Cited by 386Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

The innate immunity protein IFITM3 modulates γ-secretase in Alzheimer’s disease

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Hur, Ji-Yeun, Frost, Georgia R., Wu, Xianzhong, Crump, Christina, Pan, Si Jia, Wong, Eitan, Barros, Marilia, Li, Thomas +23 more·2020·Nature

Abstract

Innate immunity is associated with Alzheimer's disease 1, but the influence of immune activation on the production of amyloid-β is unknown 2,3. Here we identify interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) as a γ-secretase modulatory protein, and establish a mechanism by which inflammation affects the generation of amyloid-β. Inflammatory cytokines induce the expression of IFITM3 in neurons and astrocytes, which binds to γ-secretase and upregulates its activity, thereby increasing the production of amyloid-β. The expression of IFITM3 is increased with ageing and in mouse models that express familial Alzheimer's disease genes. Furthermore, knockout of IFITM3 reduces γ-secretase activity and the formation of amyloid plaques in a transgenic mouse model (5xFAD) of early amyloid deposition. IFITM3 protein is upregulated in tissue samples from a subset of patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease that exhibit higher γ-secretase activity. The amount of IFITM3 in the γ-secretase complex has a strong and positive correlation with γ-secretase activity in samples from patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. These findings reveal a mechanism in which γ-secretase is modulated by neuroinflammation via IFITM3 and the risk of Alzheimer's disease is thereby increased.

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  • Activated microglia may be involved in generation of Aβ plaque by increasing secretion of Aβ fragments; inducing IFITM3; or releasing iron which enhances aggregation of soluble β-amyloid.

    “Activated microglia may be involved in the generation of Aβ plaque by increasing the secretion of Aβ fragments; inducing the expression of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3), a γ-secretase modulatory protein; or releasing agents such as iron, which enhances the aggregation of soluble β-amyloid.37–39”

    From Role of neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration development (2023) · cites this paper as [39]

  • Brain inflammation can trigger deposition of pathological amyloid proteins via upregulation of IFITM3.

    “Brain inflammation can also trigger deposition of pathological amyloid proteins via upregulation of interferon‐induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3). 104”

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  1. [53]Placanica L Pen2 and presenilin-1 modulate the dynamic equilibrium of presenilin-1 and presenilin-2 gamma-secretase complexes. J Biol Chem 284, 2967– 2977, doi: 10.1074/jbc.M807269200 (2009). 19036728 PMC2631949 · DOI
  2. [59]Zhang B Integrated systems approach identifies genetic nodes and networks in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Cell 153, 707– 720, doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.03.030 (2013). 23622250 PMC3677161 · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Hur, J.-Y., Frost, G. R., Wu, X., Crump, C., Pan, S. J., Wong, E., Barros, M., Li, T., Nie, P., Zhai, Y., Wang, J. C., TCW, J., Guo, L., McKenzie, A., Ming, C., Zhou, X., Wang, M., Sagi, Y., Renton, A. E., Esposito, B. T., Kim, Y., Sadleir, K. R., Trinh, I., Rissman, R. A., Vassar, R., Zhang, B., Johnson, D. S., Masliah, E., Greengard, P., Goate, A., & Li, Y.-M.
Affiliations
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
  • Rockefeller University (US)
  • Northwestern University (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • Pfizer (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Li, Yue-Ming
Venue
Nature
Published
2020-09-02
Volume
586
Issue
7831
Pages
735-740
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W3082942379
Cited by
382
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 53 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 68 · 2022: 77 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 15
FWCI
34.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (1s10od018522-01, 1s10od026880-01)
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG057907, R01AG026660, U01AG046170, R01AG018440, R01AG006170, RF1AG057440, K01AG062683, RF1AG057593, R01AG061350, P30AG062429)
  • National Cancer Institute (P30CA008748)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS096275)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
IFITM3, gamma-secretase, Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta, innate immunity, neuroinflammation, inflammatory cytokines, presenilin, amyloid plaques, 5xFAD mice, late-onset Alzheimer's disease, aging, familial Alzheimer's disease
MeSH terms
Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Astrocytes, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Inflammation, Male, Membrane Proteins, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Risk, Up-Regulation, Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor, RNA-Binding Proteins, Age of Onset, Catalytic Domain, Mice, Presenilin-1, Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases, HEK293 Cells

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