It is found that the modified protein can prevent Alzheimer's disease

However, in a recent study published in the journal Cell reports, researchers at the University of Chicago revealed the broad role of APP in brain signaling< br / > Image Source: NIH, Lennart mucke, University of California, San Francisco < br / > a long neglected part < br / > over the years, researchers have focused on the amino acid sequence encoded by a β segment in app, such as a dormant monster waiting to be releasedHowever, in this new study, Angele parent, an associate professor of neurobiology, and her team demonstrated that other parts of a chopped app chain are also importantOne of them plays a crucial role in consolidating the spatiotemporal learning and memory of the brain, which can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease under appropriate circumstances< br / > this long neglected segment, when connected to the cell membrane, can participate in a signaling mechanism that triggers the formation of new memoriesIn order to facilitate this connection, parent and his team made a viscous lipid anchor protein with natural appThe modified app fragment is called aicd, which is simple in structure but powerful in functionSix months after the birth of the mice, the researchers injected them with a virus that promotes the high expression of aicd in the brain, with surprising results< br / > the mice were genetically engineered to develop aggressive Alzheimer's disease at a young ageNormally, without the additional aicd provided by the researchers, they would have advanced symptoms of the disease (equivalent to a young human being) at the age of six months< br / > after the virus was injected, parent and her team tested the ability of mice to form spatiotemporal memoryA mouse is a curious but changeable animalWith the help of aicd, the mice successfully recovered or ignored previously explored objects and placesOn the other hand, mice in the control group with Alzheimer's disease expressed less aicd, and they did not know the so-called familiar objects and positions at all< br / >It's like these mice never show signs of Alzheimer's< br / > this humble lipid anchor protein can inhibit Alzheimer's disease in these mice as long as its expression starts at the stage of brain development Researchers are now studying the effects of the same intervention on the brains of adult mice already suffering from Alzheimer's disease < br / > All this happened a long time later, "parent said "By that time, when your memory is already in trouble, will the increase in the number of mcaids help you? "< br / > in fact, the diversity of APP functions has exceeded the expectations of early researchers App triggers a series of events related to memory consolidation, stimulates the growth of new neurons and enhances synaptic activity by participating in complex neural mechanisms At the same time, APP may also produce a β to weaken these memories < br / > this "omnipotent protein" has many functions and occasionally contradicts each other Nevertheless, parent hopes that it can become a coveted memory molecule, because it has the ability to form and eliminate memory < br / > reference: Carole deyts et al App mediated signaling precautions memory decision in Alzheimer's disease mouse model, cell reports (2019) Doi: 10.1016/j.cellep.2019.03.087