Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neuroscience

Donald Price

 

This diagram depicts holo-APP and the pro- and anti-amyloidogenic cleavages. Note APP is single pass transmembrane protein and location of Abeta peptide. Neurons are rich in APP and have a relatively high content of BACE1, which makes an N-terminal cleavage critical in the genesis of the Ab peptide. Gene targeting of BACE1 by Drs. Cai and Wong has shown that this activity is critical if neurons are to secrete the amyloid peptide. The results indicate that BACE1 is a very promising target for anti-Abeta therapy.


© 2005 Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine