ABSTRACT
Oligodendrocyte progenitors (OPs) are a major proliferating cell population within the adult CNS. In response to myelin loss or increasing demand, OPs have the capacity to differentiate into mature, myelinating oligodendrocytes. The name 'oligodendrocyte progenitor' suggests restriction to the oligodendrocyte cell lineage. However, with growing evidence of the lineage plasticity of OPs both in vitro and in vivo, we discuss whether they have potential beyond that expected of dedicated progenitor cells, and hence may justify categorization as adult stem cells.
Subject(s)
Central Nervous System/cytology , Oligodendroglia/cytology , Stem Cells/cytology , Adult Stem Cells/cytology , Animals , Cell Differentiation/physiology , Central Nervous System/metabolism , Humans , Oligodendroglia/metabolism , Stem Cells/metabolismABSTRACT
The identification of the aspartic protease BACE1 (beta-secretase) was a defining event in research aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. This is because BACE1 catalyses the rate limiting step in the production of amyloid-beta (Abeta) the principal component of plaque pathology in AD, the excessive production of which is believed to be a primary cause of neurodegeneration, and cognitive dysfunction in AD. Subsequent discoveries showed that genetic deletion of BACE1 completely abolishes Abeta production and deposition in vivo, and that BACE1 activity is significantly increased in AD brain. In this review we present current knowledge on BACE1, discussing its structure, function and complex regulation with a view to understanding BACE1 function in the brain, and BACE1 as a target in blocking aberrant Abeta production in AD.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/enzymology , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/metabolism , Amyloid beta-Peptides/biosynthesis , Amino Acid Sequence , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/chemistry , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/genetics , Animals , Evolution, Molecular , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Substrate SpecificityABSTRACT
The insidious progression of AD (Alzheimer's disease) is believed to be linked closely to the production, accumulation and aggregation of the approximately 4.5 kDa protein fragment called Abeta (amyloid beta-peptide). Abeta is produced by sequential cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein by two enzymes referred to as beta- and gamma-secretase. beta-Secretase is of central importance, as it catalyses the rate-limiting step in the production of Abeta and was identified 7 years ago as BACE1 (beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1). Soon afterwards, its homologue BACE2 was discovered, and both proteins represent a new subclass of the aspartyl protease family. Studies examining the regulation and function of beta-secretase in the normal and AD brain are central to the understanding of excessive production of Abeta in AD, and in targeting and normalizing this beta-secretase process if it has gone awry in the disease. Several reports indicate this, showing increased beta-secretase activity in AD, with recent findings by our group showing changes in beta-secretase enzyme kinetics in AD brain caused by an increased V(max). This article gives a brief review of studies which have examined BACE1 protein levels and beta-secretase activity in control and AD brain, considering further the expression of BACE2 in the human brain.