Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative dementia, for which the molecular origins, genetic predisposition and therapeutic approach are still debated. In the 1980s, cells from AD patients were reported to be sensitive to ionizing radiation. In order to examine the molecular basis of this radiosensitivity, the ATM-dependent DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) signaling and repair were investigated by applying an approach based on the radiation-induced ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) protein nucleoshuttling (RIANS) model. Early after irradiation, all ten AD fibroblast cell lines tested showed impaired DSB recognition and delayed RIANS. AD fibroblasts specifically showed spontaneous perinuclear localization of phosphorylated ATM (pATM) forms. To our knowledge, such observation has never been reported before, and by considering the role of the ATM kinase in the stress response, it may introduce a novel interpretation of accelerated aging. Our data and a mathematical approach through a brand-new model suggest that, in response to a progressive and cumulative stress, cytoplasmic ATM monomers phosphorylate the APOE protein (pAPOE) close to the nuclear membrane and aggregate around the nucleus, preventing their entry in the nucleus and thus the recognition and repair of spontaneous DSB, which contributes to the aging process. Our findings suggest that pATM and/or pAPOE may serve as biomarkers for an early reliable diagnosis of AD on any fibroblast sample.
Keywords: APOE; ATM; Alzheimer’s disease; DNA double-strand breaks; aging; fibroblasts; immunofluorescence; irradiation.