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Apolipoprotein E, especially apolipoprotein E4, increases the oligomerization of amyloid β peptide
Hashimoto T, Serrano-Pozo A, Hori Y, Adams KW, Takeda S, Banerji AO, Mitani A, Joyner D et al.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2012-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder causing dementia. Massive deposition of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) as senile plaques in the brain is the pathological hallmark of AD, but oligomeric, soluble forms of Aβ have been implicated as the synaptotoxic component. The apolipoprotein E ε 4 (apoE ε4) allele is known to be a genetic risk factor for developing AD. However, it is still unknown how apoE impacts the process of Aβ oligomerization. Here, we found that the level of Aβ oligomers in APOE ε4/ε4 AD patient brains is 2.7 times higher than those in APOE ε3/ε3 AD patient brains, matched for total plaque burden, suggesting that apoE4 impacts the metabolism of Aβ oligomers. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of apoE on Aβ oligomer formation. Using both synthetic Aβ and a split-luciferase method for monitoring Aβ oligomers, we observed that apoE increased the level of Aβ oligomers in an isoform-dependent manner (E2 < E3 < E4). This effect appears to be dependent on the ApoE C-terminal domain. Moreover, these results were confirmed using endogenous apoE isolated from the TBS-soluble fraction of human brain, which increased the formation of Aβ oligomers. Together, these data show that lipidated apoE, especially apoE4, increases Aβ oligomers in the brain. Higher levels of Aβ oligomers in the brains of APOE ε4/ε4 carriers compared with APOE ε3/ε3 carriers may increase the loss of dendritic spines and accelerate memory impairments, leading to earlier cognitive decline in AD.
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APA 7th
Hashimoto, T., Serrano-Pozo, A., Hori, Y., Adams, K. W., Takeda, S., Banerji, A. O., et al. (2012). Apolipoprotein E, especially apolipoprotein E4, increases the oligomerization of amyloid β peptide. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.1542-12.2012
Vancouver
Hashimoto T, Serrano-Pozo A, Hori Y, Adams KW, Takeda S, Banerji AO, et al. Apolipoprotein E, especially apolipoprotein E4, increases the oligomerization of amyloid β peptide. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2012. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1542-12.2012. PMID: 23100439.
BibTeX
@article{hashimoto2012-23100439,
author = {Hashimoto, T. and Serrano-Pozo, A. and Hori, Y. and Adams, K. W. and Takeda, S. and Banerji, A. O. and Mitani, A. and Joyner, D. and others},
title = {{Apolipoprotein E, especially apolipoprotein E4, increases the oligomerization of amyloid β peptide}},
journal = {The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1523/jneurosci.1542-12.2012},
pmid = {23100439},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.1542-12.2012}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Here, we found that the level of Aβ oligomers in APOE ε4/ε4 AD patient brains is 2.7 times higher than those in APOE ε3/ε3 AD patient brains, matched for total plaque burden, suggesting that apoE4 impacts the metabolism of Aβ oligomers.
- Using both synthetic Aβ and a split-luciferase method for monitoring Aβ oligomers, we observed that apoE increased the level of Aβ oligomers in an isoform-dependent manner (E2 < E3 < E4).
- Moreover, these results were confirmed using endogenous apoE isolated from the TBS-soluble fraction of human brain, which increased the formation of Aβ oligomers.
- Higher levels of Aβ oligomers in the brains of APOE ε4/ε4 carriers compared with APOE ε3/ε3 carriers may increase the loss of dendritic spines and accelerate memory impairments, leading to earlier cognitive decline in AD.
Why it matters
This laboratory study found that apoE, especially apoE4, increases the formation of amyloid beta oligomers, and that APOE ε4/ε4 AD patient brains had higher levels of these oligomers than APOE ε3/ε3 brains. It identifies a possible mechanism linking a genetic risk factor to amyloid beta oligomerization but does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Journal of Neuroscience: journal h-index 651 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 298 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.6 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 17 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 69 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bradley T. Hyman: h-index 190 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Massachusetts General Hospital: institution h-index 2,057 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23100439) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1542-12.2012
- PubMed: 23100439
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neuroscience →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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