Cited by 125Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments

APOE genotype and sex affect microglial interactions with plaques in Alzheimer’s disease mice

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Stephen, T. L., Cacciottolo, M., Balu, D., Morgan, T. E., LaDu, M. J., Finch, C. E., Pike, C. J.·2019·Acta Neuropathologica Communications

Abstract

Microglia affect Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis in opposing manners, by protecting against amyloid accumulation in early phases of the disease and promoting neuropathology in advanced stages. Recent research has identified specific microglial interactions with amyloid plaques that exert important protective functions including attenuation of early pathology. It is unknown how these protective microglial interactions with plaques are affected by apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and sex, two well-established AD risk factors that modulate microglial function. We investigated this question using quantitative confocal microscopy to compare microglial interactions with amyloid plaques in male and female EFAD mice across APOE3 and APOE4 genotypes at 6 months of age. We observed that microglial coverage of plaques is highest in male APOE3 mice with significant reductions in coverage observed with both APOE4 genotype and female sex. Plaque compaction, a beneficial consequence of microglial interactions with plaques, showed a similar pattern in which APOE4 genotype and female sex were associated with significantly lower values. Within the plaque environment, microglial expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), a known regulator of microglial plaque coverage, was highest in male APOE3 mice and reduced by APOE4 genotype and female sex. These differences in plaque interactions were unrelated to the number of microglial processes in the plaque environment across groups. Interestingly, the pattern of amyloid burden across groups was opposite to that of microglial plaque coverage, with APOE4 genotype and female sex showing the highest amyloid levels. These findings suggest a possible mechanism by which microglia may contribute to the increased AD risk associated with APOE4 genotype and female sex.

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  • Reactive microglia migrate towards Aβ plaques, surround them and upregulate APOE, which binds to TREM2 and promotes plaque compaction.

    “Reactive microglia migrate towards Aβ plaques, surround them and upregulate APOE, which binds to TREM2 and promotes plaque compaction154.”

    From Multifaceted roles of APOE in Alzheimer disease (2024) · cites this paper as [154]

    The Introduction says activated microglia associate with Aβ plaques, apoE is a TREM2 ligand, and TREM2-dependent microglial barriers help compact plaques. The Discussion links APOE loss with reduced microglial clustering and plaque compaction, but says the mechanism of APOE’s effect on plaque coverage is unclear. The paper does not establish that plaque-associated microglia upregulate APOE or that APOE binding to TREM2 directly promotes compaction; it also does not document migration toward plaques. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Previous reports have demonstrated that gender can affect AD pathology, microglia response and APOE expression, while the protective and disease causing effects of APOE2 and APOE4 are variable in different ethnic populations.

    “Previous reports have demonstrated that gender can affect AD pathology, microglia response and APOE expression (Stephen et al, 2019; Thomas et al, 2016; Sala Frigerio et al, 2019), while the protective and disease causing effects of APOE2 and APOE4 are variable in different ethnic populations (Farrer et al, 1997; Naslavsky 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 Stephen et al, 2019

    The Results report that sex was associated with amyloid plaque burden and microglial responses in EFAD mice. The Discussion also describes sex differences in microglial plaque interactions, but the paper does not establish that sex affects APOE expression. The statement about ethnic populations is attributed to other citations, not Stephen et al. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Microglial coverage of amyloid plaques is highest in male APOE3 mice and reduced by female sex and APOE4 genotype.

    “They discovered that microglial coverage of amyloid plaques is highest in male APOE3 mice and reduced by female sex and APOE4 genotype.”

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Authors
Stephen, T. L., Cacciottolo, M., Balu, D., Morgan, T. E., LaDu, M. J., Finch, C. E., & Pike, C. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Southern California (US)
  • University of Illinois Chicago (US)
Corresponding author
Pike, C. J.
Venue
Acta Neuropathologica Communications
Published
2019-05-21
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
82-82
ISSN
2051-5960 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2946924931
Cited by
115
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 4
FWCI
5.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Acta Neuropathologica Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (AG058068)
  • Cure Alzheimer's Fund
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, microglia, amyloid plaques, apolipoprotein E, APOE ε4, APOE3, sex differences, TREM2, amyloid burden, neuroprotection
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Brain, Female, Genotype, Male, Membrane Glycoproteins, Mice, Transgenic, Receptors, Immunologic, Sex Characteristics, Microglia, Apolipoprotein E3, Apolipoprotein E4, Plaque, Amyloid

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