It is generally accepted that the crucial events in the pathogeny of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the increased accumulation of amyloidogenic peptides derived from amyloid precursor protein and the harmful actions of these peptides on neurons, which bring about neurodegeneration. The enhanced beta-amyloid accumulation is known to be caused by mutations of specific genes in patients who suffer from the familial (hereditary) form of AD but who represent just a minor group within the total population of AD patients. The reasons for beta-amyloid accumulation are not known in the much larger group of patients with the sporadic form of the disease. A biochemical feature common to either form of the disease is the preferential atrophy and degeneration of cholinergic neurons, which is probably responsible for much of the cognitive decline characteristic of the disease. We present an overview of recent investigations on the interactions between beta-amyloid and cholinergic neurons.

Department of Neurochemistry Institute of Physiology CAS Prague Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

Biochem J. 1996 Dec 15;320 ( Pt 3):957-63 PubMed

Mol Cell Neurosci. 2000 Dec;16(6):708-23 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 2001 Jun 15;276(24):21895-901 PubMed

Lancet. 1977 Jan 22;1(8004):189 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1997 Aug 15;272(33):20313-6 PubMed

Neuroreport. 1998 Feb 16;9(3):547-52 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Apr 2;93(7):2719-23 PubMed

Neurobiol Aging. 2001 Jan-Feb;22(1):131-46 PubMed

Neuroreport. 2001 May 25;12(7):1377-84 PubMed

Metab Brain Dis. 2000 Mar;15(1):45-64 PubMed

Lancet. 2000 Nov 11;356(9242):1627-31 PubMed

Trends Neurosci. 1998 Jan;21(1):43-9 PubMed

Biochem J. 1981 Jun 15;196(3):867-76 PubMed

Neurobiol Dis. 2000 Aug;7(4):321-31 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1996 Nov;67(5):1882-96 PubMed

Rev Neurosci. 2000;11(4):329-82 PubMed

Neurosci Lett. 1990 Mar 14;110(3):319-24 PubMed

Trends Neurosci. 2001 Nov;24(11 Suppl):S45-8 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Nov 1;89(21):10075-8 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1995 Aug;65(2):939-42 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Oct 12;96(21):12108-13 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1996 Feb 23;271(8):4188-94 PubMed

Brain Res. 1994 Apr 18;643(1-2):324-7 PubMed

Neurodegeneration. 1996 Dec;5(4):477-82 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 May 23;97(11):5696-8 PubMed

Neuron. 1996 May;16(5):921-32 PubMed

FASEB J. 1990 Jul;4(10):2745-52 PubMed

Neuron. 1989 Dec;3(6):689-94 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1996 Feb 23;271(8):4436-40 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1999 Aug;73(2):443-9 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1993 Nov;61(5):1965-8 PubMed

Naturwissenschaften. 2001 Jun;88(6):261-7 PubMed

Lancet. 2001 May 26;357(9269):1679 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1995 Mar 3;270(9):4916-22 PubMed

J Neurol Sci. 1977 Nov;34(2):247-65 PubMed

Neurobiol Dis. 2001 Oct;8(5):890-9 PubMed

Exp Gerontol. 2000 Dec;35(9-10):1363-72 PubMed

Nat Neurosci. 2001 Sep;4(9):859-60 PubMed

Neuroepidemiology. 1998;17(1):14-20 PubMed

J Neurosci. 1997 Dec 15;17(24):9407-14 PubMed

Nature. 1999 Jun 24;399(6738 Suppl):A23-31 PubMed

Neuron. 1993 Feb;10(2):243-54 PubMed

Cell. 1995 May 19;81(4):525-31 PubMed

J Neurosci. 1998 Aug 15;18(16):6207-17 PubMed

Rev Neurosci. 2000;11 Spec No:213-328 PubMed

Prog Neurobiol. 1998 Dec;56(5):541-69 PubMed

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1991;640:129-39 PubMed

Neurosci Lett. 1997 Dec 19;239(2-3):77-80 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 May 8;98 (10 ):5815-20 PubMed

Nature. 2000 Nov 9;408(6809):239-47 PubMed

Trends Neurosci. 2002 Feb;25(2):79-84 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Jul 23;93(15):8068-71 PubMed

Science. 1992 Oct 9;258(5080):304-7 PubMed

J Chem Neuroanat. 2001 Jun;21(4):323-9 PubMed

Neurobiol Dis. 2002 Feb;9(1):11-23 PubMed

Exp Neurol. 1994 Feb;125(2):163-71; discussion 172-4 PubMed

Science. 1982 Jul 30;217(4558):408-14 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 2000 Jun 30;275(26):19439-42 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Feb 13;98(4):1941-6 PubMed

J Neurosci. 1997 Oct 1;17(19):7288-96 PubMed

Behav Brain Res. 1996 Feb;75(1-2):1-11 PubMed

Neurochem Res. 2001 Sep;26(8-9):1079-84 PubMed

Brain Res. 1991 Nov 1;563(1-2):311-4 PubMed

J Neurochem. 2002 Apr;81(1):1-8 PubMed

Cell Mol Neurobiol. 1995 Oct;15(5):513-26 PubMed

Brain Res. 2001 Aug 10;910(1-2):134-41 PubMed

Cell. 1989 Aug 25;58(4):615-22 PubMed

Science. 1990 Oct 12;250(4978):279-82 PubMed

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1999 Feb;66(2):137-47 PubMed

