Abstract
Neurons of adults apparently lack the components necessary to complete the cell division process. Therefore, in Alzheimer disease, the increased expression of cell cycle-related proteins in degenerating neurons likely leads to an interrupted mitotic process associated with cytoskeletal abnormalities and, ultimately, neuronal degeneration. In this study, to further delineate the role of mitotic processes in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease, we undertook a study of polo-like kinase (Plk), a protein that plays a crucial role in the cell cycle. Our results show disease-related increases in Plk in susceptible hippocampal and cortical neurons in comparison to young or age-matched controls. An increase in neuronal Plk further implicates aberrations in cell cycle control in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease and provides a novel mechanistic basis for therapeutic intervention. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 837-841 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Neurobiology of Aging |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 28 2000 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Alzheimer disease
- Cell cycle
- Cytoskeleton
- Pathogenesis
- Phosphorylation
- Polo-like kinase
- tau
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
- Aging
- Clinical Neurology
- Developmental Biology
- Geriatrics and Gerontology