Characterization of the ectodomain shedding of the beta-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1)

Generation of the amyloid peptide through proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein by beta- and gamma-secretases is central to the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. beta-secretase, known more widely as the beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), has been identified as a transmembrane aspartic proteinase, and its ectodomain has been reported to be cleaved and secreted from cells in a soluble form. The extracellular domains of many diverse proteins are known to be cleaved and secreted from cells by a process known as ectodomain shedding. Here we confirm that the ectodomain of BACE1 is secreted from cells and that this processing is up-regulated by agents that activate protein kinase C. A metalloproteinase is involved in the cleavage of BACE1 as hydroxamic acid-based metalloproteinase inhibitors abolish the release of shed BACE1. Using potent and selective inhibitors, we demonstrate that ADAM10 is a strong candidate for the BACE1 sheddase. In addition, we show that the BACE1 sheddase is distinct from alpha-secretase and, importantly, that inhibition of BACE1 shedding does not influence amyloid precursor protein processing at the beta-site.     

Double-stranded RNA induces shedding of the 34-kDa soluble TNFR1 from human airway epithelial cells via TLR3-TRIF-RIP1-dependent signaling: roles for dual oxidase 2- and caspase-dependent pathways

TNF, an important mediator of inflammatory and innate immune responses, can be regulated by binding to soluble TNF receptors. The 55-kDa type 1 TNFR (TNFR1), the key receptor for TNF signaling, is released to the extracellular space by two mechanisms, the inducible cleavage and shedding of 34-kDa soluble TNFR1 (sTNFR1) ectodomains and the constitutive release of full-length 55-kDa TNFR1 within exosome-like vesicles. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize TLR signaling pathways that mediate TNFR1 release to the extracellular space. To our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time that polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)], a synthetic dsRNA analogue that signals via TLR3, induces sTNFR1 shedding from human airway epithelial (NCI-H292) cells, whereas ligands for other microbial pattern recognition receptors, including TLR4, TLR7, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2, do not. Furthermore, poly (I:C) selectively induces the cleavage of 34-kDa sTNFR1 ectodomains but does not enhance the release of full-length 55-kDa TNFR1 within exosome-like vesicles. RNA interference experiments demonstrated that poly (I:C)-induced sTNFR1 shedding is mediated via activation of TLR3-TRIF-RIP1 signaling, with subsequent activation of two downstream pathways. One pathway involves the dual oxidase 2-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species, and the other pathway is via the caspase-mediated activation of apoptosis. Thus, the ability of dsRNA to induce the cleavage and shedding of the 34-kDa sTNFR1 from human bronchial epithelial cells represents a novel mechanism by which innate immune responses to viral infections are modulated.     

Post-translational processing of beta-secretase (beta-amyloid-converting enzyme) and its ectodomain shedding. The pro- and transmembrane/cytosolic domains affect its cellular activity and amyloid-beta production

Processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) by beta- and gamma-secretases generates the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta, a major factor in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. Following the recent identification of the beta-secretase beta-amyloid-converting enzyme (BACE), we herein investigate its zymogen processing, molecular properties, and cellular trafficking. Our data show that among the proprotein convertase family members, furin is the major converting enzyme of pro-BACE into BACE within the trans-Golgi network of HK293 cells. While we demonstrate that the 24-amino acid prosegment is required for the efficient exit of pro-BACE from the endoplasmic reticulum, it may not play a strong inhibitory role since we observe that pro-BACE can produce significant quantities of the Swedish mutant betaAPP(sw) beta-secretase product C99. BACE is palmitoylated at three Cys residues within its transmembrane/cytosolic tail and is sulfated at mature N-glycosylated moieties. Data with three different antibodies show that a small fraction of membrane-bound BACE is shed into the medium and that the extent of ectodomain shedding is palmitoylation-dependent. Overexpression of full-length BACE causes a significant increase in the production of C99 and a decrease in the alpha-secretase product APPsalpha. Although there is little increase in the generation of Abeta by full-length BACE, overexpression of either a soluble form of BACE (equivalent to the shed form) or one lacking the prosegment leads to enhanced Abeta levels. These findings suggest that the shedding of BACE may play a role in the amyloidogenic processing of betaAPP.     

