Apolipoprotein-E transforms intracellular Amyloid-β oligomers to a more toxic state

Abstract

It is poorly understood why ApoE variants are major genetic risk factors in Alzheimers disease (AD), which is associated with the aggregation of amyloid beta (A{beta}). Here we directly image specific changes in small A{beta} oligomers in rat brain cells that correlate with the cellular ApoE content. An inhibitor of A{beta}-ApoE interaction suppresses this change and concomitantly reduces A{beta} toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Single-molecule techniques show changes both in the conformation and the stoichiometry of the oligomers. hiPSC-derived neural stem cells from Alzheimers patients also show similar changes. Interaction with ApoE therefore changes the oligomeric state, membrane affinity, and toxicity of A{beta} oligomers, and can be directly read out in live cells. Our findings suggest a rapid and quantitative assay for AD drug discovery. One-sentence summaryApoE causes specific toxicogenic modifications of A{beta} oligomers, and these changes can be directly imaged in live cells.