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Hydrogenation of oils and diary products of ruminant animals leads to an increasing amount of trans fatty acids in the human diet. Trans fatty acids are incorporated in several lipids and accumulate in the membrane of cells. Here we systematically investigate whether the regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is affected by trans fatty acids compared to the cis conformation. Our experiments clearly show that trans fatty acids compared to cis fatty acids increase amyloidogenic and decrease nonamyloidogenic processing of APP, resulting in an increased production of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, main components of senile plaques, which are a characteristic neuropathological hallmark for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, our results show that oligomerization and aggregation of Aβ are increased by trans fatty acids. The mechanisms identified by this in vitro study suggest that the intake of trans fatty acids potentially increases the AD risk or causes an earlier onset of the disease.

Lipids play an important role as risk or protective factors in Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by amyloid plaques composed of aggregated amyloid-beta. Plasmalogens are major brain lipids and controversially discussed to be altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and whether changes in plasmalogens are cause or consequence of AD pathology. Here, we reveal a new physiological function of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in plasmalogen metabolism. The APP intracellular domain was found in vivo and in vitro to increase the expression of the alkyl-dihydroxyacetonephosphate-synthase (AGPS), a rate limiting enzyme in plasmalogen synthesis. Alterations in APP dependent changes of AGPS expression result in reduced protein and plasmalogen levels. Under the pathological situation of AD, increased amyloid-beta level lead to increased reactive oxidative species production, reduced AGPS protein and plasmalogen level. Accordingly, phosphatidylethanol plasmalogen was decreased in the frontal cortex of AD compared to age matched controls. Our findings elucidate that plasmalogens are decreased as a consequence of AD and regulated by APP processing under physiological conditions.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, which affects more than 35 million people worldwide, is characterized by a massive accumulation of tangles and amyloid plaques. Several risk factors linked to lipid homeostasis have been identified. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), which also has a strong impact in coronary artery disease, is besides aging the most prominent risk factor in sporadic AD. High levels of lipoproteins and cholesterol increase the risk of AD and some cholesterol lowering drugs like statins seem to correlate with a reduced risk for dementia. Moreover, cholesterol increases amyloid beta (Abeta) production, which is derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by proteolytic processing. Beside cholesterol, other lipids that strongly modulate APP processing could be identified and interestingly the APP cleavage products itself regulate lipid homeostasis resulting in complex regulatory feedback cycles. Here, we review the mechanistic link of cholesterol and sphingolipid homeostasis and APP processing and the consequence of this bidirectional link for and in AD. Although cholesterol is the best studied brain lipid in AD, many other lipids are involved in the Abeta-lipid regulatory system and some of these lipids exceed the cholesterol effect on Abeta production [1-5]. This involvement is bidirectional. On the one hand, lipids control APP processing and, on the other hand, APP processing controls the levels of several key lipids [6, 7]. Beside the physiological function of APP processing in lipid homeostasis, under pathological conditions like AD, these regulating (feedback-) cycles are dysfunctional. Additionally, mutual influence of lipids and APP processing raises the question if altered lipid homeostasis is the cause or consequence of AD.

Alzheimer disease is characterized by accumulation of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) generated by β- and γ-secretase processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The intake of the polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been associated with decreased amyloid deposition and a reduced risk in Alzheimer disease in several epidemiological trials; however, the exact underlying molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we systematically investigate the effect of DHA on amyloidogenic and nonamyloidogenic APP processing and the potential cross-links to cholesterol metabolism in vivo and in vitro. DHA reduces amyloidogenic processing by decreasing β- and γ-secretase activity, whereas the expression and protein levels of BACE1 and presenilin1 remain unchanged. In addition, DHA increases protein stability of α-secretase resulting in increased nonamyloidogenic processing. Besides the known effect of DHA to decrease cholesterol de novo synthesis, we found cholesterol distribution in plasma membrane to be altered. In the presence of DHA, cholesterol shifts from raft to non-raft domains, and this is accompanied by a shift in γ-secretase activity and presenilin1 protein levels. Taken together, DHA directs amyloidogenic processing of APP toward nonamyloidogenic processing, effectively reducing Aβ release. DHA has a typical pleiotropic effect; DHA-mediated Aβ reduction is not the consequence of a single major mechanism but is the result of combined multiple effects.

Lipids play an important role as risk or protective factors in Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by amyloid plaques composed of aggregated amyloid-beta. Plasmalogens are major brain lipids and controversially discussed to be altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and whether changes in plasmalogens are cause or consequence of AD pathology. Here, we reveal a new physiological function of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in plasmalogen metabolism. The APP intracellular domain was found in vivo and in vitro to increase the expression of the alkyl-dihydroxyacetonephosphate-synthase (AGPS), a rate limiting enzyme in plasmalogen synthesis. Alterations in APP dependent changes of AGPS expression result in reduced protein and plasmalogen levels. Under the pathological situation of AD, increased amyloid-beta level lead to increased reactive oxidative species production, reduced AGPS protein and plasmalogen level. Accordingly, phosphatidylethanol plasmalogen was decreased in the frontal cortex of AD compared to age matched controls. Our findings elucidate that plasmalogens are decreased as a consequence of AD and regulated by APP processing under physiological conditions.

Lipids play an important role as risk or protective factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD), a disease biochemically characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides (Aβ), released by proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Changes in sphingolipid metabolism have been associated to the development of AD. The key enzyme in sphingolipidde novosynthesis is serine-palmitoyl-CoA transferase (SPT). In the present study we identified a new physiological function of APP in sphingolipid synthesis. The APP intracellular domain (AICD) was found to decrease the expression of the SPT subunit SPTLC2, the catalytic subunit of the SPT heterodimer, resulting in that decreased SPT activity. AICD function was dependent on Fe65 and SPTLC2 levels are increased in APP knock-in mice missing a functional AICD domain. SPTLC2 levels are also increased in familial and sporadic ADpostmortembrains, suggesting that SPT is involved in AD pathology.