Neurobiol Aging. 2002 Mar-Apr;23(2):213-23 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1998 May;70(5):2179-87 PubMed

J Neurosci. 1996 Feb 1;16(3):1034-40 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1981 Apr;36(4):1331-7 PubMed

Science. 1989 Mar 17;243(4897):1488-90 PubMed

J Neurosci. 2002 Mar 1;22(5):1679-89 PubMed

Neuron. 1992 Jul;9(1):129-37 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Sep 14;96(19):10893-8 PubMed

J Neurosci. 2000 Apr 1;20(7):2589-601 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1999 Feb;72(2):443-60 PubMed

Mol Pharmacol. 1997 Sep;52(3):430-6 PubMed

Neuron. 2001 Oct 25;32(2):177-80 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1999 Jan;72 (1):273-81 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jun 6;97(12):6826-31 PubMed

J Neurosci Res. 1999 Aug 15;57(4):458-66 PubMed

J Neurosci. 1995 Mar;15(3 Pt 2):2157-67 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1997 Jan 24;272(4):2038-41 PubMed

Brain Res. 1982 May 27;240(2):285-93 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1976 Jul;27(1):37-42 PubMed

Brain Res Bull. 2001 Mar 1;54(4):363-73 PubMed

Exp Neurol. 2001 Jul;170(1):36-47 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 2000 Feb 25;275(8):5626-32 PubMed

Arch Neurol. 2000 Oct;57(10):1439-43 PubMed

Prog Brain Res. 1996;109:83-95 PubMed

Physiol Rev. 2001 Apr;81(2):741-66 PubMed

Science. 2001 May 25;292(5521):1550-2 PubMed

Brain Res. 1992 Apr 3;576(2):215-9 PubMed

Brain Res. 1997 Oct 3;770(1-2):72-80 PubMed

Trends Neurosci. 2001 Apr;24(4):219-24 PubMed

Exp Neurol. 2000 Feb;161(2):647-63 PubMed

Biochem J. 1975 Apr;148(1):17-23 PubMed

FASEB J. 2000 Aug;14(11):1485-9 PubMed

Biochemistry. 2000 Mar 14;39(10):2552-63 PubMed

Neurology. 1995 Jun;45(6):1092-6 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 May 14;93(10):4693-8 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 May 26;95(11):6460-4 PubMed

Trends Biochem Sci. 2001 Jul;26(7):421-5 PubMed

Nature. 1992 Sep 24;359(6393):322-5 PubMed

J Neurosci Res. 1994 Jun 15;38(3):248-58 PubMed

Mol Psychiatry. 1996 Mar;1(1):27-40 PubMed

Mol Psychiatry. 1996 Dec;1(6):438-44 PubMed

J Neural Transm Suppl. 2000;59:163-9 PubMed

Eur J Neurosci. 2002 Feb;15(3):498-506 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1999 Aug;73(2):532-7 PubMed

Neurosci Lett. 1991 Apr 29;125(2):223-6 PubMed

J Physiol Paris. 2002 Jan-Mar;96(1-2):61-72 PubMed

Eur J Neurosci. 2000 Aug;12(8):2735-45 PubMed

J Neurochem. 2000 Sep;75(3):1155-61 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Jan 15;90(2):567-71 PubMed

Nature. 1992 Sep 24;359(6393):325-7 PubMed

Am J Med. 2000 Nov;109(7):577-85 PubMed

J Neurosci Res. 1997 Jul 15;49(2):154-60 PubMed

Neuroreport. 1999 Jun 3;10(8):1699-705 PubMed

Neuroscience. 2000;101(4):879-84 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1994 Sep 2;269(35):21929-32 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1974 Jun;22(6):893-914 PubMed

Science. 1993 Aug 13;261(5123):921-3 PubMed

Neurobiol Dis. 2002 Feb;9(1):61-8 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Mar 13;98(6):3334-9 PubMed

Prog Neurobiol. 2000 Dec;62(6):633-48 PubMed

J Neurochem. 1981 Apr;36(4):1323-30 PubMed

Physiol Rev. 1997 Oct;77(4):1081-132 PubMed

Biochemistry. 1999 Aug 24;38(34):11189-96 PubMed

J Neurosci. 1999 Nov 1;19(21):9170-9 PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1995 Apr 7;270(14 ):8337-44 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Aug;87(15):6003-6 PubMed

J Neurosci Res. 1991 Jan;28(1):90-100 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 May 8;98(10):5856-61 PubMed

Neurology. 1993 Aug;43(8):1467-72 PubMed

J Physiol Paris. 1998 Oct-Dec;92(5-6):379-84 PubMed

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1996 Jan 17;777:175-82 PubMed

The increase of choline acetyltransferase activity by docosahexaenoic acid in NG108-15 cells grown in serum-free medium is independent of its effect on cell growth