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Alzheimer's Risk Gene Impairs Development of New Neurons: Study

by Colleen Fleiss on Jul 31 2018 9:33 AM

Alzheimer
Critical role of the Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) risk gene in the proper development of adult-born neurons in the hippocampus has been demonstrated by scientists and published in eNeuro.
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is among the genes that regulate ongoing generation of neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. A variant of this gene called ApoE4 -- present in 10 to 20 percent of the human population -- is also associated with the development of late-onset AD.

Investigating the effects of ApoE on adult neurogenesis, Tzong-Shiue Yu, Steven Kernie, and colleagues found reduced complexity of the dendrites of adult-born neurons in mice with genetically silenced ApoE compared to unaltered mice, as well as in those expressing ApoE4 compared to ApoE3-expressing mice -- ApoE3, the most common variant found in humans, is not associated with disease risk. These findings suggest a potential explanation for the increased risk of neuropsychiatric diseases involving the hippocampus, including AD, among ApoE4 carriers.

Source-Eurekalert


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