Apolipoprotein E: Essential Catalyst of the Alzheimer Amyloid Cascade

Figure 1

ApoE promotes Aβ Fibril formation in brain and Aβ clearance from the blood. Data from both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that apoE, especially apoE4 promotes the polymerization of Aβ into oligomers and polymers that accumulate in the brain and are difficult to clear. In contrast, the concentration of apoE is higher in the blood, while those of Aβ species are equivalent to or lower than in the brain, promoting the formation and clearance of equimolar apoE-Aβ complexes.