Prolyl isomerase Pin1 promotes amyloid precursor protein (APP) turnover by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) activity: novel mechanism for Pin1 to protect against Alzheimer disease

J Biol Chem. 2012 Mar 2;287(10):6969-73. doi: 10.1074/jbc.C111.298596. Epub 2011 Dec 19.

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of senile plaques of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) and neurofibrillary tangles made of hyperphosphorylated Tau. Increasing APP gene dosage or expression has been shown to cause familial early-onset AD. However, whether and how protein stability of APP is regulated is unclear. The prolyl isomerase Pin1 and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) have been shown to have the opposite effects on APP processing and Tau hyperphosphorylation, relevant to the pathogenesis of AD. However, nothing is known about their relationship. In this study, we found that Pin1 binds to the pT330-P motif in GSK3β to inhibit its kinase activity. Furthermore, Pin1 promotes protein turnover of APP by inhibiting GSK3β activity. A point mutation either at Thr-330, the Pin1-binding site in GSK3β, or at Thr-668, the GSK3β phosphorylation site in APP, abolished the regulation of GSK3β activity, Thr-668 phosphorylation, and APP stability by Pin1, resulting in reduced non-amyloidogenic APP processing and increased APP levels. These results uncover a novel role of Pin1 in inhibiting GSK3β kinase activity to reduce APP protein levels, providing a previously unrecognized mechanism by which Pin1 protects against Alzheimer disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / prevention & control
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Humans
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / genetics
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation / genetics
  • Point Mutation
  • Protein Stability
  • tau Proteins / genetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • APP protein, human
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • MAPT protein, human
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • tau Proteins
  • GSK3B protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
  • PIN1 protein, human
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase