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44/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 44 out of 100. Risk genes beyond APOE

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Memapsin 2 (BACE, beta-secretase) is a membrane-associated aspartic protease that initiates the hydrolysis of beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) leading to the production of amyloid-beta (A beta) and the progression of Alzheimer disease. Both memapsin 2 and APP are transported from the cell surface to endosomes where APP is cleaved by memapsin 2. We described previously that the cytosolic domain of memapsin 2 contains an acid cluster-dileucine motif (ACDL) that binds the VHS (Vps-27, Hrs, and STAM) domain of Golgi-localized gamma-ear-containing ARF-binding (GGA) proteins (He, X., Zhu, G., Koelsch, G., Rodgers, K.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

This laboratory study found that GGA proteins colocalize with memapsin 2 (BACE) in the trans-Golgi network and endosomes and help mediate its recycling pathway. It describes basic cell biology of the beta-secretase and does not test any treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

He, X., Li, F., Chang, W. P., & Tang, J. (2005). GGA proteins mediate the recycling pathway of memapsin 2 (BACE). The Journal of biological chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m411296200

Vancouver

He X, Li F, Chang WP, Tang J. GGA proteins mediate the recycling pathway of memapsin 2 (BACE). The Journal of biological chemistry. 2005. doi:10.1074/jbc.m411296200. PMID: 15615712.

BibTeX

@article{he2005-15615712,
  author  = {He, X. and Li, F. and Chang, W. P. and Tang, J.},
  title   = {{GGA proteins mediate the recycling pathway of memapsin 2 (BACE)}},
  journal = {The Journal of biological chemistry},
  year    = {2005},
  doi     = {10.1074/jbc.m411296200},
  pmid    = {15615712},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m411296200}
}

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How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record gives no participant count. Look for one in the original before trusting a pattern.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

Both memapsin 2 and APP are transported from the cell surface to endosomes where APP is cleaved by memapsin 2.
We described previously that the cytosolic domain of memapsin 2 contains an acid cluster-dileucine motif (ACDL) that binds the VHS (Vps-27, Hrs, and STAM) domain of Golgi-localized gamma-ear-containing ARF-binding (GGA) proteins (He, X., Zhu, G., Koelsch, G., Rodgers, K.
Here we report that GGA proteins colocalize in the trans-Golgi network and endosomes with memapsin 2 and a memapsin 2 chimera containing a cytosolic domain of a mannose-6-phosphate receptor.
Depleting cellular GGA proteins with RNA interference or mutation of serine 498 to stop the phosphorylation of ACDL resulted in the accumulation of memapsin 2 in early endosomes.

Why it matters

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 44/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of biological chemistry)
Journal's citation record	4 / 4	Journal of Biological Chemistry: journal h-index 780 (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	2005 — older than 20 years, still counted
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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 228 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	9.9 citations a year over 23 year(s) since 2005
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 4.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 5 other studies in this library
Still being cited	1 / 4	Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Jordan Tang: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Oklahoma: institution h-index 716 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 15615712)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	44 / 100	—

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