Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) in the Brain and Relevance for Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

ABSTRACT: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has long been studied in the liver due to its regulation of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and its causal role in familial hypercholesterolemia. Although PCSK9 was first discovered in cerebellar neurons undergoing apoptosis, its function in the central nervous system (CNS) is less clear. PCSK9 has been shown to be involved in neuronal differentiation, LDL receptor family metabolism, apoptosis, and inflammation in the brain, but in vitro and in vivo studies offer contradictory findings. PCSK9 expression in the adult brain is low but is highly upregulated during disease states. Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) PCSK9 concentrations are correlated with neural tube defects and neurodegenerative diseases in human

SUBMITTER: O'Connell EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7303295 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature