Genetic dissection of down syndrome-associated alterations in APP/amyloid-β biology using mouse models

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 11;11(1):5736. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85062-3.

Abstract

Individuals who have Down syndrome (caused by trisomy of chromosome 21), have a greatly elevated risk of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, in which amyloid-β accumulates in the brain. Amyloid-β is a product of the chromosome 21 gene APP (amyloid precursor protein) and the extra copy or 'dose' of APP is thought to be the cause of this early-onset Alzheimer's disease. However, other chromosome 21 genes likely modulate disease when in three-copies in people with Down syndrome. Here we show that an extra copy of chromosome 21 genes, other than APP, influences APP/Aβ biology. We crossed Down syndrome mouse models with partial trisomies, to an APP transgenic model and found that extra copies of subgroups of chromosome 21 gene(s) modulate amyloid-β aggregation and APP transgene-associated mortality, independently of changing amyloid precursor protein abundance. Thus, genes on chromosome 21, other than APP, likely modulate Alzheimer's disease in people who have Down syndrome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / complications
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / chemistry
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / genetics*
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics*
  • Animals
  • Brain / pathology
  • Chromosomes, Mammalian / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down Syndrome / complications
  • Down Syndrome / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphotransferases / metabolism
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / metabolism
  • Segmental Duplications, Genomic
  • Seizures / complications
  • Seizures / pathology
  • Solubility
  • Survival Analysis
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Protein Aggregates
  • PRMT2 protein, mouse
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases
  • Pdxk protein, mouse
  • Phosphotransferases