Circulating TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors during experimental acute pancreatitis

Clinical and experimental studies have shown increased concentrations of TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors in serum of patients with acute pancreatitis. In this work, we have investigated the time-course of TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors during taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis. In addition, since TNF-alpha itself could mediate the shedding of its receptors, we have assessed the effect of inhibiting TNF-alpha production on the release of soluble TNF-alpha receptors in experimental acute pancreatitis. Our results indicate that soluble receptors are released in the early stages of the disease and this increase is concomitant with the release of TNF-alpha, which is mainly bound to specific proteins. The increased concentrations of its receptors strongly suggest that they could be these binding proteins. Inhibition of TNF-alpha generation with pentoxifylline abrogated the shedding of sTNF-alphaR1, but had no effect on sTNF-alphaR2. This finding suggests that the shedding of sTNF-alphaR1 is induced by TNF-alpha itself, but in the case of sTNF-alphaR2, the shedding appears to be induced by another mechanism.     

Separate mechanisms act concurrently to shed and release the prion protein from the cell

The cellular prion protein (PrP^C) is attached to the cell membrane via its glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor and is constitutively shed into the extracellular space. Here, three different mechanisms are presented that concurrently shed PrP^C from the cell. The fast α-cleavage released a N-terminal fragment (N1) into the medium and the extreme C-terminal cleavage shed soluble full-length (FL-S) PrP and C-terminally cleaved (C1-S) fragments outside the cell. Also, a slow exosomal release of full-length (FL) and C1-fragment (C1) was demonstrated. The three separate mechanisms acting simultaneously, but with different kinetics, have to be taken into consideration when elucidating functional roles of PrP^C and also when processing of PrP^C is considered as a target for intervention in prion diseases. Further, in this study it was shown that metalloprotease inhibitors affected the extreme C-terminal cleavage and shedding of PrP^C. The metalloprotease inhibitors did not influence the α-cleavage or the exosomal release. Taken together, these results are important for understanding the different mechanisms acting in parallel in the shedding and cleavage of PrP^C.     

Beta-galactoside alpha2,6-sialyltransferase I cleavage by BACE1 enhances the sialylation of soluble glycoproteins. A novel regulatory mechanism for alpha2,6-sialylation

BACE1 (beta-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme-1) is a membrane-bound aspartic protease that cleaves amyloid precursor protein to produce a neurotoxic peptide, amyloid beta-peptide, and has been implicated in triggering the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. We showed previously that BACE1 cleaves beta-galactoside alpha2,6-sialyltransferase I (ST6Gal I) to initiate its secretion, but it remained unclear how BACE1 affects the cellular level of alpha2,6-sialylation. Here, we found that BACE1 overexpression in Hep3B cells increased the sialylation of soluble secreted glycoproteins, but did not affect cell-surface sialylation. The sialylation of soluble glycoproteins was not increased by ST6Gal I overexpression alone, but was increased by co-overexpression of ST6Gal I and BACE1 or by expression of the soluble form of ST6Gal I, suggesting that soluble ST6Gal I produced by BACE1 plays, at least in part, a role in the sialylation of soluble glycoproteins. We also found that plasma glycoproteins from BACE1-deficient mice exhibited reduced levels of alpha2,6-sialylation compared with those from wild-type mice. We propose a novel regulatory mechanism in which cleavage and secretion of ST6Gal I enhance the sialylation of soluble glycoprotein substrates.     

Separate mechanisms act concurrently to shed and release the prion protein from the cell

The cellular prion protein (PrP^C) is attached to the cell membrane via its glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor and is constitutively shed into the extracellular space. Here, three different mechanisms are presented that concurrently shed PrP^C from the cell. The fast α-cleavage released a N-terminal fragment (N1) into the medium and the extreme C-terminal cleavage shed soluble full-length (FL-S) PrP and C-terminally cleaved (C1-S) fragments outside the cell. Also, a slow exosomal release of full-length (FL) and C1-fragment (C1) was demonstrated. The three separate mechanisms acting simultaneously, but with different kinetics, have to be taken into consideration when elucidating functional roles of PrP^C and also when processing of PrP^C is considered as a target for intervention in prion diseases. Further, in this study it was shown that metalloprotease inhibitors affected the extreme C-terminal cleavage and shedding of PrP^C. The metalloprotease inhibitors did not influence the α-cleavage or the exosomal release. Taken together, these results are important for understanding the different mechanisms acting in parallel in the shedding and cleavage of PrP^C.     

Receptor for advanced glycation end products is subjected to protein ectodomain shedding by metalloproteinases

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a 55-kDa type I membrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Ligand-induced up-regulation of RAGE is involved in various pathophysiological processes, including late diabetic complications and Alzheimer disease. Application of recombinant soluble RAGE has been shown to block RAGE-mediated pathophysiological conditions. After expression of full-length RAGE in HEK cells we identified a 48-kDa soluble RAGE form (sRAGE) in the culture medium. This variant of RAGE is smaller than a 51-kDa soluble version derived from alternative splicing. The release of sRAGE can be induced by the phorbol ester PMA and the calcium ionophore calcimycin via calcium-dependent protein kinase C subtypes. Hydroxamic acid-based metalloproteinase inhibitors block the release of sRAGE, and by RNA interference experiments we identified ADAM10 and MMP9 to be involved in RAGE shedding. In protein biotinylation experiments we show that membrane-anchored full-length RAGE is the precursor of sRAGE and that sRAGE is efficiently released from the cell surface. We identified cleavage of RAGE to occur close to the cell membrane. Ectodomain shedding of RAGE simultaneously generates sRAGE and a membrane-anchored C-terminal RAGE fragment (RAGE-CTF). The amount of RAGE-CTF increases when RAGE-expressing cells are treated with a gamma-secretase inhibitor, suggesting that RAGE-CTF is normally further processed by gamma-secretase. Identification of these novel mechanisms involved in regulating the availability of cell surface-located RAGE and its soluble ectodomain may influence further research in RAGE-mediated processes in cell biology and pathophysiology.     

Consequences of individual N-glycan deletions and of proteasomal inhibition on secretion of active BACE

BACE is an aspartic protease involved in the production of a toxic peptide accumulating in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. After attainment of the native structure in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), BACE is released into the secretory pathway. To better understand the mechanisms regulating protein biogenesis in the mammalian ER, we determined the fate of five variants of soluble BACE with 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0 N-linked glycans. The number of N-glycans displayed on BACE correlated directly with folding and secretion rates and with the yield of active BACE harvested from the cell culture media. Addition of a single N-glycan was sufficient to recruit the calnexin chaperone system and/or for oligosaccharide de-glucosylation by the ER-resident α-glucosidase II. Addition of 1–4 N-glycans progressively enhanced the dissociation rate from BiP and reduced the propensity of newly synthesized BACE to enter aberrant soluble and insoluble aggregates. Finally, inhibition of the proteasome increased the yield of active BACE. This shows that active protein normally targeted for destruction can be diverted for secretion, as if for BACE the quality control system would be acting too stringently in the ER lumen, thus causing loss of functional polypeptides.     

