Early intraneuronal accumulation and increased aggregation of phosphorylated Abeta in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Acta Neuropathol. 2013 May;125(5):699-709. doi: 10.1007/s00401-013-1107-8. Epub 2013 Mar 24.

Abstract

The progressive accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques in the brain is a common hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We recently identified a novel species of Aβ phosphorylated at serine residue 8 with increased propensity to form toxic aggregates as compared to non-phosphorylated species. The age-dependent analysis of Aβ depositions using novel monoclonal phosphorylation-state specific antibodies revealed that phosphorylated Aβ variants accumulate first inside of neurons in a mouse model of AD already at 2 month of age. At higher ages, phosphorylated Aβ is also abundantly detected in extracellular plaques. Besides a large overlap in the spatiotemporal deposition of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated Aβ species, fractionized extraction of Aβ from brains revealed an increased accumulation of phosphorylated Aβ in oligomeric assemblies as compared to non-phosphorylated Aβ in vivo. Thus, phosphorylated Aβ could represent an important species in the formation and stabilization of neurotoxic aggregates, and might be targeted for AD therapy and diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Plaque, Amyloid / metabolism*
  • Plaque, Amyloid / pathology*

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides