Cited by 271Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsCellular transport and secretionDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 73 of the 73 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 15 of the 46 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

VPS35 haploinsufficiency increases Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology

Open access

Abstract

VPS35, a major component of the retromer complex, is important for endosome-to-Golgi retrieval of membrane proteins. Although implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), how VPS35 regulates AD-associated pathology is unknown. In this paper, we show that hemizygous deletion of Vps35 in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD led to earlier-onset AD-like phenotypes, including cognitive memory deficits, defective long-term potentiation, and impaired postsynaptic glutamatergic neurotransmission in young adult age. These deficits correlated well with an increase of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) level in the mutant hippocampus. We further demonstrate that VPS35 is predominantly expressed in pyramidal neurons of young adult hippocampus and interacts with BACE1, a protease responsible for Aβ production. Loss of VPS35 function in the mouse hippocampus increased BACE1 activity. Suppression of VPS35 expression in culture decreased BACE1 trans-Golgi localization but enriched it in endosomes. These results demonstrate an essential role for VPS35 in suppression of AD neuropathology and in inhibition of BACE1 activation and Aβ production by promoting BACE1 endosome-to-Golgi retrieval.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

VPS35 haploinsufficiency accelerates Alzheimer’s disease–like neuropathology in Tg2576 mice by impairing endosome-to-Golgi retrieval of BACE1, increasing BACE1 activity and Aβ production. The double mutant mice show earlier cognitive, synaptic, and amyloid phenotypes than Tg2576 mice alone.

Key findings

  • Vps35+/m;Tg2576+/− mice showed earlier spatial learning/memory deficits at 3 and 6 mo, impaired LTP in CA1 and dentate gyrus, and reduced AMPA/NMDA receptor–mediated mEPSC amplitudes and frequencies, with no change in GABAergic transmission.
  • Aβ deposits were more numerous and larger in 6- and 12-mo-old Vps35+/m;Tg2576+/− brains than in Tg2576 brains; human Aβ40 was higher in 2-mo-old double mutant hippocampus and cortex by 30% and 15%, respectively, and mouse Aβ40 was also increased in Vps35+/m and double mutants. Aβ42 increased, but the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio was unchanged.
  • VPS35 interacted with BACE1, with a BACE1-binding site at VPS35 amino acids 390–606; loss of VPS35 increased BACE1 localization to Rab5/Rab7/LAMP1-positive endosomal compartments and reduced Rab11 recycling endosome localization.
  • BACE1 activity increased by ∼50% in Vps35+/m hippocampus and ∼20% in cortex versus WT, with further increases in double mutants; C99 and sAPPβ were increased in Tg2576+/−;Vps35+/m hippocampus.

Methods

  • Vps35 mutant mice were generated by gene trapping; homozygotes died before E10, while heterozygotes expressed Vps35 at ∼50% of WT and were crossed with Tg2576 APPswe mice to produce WT, Tg2576+/−, Vps35+/m, and Tg2576+/−;Vps35+/m littermates.
  • Behavioral testing used the Morris water maze at 1–2, 3, and 6 mo; electrophysiology measured fEPSPs, LTP, mEPSCs, eEPSCs, mIPSCs, and eIPSCs in hippocampal slices; biochemistry included Aβ40/42 ELISAs, BACE1 activity assays, Western blots for APP cleavage products, immunohistochemistry, coimmunoprecipitation, and GST pull-down.
  • Data were analyzed with one-way or repeated measures ANOVA, post hoc tests, or t tests, with significance at P < 0.05.

Limitations

  • The paper states that it remains to be investigated whether Golgi/endosome-associated BACE1 activity is altered by loss of Vps35, where Aβ is produced in Vps35-deficient neurons, and whether APP and APPswe trafficking are differentially regulated by VPS35; it also notes that an Aβ-independent mechanism for synapse/synaptic activity loss cannot be excluded.
  • Evident from the text: the study relies on mouse and cultured-cell models, with no human tissue validation; some supporting results are described as “unpublished data” or “not depicted,” and several biochemical/plaque quantifications use small n values (e.g., n = 4 for ELISA and plaque analyses).

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1083/jcb.201105109

Cites

73 of 73 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

15 of 46 cited sources checked · 9 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 70 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 26
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 40
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 2
58 of 58
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The mechanisms by which the retromer is involved in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis remain elusive.

    “However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Aβ40/42 production requires BACE1.

    “Aβ40/42 production requires BACE1.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Retromer is implicated in the pathogenesis of late-onset AD.

    “Although retromer is implicated in the pathogenesis of late-onset AD, the function of VPS35 in AD pathology and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The function of VPS35 in AD pathology and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear.

    “Although retromer is implicated in the pathogenesis of late-onset AD, the function of VPS35 in AD pathology and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    BACE1 cleavage of APP is favored in endosomal compartments.

    “increased BACE1 localization to the endosomal compartments where the BACE1 cleavage of APP is favored”
5 of 5

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Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Adult hippocampal LacZ expression is described in different CA regions

    Minor

    The Results say adult LacZ activity became restricted to CA2-3, whereas the Figure 5 caption describes activity in CA1-3 for 2-month-old mice.

  • Western blot sample load differs between figure caption and methods

    Minor

    The Figure 8 caption says 50 μg of homogenate protein was loaded, while the Western blot method specifies 40 μg.

2 of 2

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Metadata

Authors
Wen, L., Tang, F.-L., Hong, Y., Luo, S.-W., Wang, C.-L., He, W., Shen, C., Jung, J.-U., Xiong, F., Lee, D.-H., Zhang, Q.-G., Brann, D., Kim, T.-W., Yan, R., Mei, L., & Xiong, W.-C.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics 1 and 2
  • Cleveland Clinic (US)
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
  • Wen, Lei
  • He, Wanxia
  • Xiong, Fei
  • Xiong, Wen-Cheng
Venue
Journal of Cell Biology
Published
2011-11-21
Volume
195
Issue
5
Pages
765-779
ISSN
  • 0021-9525 (ISSN-L)
  • 1540-8140
OpenAlex
W2150669288
Cited by
270
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 11
FWCI
5.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-sa
Locations
  • The Journal of Cell Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (RF1AG045781)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS060648)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular transport and secretion
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
VPS35, retromer complex, Alzheimer's disease, haploinsufficiency, BACE1, amyloid-beta production, Tg2576 mice, hippocampus, long-term potentiation, glutamatergic neurotransmission, pyramidal neurons
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Cerebral Cortex, Hippocampus, Humans, Endosomes, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases, trans-Golgi Network, Vesicular Transport Proteins, Mice, Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases, HEK293 Cells, Haploinsufficiency

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