CX3CL1/fractalkine shedding by human hepatic stellate cells: contribution to chronic inflammation in the liver

Chemokines are the inflammatory mediators that modulate liver fibrosis, a common feature of chronic inflammatory liver diseases. CX3CL1/fractalkine is a membrane-associated chemokine that requires step processing for chemotactic activity and has been recently implicated in liver disease. Here, we investigated the potential shedding activities involved in the release of the soluble chemotactic peptides from CX3CL1 in the injured liver. We showed an increased expression of the sheddases ADAM10 and ADAM17 in patients with chronic liver diseases that was associated with the severity of liver fibrosis. We demonstrated that hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were an important source of ADAM10 and ADAM17 and that treatment with the inflammatory cytokine inter-feron-γ induced the expression of CX3CL1 and release of soluble peptides. This release was inhibited by the metalloproteinase inhibitor batimastat; however, ADAM10/ADAM17 inhibitor GW280264X only partially affected shedding activity. By using selective tissue metalloprotease inhibitors and overexpression analyses, we showed that CX3CL1 was mainly processed by matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, a metalloprotease highly expressed by HSC. We further demonstrated that the CX3CL1 soluble peptides released from stimulated HSC induced the activation of the CX3CR1-dependent signalling pathway and promoted chemoattraction of monocytes in vitro . We conclude that ADAM10, ADAM17 and MMP-2 synthesized by activated HSC mediate CX3CL1 shedding and release of chemotactic peptides, thereby facilitating recruitment of inflammatory cells and paracrine stimulation of HSC in chronic liver diseases.     

Ectodomain shedding of human Nogo-66 receptor homologue-1 by zinc metalloproteinases

The Nogo-66 receptor (NgR) plays a pivotal role in the inhibition of neuroregeneration as the receptor for multiple neurite outgrowth inhibitors such as Nogo-A. We have previously shown that NgR undergoes zinc metalloproteinase-mediated ectodomain shedding in neuroblastoma cells. Here, we demonstrate that the NgR-related protein NgR homologue-1 is released from neuroblastoma cells as a full-length ectodomain (NgRH1-ecto) and an N-terminal fragment (NTF-NgRH1) containing the leucine-rich repeat region of the protein. Inhibitors of the major protease classes failed to block the release of NgRH1-ecto, suggesting that this occurs via a protease-independent mechanism, presumably by a phospholipase-like enzyme. The release of NTF-NgRH1 was blocked by a hydroxamate-based zinc metalloproteinase inhibitor and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 and -3, but not -1, implicating the involvement of membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases in this process. Our findings thus highlight the parallels between the ectodomain shedding of NgRH1 and that previously described for NgR.     

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the interleukin-1 receptor II by alpha-, beta-, and gamma-secretase

Ectodomain shedding and intramembrane proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by alpha-, beta- and gamma-secretase are involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). Increased proteolytic processing and secretion of another membrane protein, the interleukin-1 receptor II (IL-1R2), have also been linked to the pathogenesis of AD. IL-1R2 is a decoy receptor that may limit detrimental effects of IL-1 in the brain. At present, the proteolytic processing of IL-1R2 remains little understood. Here we show that IL-1R2 can be proteolytically processed in a manner similar to APP. IL-1R2 expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells first undergoes ectodomain shedding in an alpha-secretase-like manner, resulting in secretion of the IL-1R2 ectodomain and the generation of an IL-1R2 C-terminal fragment. This fragment undergoes further intramembrane proteolysis by gamma-secretase, leading to the generation of the soluble intracellular domain of IL-1R2. Intramembrane cleavage of IL-1R2 was abolished by a highly specific inhibitor of gamma-secretase and was absent in mouse embryonic fibroblasts deficient in gamma-secretase activity. Surprisingly, the beta-secretase BACE1 and its homolog BACE2 increased IL-1R2 secretion resulting in C-terminal fragments nearly identical to the ones generated by the alpha-secretase-like cleavage. This suggests that both proteases may act as alternative alpha-secretase-like proteases. Importantly, BACE1 and BACE2 did not cleave several other membrane proteins, demonstrating that both proteases do not contribute to general membrane protein turnover but only cleave specific proteins. This study reveals a similar proteolytic processing of IL-1R2 and APP and may provide an explanation for the increased IL-1R2 secretion observed in AD.     

cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling induces TNFR1 exosome-like vesicle release via anchoring of PKA regulatory subunit RIIbeta to BIG2

The 55-kDa TNFR1 (type I tumor necrosis factor receptor) can be released to the extracellular space by two mechanisms, the proteolytic cleavage and shedding of soluble receptor ectodomains and the release of full-length receptors within exosome-like vesicles. We have shown that the brefeldin A-inhibited guanine nucleotide exchange protein BIG2 associates with TNFR1 and selectively modulates the release of TNFR1 exosome-like vesicles via an ARF1- and ARF3-dependent mechanism. Here, we assessed the role of BIG2 A kinase-anchoring protein (AKAP) domains in the regulation of TNFR1 exosome-like vesicle release from human vascular endothelial cells. We show that 8-bromo-cyclic AMP induced the release of full-length, 55-kDa TNFR1 within exosome-like vesicles via a protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent mechanism. Using RNA interference to decrease specifically the levels of individual PKA regulatory subunits, we demonstrate that RIIbeta modulates both the constitutive and cAMP-induced release of TNFR1 exosome-like vesicles. Consistent with its AKAP function, BIG2 was required for the cAMP-induced PKA-dependent release of TNFR1 exosome-like vesicles via a mechanism that involved the binding of RIIbeta to BIG2 AKAP domains B and C. We conclude that both the constitutive and cAMP-induced release of TNFR1 exosome-like vesicles occur via PKA-dependent pathways that are regulated by the anchoring of RIIbeta to BIG2 via AKAP domains B and C. Thus, BIG2 regulates TNFR1 exosome-like vesicle release by two distinct mechanisms, as a guanine nucleotide exchange protein that activates class I ADP-ribosylation factors and as an AKAP for RIIbeta that localizes PKA signaling within cellular TNFR1 trafficking pathways.     

A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) Mediates Inflammation-induced Shedding of Syndecan-1 and -4 by Lung Epithelial Cells

Syndecans are cell surface proteoglycans that bind and modulate various proinflammatory mediators and can be proteolytically shed from the cell surface. Within the lung, syndecan-1 and -4 are expressed as transmembrane proteins on epithelial cells and released in the bronchoalveolar fluid during inflammation. We here characterize the mechanism leading to the generation of soluble syndecan-1 and -4 in cultured epithelial cells and murine lung tissue. We show that the bladder carcinoma epithelial cell line ECV304, the lung epithelial cell line A459 and primary alveolar epithelial cells express and constitutively release syndecan-1 and -4. This release involves the activity of the disintegrin-like metalloproteinase ADAM17 as demonstrated by use of specific inhibitors and lentivirally transduced shRNA. Stimulation of epithelial cells with PMA, thrombin, or proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα/IFNγ) led to the down-regulation of surface-expressed syndecan-1 and -4, which was associated with a significant increase of soluble syndecans and cell-associated cleavage fragments. The enhanced syndecan release was not related to gene induction of syndecans or ADAM17, but rather due to increased ADAM17 activity. Soluble syndecan-1 and -4 were also released into the bronchoalveolar fluid of mice. Treatment with TNFα/IFNγ increased ADAM17 activity and syndecan release in murine lungs. Both constitutive and induced syndecan shedding was prevented by the ADAM17 inhibitor. ADAM17 may therefore be an important regulator of syndecan functions on inflamed lung epithelium.     

