Immunolocalization of an amino-terminal fragment of apolipoprotein E in the Pick's disease brain.

Abstract

Although the risk factor for apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been well described, the role that apoE plays in other neurodegenerative diseases, including Pick's disease, is not well established. To examine a possible role of apoE in Pick's disease, an immunohistochemical analysis was performed utilizing a novel site-directed antibody that is specific for an amino-terminal fragment of apoE. Application of this antibody, termed the amino-terminal apoE cleavage fragment (nApoECF) antibody, consistently labeled Pick bodies within area CA1 of the hippocampus in 4 of the 5 cases examined. Co-localization of the nApoECF antibody with PHF-1, a general marker for Pick bodies, as well as with an antibody to caspase-cleaved tau (TauC3) was evident within the hippocampus. While staining of the nApoECF antibody was robust in area CA1, little co-localization with PHF-1 in Pick bodies within the dentate gyrus was observed. A quantitative analysis indicated that approximately 86% of the Pick bodies identified in area CA1 labeled with the nApoECF antibody. The presence of truncated apoE within Pick bodies suggests a broader role of apoE beyond AD and raises the question as to whether this protein contributes to pathogenesis associated with Pick's disease.

• Authors: Troy T Rohn, Ryan J Day, Lindsey W Catlin, Raquel J Brown, Alexander J Rajic, Wayne W Poon
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 8 Issue 12 Pg. e80180 ( 2013) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24312462 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• Apolipoproteins E

Topics

• Apolipoproteins E (metabolism)
• CA1 Region, Hippocampal (metabolism, pathology)
• Dentate Gyrus (metabolism, pathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Pick Disease of the Brain (metabolism, pathology)