Nicastrin (abbreviated NCT) is a protein that is part of the gamma secretaseprotein complex, which is one of the proteases involved in processing amyloid precursor protein (APP) to the short Alzheimer's disease-associated peptide amyloid beta. The other proteins in the complex are PSEN1 (presenilin-1), which is the catalytically active component of the complex, APH-1 (anterior pharynx-defective 1), and PEN-2 (presenilin enhancer 2).[4] Nicastrin itself is not catalytically active, but instead promotes the maturation and proper trafficking of the other proteins in the complex, all of which undergo significant post-translational modification before becoming active in the cell.[5] Nicastrin has also been identified as a regulator of neprilysin, an enzyme involved in the degradation of amyloid beta fragment.[6]
History
The protein was named after the Italian village Nicastro, reflecting the fact that Alzheimer's disease was described in 1963 after studying descendants of an extended family originating in the village of Nicastro that had Familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD).[7]
↑Yu G, Nishimura M, Arawaka S, Levitan D, Zhang L, Tandon A, Song YQ, Rogaeva E, Chen F, Kawarai T, Supala A, Levesque L, Yu H, Yang DS, Holmes E, Milman P, Liang Y, Zhang DM, Xu DH, Sato C, Rogaev E, Smith M, Janus C, Zhang Y, Aebersold R, Farrer LS, Sorbi S, Bruni A, Fraser P, St George-Hyslop P (Sep 2000). "Nicastrin modulates presenilin-mediated notch/glp-1 signal transduction and betaAPP processing". Nature. 407 (6800): 48–54. doi:10.1038/35024009. PMID10993067.
↑Kaether C, Haass C, Steiner H (2006). "Assembly, trafficking and function of gamma-secretase". Neuro-Degenerative Diseases. 3 (4–5): 275–83. doi:10.1159/000095267. PMID17047368.
↑Pardossi-Piquard R, Dunys J, Yu G, St George-Hyslop P, Alves da Costa C, Checler F (May 2006). "Neprilysin activity and expression are controlled by nicastrin". Journal of Neurochemistry. 97 (4): 1052–6. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03822.x. PMID16606360.
↑Feldman RG, Chandler KA, Levy LL, Glaser GH (Oct 1963). "FAMILIAL ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE". Neurology. 13 (10): 811–24. doi:10.1212/wnl.13.10.811. PMID14066996.
↑ 8.08.1Yu G, Nishimura M, Arawaka S, Levitan D, Zhang L, Tandon A, Song YQ, Rogaeva E, Chen F, Kawarai T, Supala A, Levesque L, Yu H, Yang DS, Holmes E, Milman P, Liang Y, Zhang DM, Xu DH, Sato C, Rogaev E, Smith M, Janus C, Zhang Y, Aebersold R, Farrer LS, Sorbi S, Bruni A, Fraser P, St George-Hyslop P (Sep 2000). "Nicastrin modulates presenilin-mediated notch/glp-1 signal transduction and betaAPP processing". Nature. 407 (6800): 48–54. doi:10.1038/35024009. PMID10993067.
↑Baulac S, LaVoie MJ, Kimberly WT, Strahle J, Wolfe MS, Selkoe DJ, Xia W (Nov 2003). "Functional gamma-secretase complex assembly in Golgi/trans-Golgi network: interactions among presenilin, nicastrin, Aph1, Pen-2, and gamma-secretase substrates". Neurobiology of Disease. 14 (2): 194–204. doi:10.1016/S0969-9961(03)00123-2. PMID14572442.
↑Gu Y, Chen F, Sanjo N, Kawarai T, Hasegawa H, Duthie M, Li W, Ruan X, Luthra A, Mount HT, Tandon A, Fraser PE, St George-Hyslop P (Feb 2003). "APH-1 interacts with mature and immature forms of presenilins and nicastrin and may play a role in maturation of presenilin.nicastrin complexes". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278 (9): 7374–80. doi:10.1074/jbc.M209499200. PMID12471034.
↑ 12.012.1Lee SF, Shah S, Li H, Yu C, Han W, Yu G (Nov 2002). "Mammalian APH-1 interacts with presenilin and nicastrin and is required for intramembrane proteolysis of amyloid-beta precursor protein and Notch". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 277 (47): 45013–9. doi:10.1074/jbc.M208164200. PMID12297508.