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Selective reduction of astrocyte apoE3 and apoE4 strongly reduces Aβ accumulation and plaque-related pathology in a mouse model of amyloidosis
Open accessAbstract
Background: One of the key pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD) is the accumulation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide into amyloid plaques. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset AD and has been shown to influence the accumulation of Aβ in the brain in an isoform-dependent manner. ApoE can be produced by different cell types in the brain, with astrocytes being the largest producer of apoE, although reactive microglia also express high levels of apoE. While studies have shown that altering apoE levels in the brain can influence the development of Aβ plaque pathology, it is not fully known how apoE produced by specific cell types, such as astrocytes, contributes to amyloid pathology. Methods: We utilized APOE knock-in mice capable of having APOE selectively removed from astrocytes in a tamoxifen-inducible manner and crossed them with the APP/PS1-21 mouse model of amyloidosis. We analyzed the changes to Aβ plaque levels and assessed the impact on cellular responses to Aβ plaques when astrocytic APOE is removed. Results: Tamoxifen administration was capable of strongly reducing apoE levels in the brain by markedly reducing astrocyte apoE, while microglial apoE expression remained. Reduction of astrocytic apoE3 and apoE4 led to a large decrease in Aβ plaque deposition and less compact plaques. While overall Iba1+ microglia were unchanged in the cortex after reducing astrocyte apoE, the expression of the disease-associated microglial markers Clec7a and apoE were lower around amyloid plaques, indicating decreased microglial activation. Additionally, astrocyte GFAP levels are unchanged around amyloid plaques, but overall GFAP levels are reduced in the cortex of female apoE4 mice after a reduction in astrocytic apoE. Finally, while the amount of neuritic dystrophy around remaining individual plaques was increased with the removal of astrocytic apoE, the overall amount of cortical amyloid-associated neuritic dystrophy was significantly decreased. Conclusion: This study reveals an important role of astrocytic apoE3 and apoE4 on the deposition and accumulation of Aβ plaques as well as on certain Aβ-associated downstream effects.
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“removal of both astrocytic APOE3 and APOE4 is protective against Aβ deposition in plaque-depositing mice; specifically, plaque burden was lowered to the levels of Apoe knockout mice148.”
From Multifaceted roles of APOE in Alzheimer disease (2024) · cites this paper as [148]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“removal of astrocytic APOE reduced microglial reaction to Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, but that astrocyte response to plaques and tangles was largely unchanged148,149”
From Multifaceted roles of APOE in Alzheimer disease (2024) · cites this paper as [148]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Restoration of APOE expression in astrocytes alone is sufficient to induce formation of fibrillar plaques and microglia reactivity, extending findings from previous studies (Holtzman et al, 2000a; Liu et al, 2017b; Mahan et al, 2022).”
From APOE from astrocytes restores Alzheimer’s Aβ-pathology and DAM-like responses in APOE deficient microglia (2024) · cites this paper as Mahan et al, 2022
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Total body apoE knockout as well as astrocyte specific ApoE knockout results in markedly decreased fibrillar amyloid deposition and in less compact Aβ plaques as well as decreasing neuronal loss and reactive gliosis in a tauopathy model [96, 99, 100].”
From ApoE lipoproteins in the central nervous system under homeostasis and role in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Knockout of ApoE in astrocytes versus microglia has differing impacts on disease pathogenesis in mouse models of Aβ amyloidosis suggesting that ApoE produced from different cell types may differentially affect disease outcomes [96, 97].”
From ApoE lipoproteins in the central nervous system under homeostasis and role in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
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“as evidenced by studies showing astrocyte-specific knockout of ApoE results in markedly decreased Aβ pathology and tau-mediated neurodegeneration (13, 14, 15).”
From Lipidome and proteome of astrocyte and microglia ApoE lipoprotein reveal differences based on cell type and ApoE isoform (2026) · cites this paper as [14]
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In the citing paper
“findings from a study by Mahan et al.36 suggested a role for astrocyte-derived ApoE in amyloid reduction and associated gliosis.”
From APOE4 to APOE2 allelic switching in mice improves Alzheimer’s disease-related metabolic signatures, neuropathology and cognition (2025) · cites this paper as Mahan et al.36
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“While that study did not report decreases in IBA1 as those seen in this study, they observed a similar decrease in reactive microglia using Clec7a, and a reduction in plaque-associated ApoE.”
From APOE4 to APOE2 allelic switching in mice improves Alzheimer’s disease-related metabolic signatures, neuropathology and cognition (2025) · cites this paper as Mahan et al.36
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In the citing paper
“the characterization of microglia in astrocyte-specific Apoe knockout mice certainly indicates that microglia are affected by astrocytic APOE148,149.”
From Multifaceted roles of APOE in Alzheimer disease (2024) · cites this paper as [148]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“reports of astrocyte-specific deletion of APOE reducing amyloid pathology and associated toxicity [19].”
From Astrocytic APOE3-Christchurch expression ameliorates brain amyloid-β pathology in 5xFAD mice (2026) · cites this paper as [19]
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“Knockout of human ApoE3 and ApoE4 in astrocytes of transgenic mice results in markedly decreased Aβ plaque pathology despite microglia continuing to produce ApoE [96].”
From ApoE lipoproteins in the central nervous system under homeostasis and role in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Knockout of ApoE in astrocytes versus microglia has differing impacts on disease pathogenesis in mouse models of Aβ amyloidosis suggesting that ApoE produced from different cell types may differentially affect disease outcomes [96, 97].”
From ApoE lipoproteins in the central nervous system under homeostasis and role in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Although there are very few true amyloid plaques in the absence of mouse apoE, there is greater neuritic dystrophy around the remaining plaques [96, 99].”
From ApoE lipoproteins in the central nervous system under homeostasis and role in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (2026) · cites this paper as [96]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
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“Astrocytes account for the bulk of ApoE secretion under homeostatic conditions (14).”
From Lipidome and proteome of astrocyte and microglia ApoE lipoprotein reveal differences based on cell type and ApoE isoform (2026) · cites this paper as [14]
In the citing paper
“Studies have demonstrated that APOE4 drives Aβ- and tau-mediated neurodegeneration by inducing microglial and astrocytic activation.174–179”
From Microbiota–gut–brain axis and its therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases (2024) · cites this paper as [176]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Mahan, T. E., Wang, C., Bao, X., Choudhury, A., Ulrich, J. D., & Holtzman, D. M.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Holtzman, David M.
- Venue
- Molecular Neurodegeneration
- Published
- 2022-02-02
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 13-13
- ISSN
- 1750-1326 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8811969
- OpenAlex
- W4210382695
- Cited by
- 134
- References
- 87
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 20
- FWCI
- 17.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Molecular Neurodegeneration (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons@Becker (Washington University School of Medicine) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- cure alzheimer's fund
- jpb foundation
- national institute of neurological disorders and stroke (NS090932)
- national institute on aging (AG047644)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › 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
- apolipoprotein E, astrocytes, APOE3, APOE ε4, amyloid-beta, amyloid plaques, Alzheimer's disease, APP/PS1 mice, microglial activation, Dectin-1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, neuritic dystrophy
- MeSH terms
- Alzheimer Disease, Amyloidosis, Animals, Astrocytes, Female, Mice, Transgenic, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor, Mice, Apolipoprotein E3, Apolipoprotein E4, Plaque, Amyloid
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