Alzheimer's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alzheimer's Disease, including details on diagnosis, memory loss, heredity, treatment, medication.

Protein quality control in Alzheimer's disease by the ubiquitin proteasome system.

de Vrij FM, Fischer DF, van Leeuwen FW, Hol EM

Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Graduate School for Neurosciences, Meibergdreef 33, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. f.devrij@erasmusmc.nl

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is the major protein quality control system in eukaryotic cells. Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by aggregates and inclusions of aberrant proteins, implying a sub-optimal functioning or defective UPS. The last few years have seen increasing evidence for the involvement of the UPS in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Notably, decreases in proteasome activity were detected in several cortical areas in AD patients. In addition, proteins that accumulate in the classical hallmarks of AD were linked to UPS function. This review specifically discusses the involvement of the UPS in AD pathogenesis. First, a detailed overview of the UPS is presented, after which AD pathology and its relation to the UPS is discussed.

Published 7 December 2004 in Prog Neurobiol, 74(5): 249-70.
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