[Expression of presenilin 1 on the cell surface in motile polarized cells]

Most cases of familial early-onset Alzheimer's disease are caused by mutations in the presenilin 1 (PS1) gene. However, the cellular functions of PS1 are not yet completely understood. We showed that endogenous PS1 and the adhesion protein CD44 are redistributed on the surface of cell projections (lamellipodia) in polarized T- lymphocytes (Jurkat cells) after the adhesion to a collagen matrix. This effect was not observed for another surface protein of T lymphocytes, which is not involved in cell adhesion processes, the T cell receptor. In primary cultures of mouse cortical neurons, PS1 was concentrated at the surface of extended growth cones and at the sites of neurite contacts. The concentration of PS1 at the surface of cellular structures that promote cell motility and cell contacts suggests an important role of PSI in cell adhesion in motile polarized cells.