Apolipoprotein E associates with beta amyloid peptide of Alzheimer's disease to form novel monofibrils. Isoform apoE4 associates more efficiently than apoE3. (original) (raw)

Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI117407

K H Weisgraber, S J Russell, R W Mahley, D Huang, A Saunders, D Schmechel, T Wisniewski, B Frangione, and A D Roses

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Sanan, D. in:[JCI](/search/results?q=author.first%5Fname%3A%22D A%22+author.last%5Fname%3A%22Sanan%22&search%5Ftype=advanced) |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Weisgraber, K. in:[JCI](/search/results?q=author.first%5Fname%3A%22K H%22+author.last%5Fname%3A%22Weisgraber%22&search%5Ftype=advanced) |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Russell, S. in:[JCI](/search/results?q=author.first%5Fname%3A%22S J%22+author.last%5Fname%3A%22Russell%22&search%5Ftype=advanced) |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Mahley, R. in:[JCI](/search/results?q=author.first%5Fname%3A%22R W%22+author.last%5Fname%3A%22Mahley%22&search%5Ftype=advanced) |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Huang, D. in:JCI |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Saunders, A. in:JCI |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Schmechel, D. in:JCI |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Wisniewski, T. in:JCI |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Frangione, B. in:JCI |PubMed |Google Scholar

Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco, California 94141-9100.

Find articles by Roses, A. in:[JCI](/search/results?q=author.first%5Fname%3A%22A D%22+author.last%5Fname%3A%22Roses%22&search%5Ftype=advanced) |PubMed |Google Scholar

Published August 1, 1994 -More info

Published August 1, 1994 -Version history

View PDF

Abstract

Late-onset and sporadic Alzheimer's disease are associated with the apolipoprotein E (apoE) type 4 allele expressing the protein isoform apoE4. Apolipoprotein E binds avidly to beta amyloid (A beta) peptide, a major component of senile plaque of Alzheimer's disease, in an isoform-specific manner. The apoE4 isoform binds to A beta peptide more rapidly than apoE3. We observed that soluble SDS-stable complexes of apoE3 or apoE4, formed by coincubation with A beta peptide, precipitated after several days of incubation at 37 degrees C with apoE4 complexes precipitating more rapidly than apoE3 complexes. A beta(1-28) and A beta(1-40) peptides were incubated in the presence or absence of apoE3, apoE4, or bovine serum albumin for 4 d at 37 degrees C (pH 7.3). Negative stain electron microscopy revealed that the A beta peptide alone self-assembled into twisted ribbons containing two or three strands but occasionally into multistranded sheets. The apoE/A beta coincubates yielded monofibrils 7 nm in diameter. ApoE4/A beta coincubates yielded a denser matrix of monofibrils than apoE3/A beta coincubates. Unlike purely monofibrillar apoE4/A beta coincubates, apoE3/A beta coincubates also contained double- and triple-stranded structures. Both apoE isoforms were shown by immunogold labeling to be uniformly distributed along the A beta peptide monofibrils. Monofibrils appeared earlier in apoE4/A beta than in apoE3/A beta in time-course experiments. Thus apoE3 and apoE4 each interact with beta amyloid peptide to form novel monofibrillar structures, apoE4 more avidly, a finding consistent with the biochemical and genetic association between apoE4 and Alzheimer's disease.

Images.

Browse pages

Click on an image below to see the page. View PDF of the complete article

Version history