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Review
. 2008 Dec;12(6A):2255-62.
doi: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2008.00496.x. Epub 2008 Sep 13.

Amyloid-beta oligomers set fire to inflammasomes and induce Alzheimer's pathology

Antero Salminen  1 , Johanna Ojala, Tiina Suuronen, Kai Kaarniranta, Anu Kauppinen
Affiliations
Review

Amyloid-beta oligomers set fire to inflammasomes and induce Alzheimer's pathology

Antero Salminen et al. J Cell Mol Med. 2008 Dec.

Abstract

Genetic and molecular studies have confirmed the central role of amyloid-beta production and fibrillation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the pathological pathways from amyloid-beta peptide oligomerization to the major pathological hallmarks of AD, such as neurofibrillary tangles, inflammation and loss of cholinergic neurons, are largely unknown. The innate immunity defence system utilizes pattern recognition receptors to respond to a variety of danger- and pathogen-associated molecular structures. Amyloid-beta oligomers and fibrils and their cellular effects can activate the innate immunity defence and induce inflammatory and apoptotic responses in human brain. Amyloid-beta oligomers can interfere with many aspects of neuronal membrane functions and can evoke potassium (K+) efflux from neurons. A low K+ concentration is a potent activator for the NALP1 inflammasomes, which then stimulate caspase-1 to cleave the proforms of IL-1beta and IL-18 cytokines. Interestingly, recent observations have demonstrated that amyloid-beta fibrils can activate NALP3 inflammasomes Via the lysosomal damage in mouse microglia. We will review here the activation mechanisms of NALP inflammasomes in neurons and microglia and several downstream effects in brain demonstrating that toxic amyloid-beta oligomers and fibrils can light afire in inflammasomes and induce Alzheimer's pathology.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A hypothetical model on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease indicating that toxic amyloid-β oligomers and fibrils can set fire to neuronal NALP1 inflammasomes via K+ efflux and microglial NALP3 inflammasomes via lysosomal damage and through these danger signals induce Alzheimer's pathology.
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