipoprotein E and cathepsin D mRNAs and proteins occurred in activated astrocytes. In scrapie, the increase in gene expression occurred soon after the amyloid-forming abnormal isoform of the prion protein has been shown to accumulate in astrocytes. In Alzheimer's disease, the increased expression of cathepsin D also occurred in association with beta-amyloid. These studies reveal some of the molecular antecedents of neuropathological changes in scrapie and Alzheimer's disease and accord new prominence to the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative conditions.
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PMID:Neuropathological changes in scrapie and Alzheimer's disease are associated with increased expression of apolipoprotein E and cathepsin D in astrocytes. 187 Feb

To clarify the significance of the constituents of canine senile plaques (SPs) or cerebrovascular amyloid deposits, paraffin and cryostat sections of canine brains were examined by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against cathepsin B (CB), cathepsin D (CD), cystatin C (CC), alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), ubiquitin (Ubq), and apolipoprotein E (Apo E). On the cryostat sections, all types of canine SPs and cerebrovascular amyloid deposits in both arterioles and capillaries were positive for Apo E. On paraffin sections, the Apo E immunoreactivity of diffuse plaques was weak and varied according to the method of fixation or pretreatment before immunostaining. Moreover, amyloid plaques were found to contain several elements that were positive for CC, ACT, CD, and Ubq, and a subset of vascular amyloid deposits around cortical capillaries showed significant immunoreactivity for CD, CC, and ACT. In addition, vascular amyloid deposits in the arterioles showed moderate CD immunoreactivity and were intensely Apo E positive. No significant labeling of canine Sps or vascular amyloid deposits was detected when the antibodies against CB and HSP 70 were applied to the cryostat and paraffin sections. These results indicated that, of the constituents examined, Apo E might be most closely related to canine beta-amyloidosis in the early stage of this brain disorder.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical study of constituents other than beta-protein in canine senile plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. 908 60

The early endosome is the first vacuolar compartment along the endocytic pathway. It is the site of internalization and initial processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE), two proteins of etiological importance in Alzheimer's disease, and a putative site of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) formation. Here, we identify early endosomes in human pyramidal neurons, using specific compartmental markers and morphometry, and show that in Alzheimer's disease individual endosomes display up to 32-fold larger volumes than the normal average. Endosomal enlargement contributed to an average 2.5-fold larger total endosomal volume per neuron, implying a marked increase in endocytic activity. Endosomal alterations were evident in most pyramidal neurons in Alzheimer brain, detectable at early stages of the disease but absent in several other neurodegenerative disorders examined. In addition, mature and proenzyme forms of the proteases cathepsin B and cathepsin D, a candidate APP secretase, were identified in most early endosomes in Alzheimer brains but were detectable in only a minor proportion of endosomes in normal brain. Expression of the cation-dependent 46 kDa mannose 6-phosphate receptor was elevated in pyramidal neurons of Alzheimer brains, which could be a possible basis for the altered cathepsin trafficking pattern. Enhanced endocytic activity, coupled with increased trafficking to endosomes of proteases, which may have the ability under pathological conditions to generate Abeta, constitutes a potential mechanism by which beta-amyloidogenesis may become accelerated in sporadic AD and also be subject to influences by ApoE.
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PMID:Increased neuronal endocytosis and protease delivery to early endosomes in sporadic Alzheimer's disease: neuropathologic evidence for a mechanism of increased beta-amyloidogenesis. 923 26

To understand the retinal changes in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients, pathological and immunocytochemical studies were performed on retinal cells in the chloroquine-treated rats at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks after the initial injection, using anti-amyloid precursor protein (APP), -amyloid beta protein (A beta), -apolipoprotein E (apoE), -ubiquitin, and -cathepsin D antibodies. Pathological alterations consistent with chloroquine retinopathy were recognized in the ganglion cells of the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and the inner plexiform layer (IPL) 4 weeks after initial chloroquine injection. Rat retinal changes appear to have a direct relationship to the duration of chloroquine administration. Intense immunoreactivities for anti-APP, A beta, apoE (an associated protein), and ubiquitin co-localized in the swollen ganglion cells and Muller cells by 20-24 weeks together with the lysosomal enzyme cathepsin D. The present data indicate that the endosomal/lysosomal pathway plays an important role in the processing of APP in rat retina. This experimental model is considered to be a suitable neural model to understand retinal pathology and the processing of APP in terms of the pathogenesis of AD, whereas chloroquine-induced myopathy is a useful extra neuronal model.
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PMID:Amyloid precursor protein, A beta and amyloid-associated proteins involved in chloroquine retinopathy in rats--immunopathological studies. 929 26

The beta amyloid peptide derives from its precursor protein via proteolytic cleavage of yet unidentified proteases (beta- and gamma-secretases). Cathepsin D is an intracellular protease with in-vitro beta-secretase-like features. An exonic polymorphism of the cathepsin D gene (alanine to valine transition at position 224, exon 2) has been associated with altered enzyme function. We tested the hypothesis that this polymorphism is associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease in 102 demented patients, 191 healthy subjects, and 160 depressed patients. There was a highly significant overrepresentation of the cathepsin D*T allele in demented patients (14.2%) compared to non-demented controls (6.7%, P = 0.0012). Carriers of the cathepsin D*T allele had a 2.4-fold increased risk for developing AD than non-carriers. Carriers of the apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele had a 4.1 -fold increased risk than non-carriers. The odds ratio for subjects with the apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 and the cathepsin D*T allele was 5.9. Our data suggest that the cathepsin D genotype is strongly associated with the risk for Alzheimer's disease.
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PMID:Genetic polymorphism of cathepsin D is strongly associated with the risk for developing sporadic Alzheimer's disease. 1021 83

A mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP/RK) designed to interfere with processing by alpha-secretase caused a severe phenotype in transgenic mice, including behavioural abnormalities, i.e. neophobia, aggression, hypersensitivity to kainic acid, hyposensitivity to N-methyl-D-aspartate, and premature death [Moechars D. et al. (1996) Eur. molec. Biol. Org. J. 15, 1265-1274]. We now demonstrated that the APP/RK transgene did not disturb the expression of several other genes, i.e. endogenous amyloid precursor protein and amyloid precursor protein-like proteins, members of the low density lipoprotein receptor lipoprotein receptor family and several of their ligands, including apolipoprotein E, but expression of alpha-2-macroglobulin was never detected. Neither amyloid deposits nor neurofibrillary tangles were detected in the brain of APP/RK transgenic mice, even when 15-months-old. The tendency for seizures and hyposensitivity for N-methyl-D-aspartate was not due to or reflected in the distribution of the three major types of glutamate receptors. The major and consistent finding in transgenic APP/RK mice that died prematurely was extensive neurodegeneration and apoptosis, mainly in hippocampus and cortex, and accompanied by astrocytosis throughout the brain. Reduced synaptic density and dendritic damage was only observed in three transgenic mice that were killed shortly after positive observation of seizures. In addition, the distribution of cathepsin D and ubiquitin was abnormal in these mice.
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PMID:Premature death in transgenic mice that overexpress a mutant amyloid precursor protein is preceded by severe neurodegeneration and apoptosis. 1039 65

The association of the E4 isoform of apolipoprotein E (apoE) as a genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been well established. Central nervous system (CNS) neurons are specifically affected so that defining the mechanisms by which two of the major human apoE isoforms act within CNS neurons is important to our understanding of their effect on neuronal maintenance and function. We have developed a cell culture model using human brain tissue to characterize exogenous apoE transport. We have tracked the association of apoE3 and E4 with CD63, the GTP-binding protein rab5a and the acidic hydrolase cathepsin D, which localize lysosomes, early endosomes, and late endosomes/lysosomes, respectively. Double immunostaining and confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed by z-series that after 30 min most intraneuronal apoE colocalized with rab5a, whereas no astrocyte apoE/rab5a colocalization was detected. Conversely, apoE3 and CD63 did not colocalize in neurons, even after 1 h, but was colocalized in astrocytes. Also, there was approximately 9% apoE3 colocalization with cathepsin D in neurons, whereas up to 87% of apoE4 vesicles were colocalized. In astrocytes, the proportion of apoE3 colocalized with cathepsin D was greater than that in neurons, but still significantly different from that found with apoE4. These immunohistological data demonstrate that, in neurons, apoE can be endocytosed via a rab5a-regulated vesicle-mediated pathway and that beyond this stage there may be isoform specific differences in apoE trafficking present in both neurons and astrocytes.
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PMID:The endosomal trafficking of apolipoprotein E3 and E4 in cultured human brain neurons and astrocytes. 1116 42

Cells cultured from Alzheimer disease leptomeninges or skin were grafted into the cortex of adult thymectomized rats. At 3 days post-implant, plaque-like aggregates were found in the cortex, corpus callosum, septum and caudate nucleus. These structures were immunopositive for human amyloid precursor protein (APP), human amyloid beta peptide (Abeta), cathepsin D, apolipoprotein E and ubiquitin. Aberrant tau+ neurites, reactive astrocytes and microglia were associated with many aggregates. Although birefringent amyloid occupied the central area of most aggregates, these structures had disappeared by l month post-implant. Abeta and APP produced by grafted non-neural human cells can penetrate rat brain and form plaque-like structures, which can be effectively cleared by the rat.
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PMID:Transient appearance of amyloid precursor protein plaques in the brain of thymectomized rats after human leptomeningeal cell grafts. 1195 44

As Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex disease, we decided to estimate how previously reported genetic polymorphisms interact to increase the risk for the disease. Five candidate genes were chosen: apolipoprotein E (APOE), alpha 2-macroglobulin, cathepsin D, myeloperoxidase and nitric oxide synthase. Genotyping was performed in 100 cases of late-onset AD and 100 healthy controls. We found a highly significant difference in APOE epsilon 4 distribution between groups (P<0.005). However, no evidence of association for other studied loci was found. Cumulative analysis of five genetic polymorphisms was performed, but it also failed to reveal any synergistic effect of candidate genes greater than that caused by APOE itself. Our results suggest that the APOE epsilon 4 allele is the only known genetic risk factor for late-onset, sporadic AD.
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PMID:Simultaneous analysis of five genetic risk factors in Polish patients with Alzheimer's disease. 1278 37

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia in elderly people. Different pathological pathways have been involved in the development of late-onset AD. Among them, numerous genes have been proposed as pathogenetic factors acting independently or interactively. It has been suggested that the cathepsin D gene (CTSD) is associated with late-onset AD. We analyzed an exonic polymorphism of the CTSD gene [C-->T (Ala-->Val) transition at position 224] in 142 AD patients and 120 controls. Our data indicate no significant association between this polymorphism and the risk of AD. Likewise there was no association between CTSD polymorphism and the apolipoprotein E genotype in the risk of developing AD.
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PMID:Cathepsin D polymorphism in Italian elderly subjects with sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease. 1282 41


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