AP-2 reduces amyloidogenesis by promoting BACE1 trafficking and degradation in neurons (2020)
Figure 1

Figure 1 | AP-2 regulates BACE1 recycling and is mostly dispensable for BACE1 endocytosis. (A) BACE1 internalization kinetics after 20 minutes (WT: 19.79±1.89%, KO: 13.28±1.57%, p WT vs KO=0.017) and 40 minutes of HA antibody chase (WT: 15.99±2.04, KO: 9.29±1.33, pWT vs KO=0.010) is significantly decreased in AP-2µ KO neurons (27 WT and 29 KO neurons).

(B) Representative examples of internalized BACE1 after 5 min of HA antibody pulse in HA-BACE1-eGFP-overexpressing WT and KO neurons. Scale bar: 5µm.

(C, D) Internalized BACE1 levels after 20 min of HA antibody pulse in HA-BACE1-eGFP-overexpressing WT and KO neurons, calculated as the HA (internalized)/eGFP (total) signal intensity ratio (WT: 0.50±0.052, KO: 0.23±0.036, p=0.000, 30 WT and 36 KO neurons, N=4 biological replicates). Scale bar: 5 µm.

(E, F) Recycled BACE1 levels after 20 min of HA antibody pulse in HA-BACE1-eGFP-overexpressing WT and KO neurons, calculated as the HA(recycled)/eGFP(total) signal intensity ratio (WT: 0.29±0.031, KO: 0.53±0.040, p<000, 30 WT and 32 KO neurons, N=4 biological replicates). Scale bar: 5 µm.

(G, H) Recycled levels of BACE1 after 20 min of HA antibody pulse in HA-BACE1-mCherry-transfected WT and KO neurons, co-expressing either eGFP-RAB4 or eGFP-RAB4-S22N, calculated as the HA(recycled)/mCherry(total) signal intensity ratio (WTRAB4: 0.14±0.02, KORAB4: 0.20±0.02, WTRAB4-S22N: 0.14±0.02, KORAB4S22N:0.14±0.01, pWTRAB4 vs pKORAB4=0.033, pKORAB4 vs pKORAB4S22N=0.035, pWTRABS22N vs pKORABS22N=0.999, pWTRAB4 vs pWTRAB4S22N>0.999, 34-38 neurons, N=4 biological replicates). Scale bar: 5 µm.

(I) Recycled levels of BACE1 after 20 min of HA antibody chase in HA-BACE1-mCherry-transfected WT and KO neurons, co-expressing either eGFP-RAB11 or eGFP-RAB11-S22N, calculated as the HA(recycled)/mCherry(total) signal intensity ratio (WTRAB11: 0.11±0.01, KORAB11: 0.29±0.02, WTRAB11A-S25N: 0.14±0.02, KORAB11A-S25N: 0.19±0.02, pWTRAB11 vs pKORAB11<0.0001, pWTRAB11 vs pWTRAB11A-S25N=0.761, pKORAB11 vs pKORAB11A-S25N=0.001, pWTRAB11A-S25N vs pKORAB11A-S25N=0.175, 28-37 neurons per condition, N=3 biological replicates).

(J, K) Internalized levels of BACE1 after 20 minutes of HA antibody uptake in HA-BACE1-mCherry transfected WT and KO neurons, co-expressing either eGFP-RAB4 or eGFP-RAB4-S22N, calculated as the HA(internalized)/mCherry(total) signal intensity ratio (WTRAB4: 0.54±0.05, KORAB4: 0.33±0.02, WTRAB4-S22N: 0.63±0.06, KORAB11A-S25N: 0.50±0.04, pWTRAB4 vs pKORAB4=0.004, pKORAB4 vs pKORAB4S22N=0.046, pWTRABS22N vs pKORABS22N=0.182, pWTRAB4 vs pWTRAB4S22N=0.450, 27-37 neurons per condition, N=3 biological replicates). Scale bar: 5 µm.

(L, M) BACE1 surface levels are increased in AP-2µ KO neurons, when compared to the WT set to 100% (KO: 129.65±5.30%, p=0.005, N=4 biological replicates).

(N) Surface versus total BACE1 ratio is not altered in AP-2µ KO neurons when normalized to the WT set to 100% (KO: 83.02±10.93%, p=0.109, N=4 biological replicates).

(O, P) Accumulation of endogenous BACE1 in RAB5-positive early endosomes, quantified using Pearson's colocalization coefficient (WT: 0.41±0.01, KO: 0.46±0.02, pWT vs pKO=0.021, 58 WT and 54 KO neurons, N=4 biological replicates). Scale bar: 10 µm. Arrows indicate BACE1 accumulation within RAB5-positive endosomes.

(Q) Schematic illustration depicting the role of AP-2 in BACE1 endosomal trafficking.

Data information: Experimental designs are depicted in the top panels in (C,E,G,J), where analyzed BACE1 fraction is marked with the red square. All graphs show mean ± SEM, statistical analysis was performed by unpaired two-tailed Student's t‐test in (A,D,F,P), two-way ANOVA in (H,I,K) and by one-sample Student's t‐test in (M,N). n.s.-non-significant. * indicates p≤0.05, ** indicates p≤0.01, *** indicates p≤0.001.