Membrane Cholesterol Modulates LOX-1 Shedding in Endothelial Cells

The lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is a scavenger receptor responsible for ox-LDL recognition, binding and internalization, which is up-regulated during atherogenesis. Its activation triggers endothelium dysfunction and induces inflammation. A soluble form of LOX-1 has been identified in the human blood and its presence considered a biomarker of cardiovascular diseases. We recently showed that cholesterol-lowering drugs inhibit ox-LDL binding and internalization, rescuing the ox-LDL induced apoptotic phenotype in primary endothelial cells. Here we have investigated the molecular bases of human LOX-1 shedding by metalloproteinases and the role of cell membrane cholesterol on the regulation of this event by modulating its level with MβCD and statins. We report that membrane cholesterol affects the release of different forms of LOX-1 in cells transiently and stably expressing human LOX-1 and in a human endothelial cell line (EA.hy926). In particular, our data show that i) cholesterol depletion triggers the release of LOX-1 in exosomes as a full-length transmembrane isoform and as a truncated ectodomain soluble fragment (sLOX-1); ii) endothelial cells secrete a soluble metalloproteinase which induces LOX-1 ectodomain shedding and iii) long term statins treatment enhances sLOX-1 proteolytic shedding.     

Dimerization of beta-site beta-amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme

Cleavage of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the aspartyl protease beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE) is the first step in the generation of the amyloid beta-peptide, which is deposited in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. Whereas the subsequent cleavage by gamma-secretase was shown to originate from the cooperation of a multicomponent complex, it is currently unknown whether in a cellular environment BACE is enzymatically active as a monomer or in concert with other proteins. Using blue native gel electrophoresis we found that endogenous and overexpressed BACE has a molecular mass of 140 kDa instead of the expected mass of 70 kDa under denaturing conditions. This suggests that under native conditions BACE exists as a homodimer. Homodimerization was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation of full-length BACE carrying different epitope tags. In contrast, the soluble active BACE ectodomain was exclusively present as a monomer both under native and denaturing conditions. A domain analysis revealed that the BACE ectodomain dimerized as long as it was attached to the membrane, whereas the cytoplasmic domain and the transmembrane domain were dispensable for dimerization. By adding a KKXX-endoplasmic reticulum retention signal to BACE, we demonstrate that dimerization of BACE occurs already before full maturation and pro-peptide cleavage. Furthermore, kinetic analysis of the purified native BACE dimer revealed a higher affinity and turnover rate in comparison to the monomeric soluble BACE. Dimerization of BACE might, thus, facilitate binding and cleavage of physiological substrates.     

BACE1 inhibition reduces endogenous Abeta and alters APP processing in wild-type mice

Accumulation of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) in brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibition of beta-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)-cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1), the enzyme that initiates Abeta production, and other Abeta-lowering strategies are commonly tested in transgenic mice overexpressing mutant APP. However, sporadic AD cases, which represent the majority of AD patients, are free from the mutation and do not necessarily have overproduction of APP. In addition, the commonly used Swedish mutant APP alters APP cleavage. Therefore, testing Abeta-lowering strategies in transgenic mice may not be optimal. In this study, we investigated the impact of BACE1 inhibition in non-transgenic mice with physiologically relevant APP expression. Existing Abeta ELISAs are either relatively insensitive to mouse Abeta or not specific to full-length Abeta. A newly developed ELISA detected a significant reduction of full-length soluble Abeta 1-40 in mice with the BACE1 homozygous gene deletion or BACE1 inhibitor treatment, while the level of x-40 Abeta was moderately reduced due to detection of non-full-length Abeta and compensatory activation of alpha-secretase. These results confirmed the feasibility of Abeta reduction through BACE1 inhibition under physiological conditions. Studies using our new ELISA in non-transgenic mice provide more accurate evaluation of Abeta-reducing strategies than was previously feasible.     

Inhibition of beta-secretase in vivo via antibody binding to unique loops (D and F) of BACE1

