APP Receptor? To Be or Not To Be

• Published in: Trends in pharmacological sciences (Regular ed.) Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 390 - 411
• Main Authors: Deyts, Carole, Thinakaran, Gopal, Parent, Angèle T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2016
• Subjects: Advanced Basic Science; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - metabolism; amyloid precursor protein; Animals; cell surface receptors; Humans; signaling; cell surface receptors; signaling; amyloid precursor protein; Alzheimer's disease
• ISSN: 0165-6147; 1873-3735
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.01.005

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its metabolites play a key role in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. The idea that APP may function as a receptor has gained momentum based on its structural similarities to type I transmembrane receptors and the identification of putative APP ligands. We review the recent experimental evidence in support of this notion and discuss how this concept is viewed in the field. Specifically, we focus on the structural and functional characteristics of APP as a cell surface receptor, and on its interaction with adaptors and signaling proteins. We also address the importance of APP function as a receptor in Alzheimer's disease etiology and discuss how this function might be potentially important for the development of novel therapeutic approaches.