Transposable elements and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis

Trends Neurosci. 2023 Mar;46(3):170-172. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.12.003. Epub 2022 Dec 30.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the pathological accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. Microglia and astrocytes respond to the abnormal presence of tau protein with induced transposable element (TE) transcription. In this Forum, we discuss new data that link dysregulated TE expression to AD pathogenesis.

Keywords: human endogenous retroviruses; innate immunity; long interspersed nuclear elements type 1; neurodegeneration; retrotransposon; tau.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Humans
  • Microglia / metabolism
  • Neurofibrillary Tangles / metabolism
  • Plaque, Amyloid / metabolism
  • tau Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • tau Proteins