Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
04:41
Preparation of Oligomeric β-amyloid1-42 and Induction of Synaptic Plasticity Impairment on Hippocampal Slices
Published on: July 14, 2010
Role of APP and Aβ in synaptic physiology
Zilai Wang1, Li Yang, Hui Zheng
1Huffington Center on Aging, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Current Alzheimer Research
|May 25, 2011
Summary
Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves synaptic dysfunction preceding amyloid plaques. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its Aβ fragments are crucial regulators of synaptic activity, impacting synapse formation and function in AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia in aging individuals.
- Synaptic loss and dysfunction correlate strongly with cognitive impairment severity in AD.
- Amyloid plaques are a hallmark, but synaptic alterations may initiate the disease process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the role of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and its cleavage products (Aβ) in synaptic function.
- To review recent findings on APP's importance in synaptogenesis and synaptic regulation.
- To understand how APP and Aβ modulate synaptic function in the context of AD pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on in vitro and in vivo studies.
- Analysis of research investigating APP manipulation and Aβ application effects on synapses.
- Examination of studies correlating synaptic dysfunction with early AD development.
Main Results:
- APP and Aβ act as homeostatic regulators of synaptic activity.
- APP and Aβ influence synapse formation and synaptic transmission.
- Synaptic dysfunction and learning deficits can occur before Aβ plaque deposition.
Conclusions:
- APP plays a pivotal role in AD pathogenesis, particularly in synaptogenesis and synaptic function.
- Understanding APP and Aβ modulation of synaptic function is essential for AD research.
- Early synaptic alterations mediated by APP/Aβ may be key to AD's initial development.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Integration of Synaptic Events
Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
01:09Synaptic Signaling
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
01:12Synaptic Signaling
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
01:23Role of Neurotransmitters in Memory
Neurotransmitters are integral to the brain's communication system, enabling neurons to transmit signals across synapses. This chemical exchange underpins various cognitive functions, including memory processes. The role of neurotransmitters in memory is multifaceted, influencing the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of memories through their action on different neural circuits.
Glutamate and Synaptic Plasticity
Glutamate, the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter, is critical for...
Glutamate and Synaptic Plasticity
Glutamate, the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter, is critical for...
01:26Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
Neurochemical transmission, the conduction of electrical impulses between neurons mediated by neurotransmitters, plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Autonomic drugs exert their effects by modulating neurotransmission within the autonomic nervous system. For instance, drugs such as hemicholinium block the precursor uptake necessary for synthesizing acetylcholine, an essential autonomic neurotransmitter. Following synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles. Metyrosine...