β-Secretase (BACE1) is an attractive drug target for Alzheimer disease. However, the design of clinical useful inhibitors targeting its active site has been extremely challenging. To identify alternative drug targeting sites we have generated a panel of BACE1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that interfere with BACE1 activity in various assays and determined their binding epitopes. mAb 1A11 inhibited BACE1 in vitro using a large APP sequence based substrate (IC(50) ～0.76 nm), in primary neurons (EC(50) ～1.8 nm), and in mouse brain after stereotactic injection. Paradoxically, mAb 1A11 increased BACE1 activity in vitro when a short synthetic peptide was used as substrate, indicating that mAb 1A11 does not occupy the active-site. Epitope mapping revealed that mAb 1A11 binds to adjacent loops D and F, which together with nearby helix A, distinguishes BACE1 from other aspartyl proteases. Interestingly, mutagenesis of loop F and helix A decreased or increased BACE1 activity, identifying them as enzymatic regulatory elements and as potential alternative sites for inhibitor design. In contrast, mAb 5G7 was a potent BACE1 inhibitor in cell-free enzymatic assays (IC(50) ～0.47 nm) but displayed no inhibitory effect in primary neurons. Its epitope, a surface helix 299-312, is inaccessible in membrane-anchored BACE1. Remarkably, mutagenesis of helix 299-312 strongly reduced BACE1 ectodomain shedding, suggesting that this helix plays a role in BACE1 cellular biology. In conclusion, this study generated highly selective and potent BACE1 inhibitory mAbs, which recognize unique structural and functional elements in BACE1, and uncovered interesting alternative sites on BACE1 that could become targets for drug development.     

Increased Expression of Reticulon 3 in Neurons Leads to Reduced Axonal Transport of β Site Amyloid Precursor Protein-cleaving Enzyme 1

BACE1 is the sole enzyme responsible for cleaving amyloid precursor protein at the β-secretase site, and this cleavage initiates the generation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ). Because amyloid precursor protein is predominantly expressed by neurons and deposition of Aβ aggregates in the human brain is highly correlated with the Aβ released at axonal terminals, we focused our investigation of BACE1 localization on the neuritic region. We show that BACE1 was not only enriched in the late Golgi, trans-Golgi network, and early endosomes but also in both axons and dendrites. BACE1 was colocalized with the presynaptic vesicle marker synaptophysin, indicating the presence of BACE1 in synapses. Because the excessive release of Aβ from synapses is attributable to an increase in amyloid deposition, we further explored whether the presence of BACE1 in synapses was regulated by reticulon 3 (RTN3), a protein identified previously as a negative regulator of BACE1. We found that RTN3 is not only localized in the endoplasmic reticulum but also in neuritic regions where no endoplasmic reticulum-shaping proteins are detected, implicating additional functions of RTN3 in neurons. Coexpression of RTN3 with BACE1 in cultured neurons was sufficient to reduce colocalization of BACE1 with synaptophysin. This reduction correlated with decreased anterograde transport of BACE1 in axons in response to overexpressed RTN3. Our results in this study suggest that altered RTN3 levels can impact the axonal transport of BACE1 and demonstrate that reducing axonal transport of BACE1 in axons is a viable strategy for decreasing BACE1 in axonal terminals and, perhaps, reducing amyloid deposition.     

Secretome protein enrichment identifies physiological BACE1 protease substrates in neurons

Cell surface proteolysis is essential for communication between cells and results in the shedding of membrane-protein ectodomains. However, physiological substrates of the contributing proteases are largely unknown. We developed the secretome protein enrichment with click sugars (SPECS) method, which allows proteome-wide identification of shedding substrates and secreted proteins from primary cells, even in the presence of serum proteins. SPECS combines metabolic glycan labelling and click chemistry-mediated biotinylation and distinguishes between cellular and serum proteins. SPECS identified 34, mostly novel substrates of the Alzheimer protease BACE1 in primary neurons, making BACE1 a major sheddase in the nervous system. Selected BACE1 substrates-seizure-protein 6, L1, CHL1 and contactin-2-were validated in brains of BACE1 inhibitor-treated and BACE1 knock-out mice. For some substrates, BACE1 was the major sheddase, whereas for other substrates additional proteases contributed to total substrate shedding. The new substrates point to a central function of BACE1 in neurite outgrowth and synapse formation. SPECS is also suitable for quantitative secretome analyses of primary cells and may be used for the discovery of biomarkers secreted from tumour or stem cells.