Isoform-specific effects of human apolipoprotein E on brain function revealed in ApoE knockout mice: increased susceptibility of females.

ABSTRACT: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) mediates the redistribution of lipids among cells and is expressed at highest levels in brain and liver. Human apoE exists in three major isoforms encoded by distinct alleles (epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4). Compared with APOE epsilon2 and epsilon3, APOE epsilon4 increases the risk of cognitive impairments, lowers the age of onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and decreases the response to AD treatments. Besides age, inheritance of the APOE epsilon4 allele is the most important known risk factor for the development of sporadic AD, the most common form of this illness. Although numerous hypotheses have been advanced, it remains unclear how APOE epsilon4 might affect cognition and increase AD risk. To assess the effects of distinct human apoE isoforms on the brain,

SUBMITTER: Raber J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC27995 | biostudies-literature | 1998 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature