BBB Seminar: Ragna Sannerud

Ragna Sannerud
Laboratory of Membrane Trafficking, Center for Human Genetics, Catholic University of Leuven and VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven, Belgium

Amyloid β (Aβ) peptides, the primary constituents of senile plaques, and a hallmark in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, are generated through the sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase. Under-standing the cellular regulation of Aβ production is a major challenge in the development of new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. We hypothesize that subcellular trafficking is an important regulator in the production of Aβ peptides, since these enzymes and their substrate are transmembrane proteins. Therefore, one major goal of our laboratory is to understand the molecular biology of membrane transport processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. This presentation will focus on how APP encounters its first clipping enzyme BACE1, based on our recent imaging and biochemical data that provide novel insight into the regulation of the intracellular itineraries of these proteins.

Host: Jaakko Saraste, Department of Biomedicine