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. 1996 Feb 1;15(3):498–509.

Expression of V642 APP mutant causes cellular apoptosis as Alzheimer trait-linked phenotype.

T Yamatsuji 1, T Okamoto 1, S Takeda 1, Y Murayama 1, N Tanaka 1, I Nishimoto 1
PMCID: PMC449968  PMID: 8599933

Abstract

APP is a transmembrane precursor of beta-amyloid. In dominantly inherited familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), point mutations V6421, V642F and V642G have been discovered in APP695. Here we show that expression of these mutants (FAD-APPs) causes a clone of COS cells to undergo apoptosis associated with DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis by the three FAD-APPs was the highest among all possible V642 mutants; normal APP695 had no effect on apoptosis, suggesting that apoptosis by APP mutants in this system is phenotypically linked to the FAD trait. FAD-APP-induced apoptosis was sensitive to bcl-2 and most probably mediated by heteromeric G proteins. This study presents a model system allowing analysis of the mechanism for FAD-APP-induced cytotoxicity.

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