CHIP stabilizes amyloid precursor protein via proteasomal degradation and p53-mediated trans-repression of β-secretase

In patient with Alzheimer's disease (AD), deposition of amyloid-beta Aβ, a proteolytic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β-secretase/BACE1, forms senile plaque in the brain. BACE1 activation is caused due to oxidative stresses and dysfunction of ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is linked to p53 inactivation. As partial suppression of BACE1 attenuates Aβ generation and AD-related pathology, it might be an ideal target for AD treatment. We have shown that both in neurons and in HEK-APP cells, BACE1 is a new substrate of E3-ligase CHIP and an inverse relation exists between CHIP and BACE1 level. CHIP inhibits ectopic BACE1 level by promoting its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, thus reducing APP processing; it stabilizes APP in neurons, thus reducing Aβ. CHIP(U) (box) domain physically interacts with BACE1; however, both U-box and TPR domain are essential for ubiquitination and degradation of BACE1. Further, BACE1 is a downstream target of p53 and overexpression of p53 decreases BACE1 level. In HEK-APP cells, CHIP is shown to negatively regulate BACE1 promoter through stabilization of p53's DNA-binding conformation and its binding upon 5' UTR element (+127 to +150). We have thus discovered that CHIP regulates p53-mediated trans-repression of BACE1 at both transcriptional and post-translational level. We propose that a CHIP-BACE1-p53 feedback loop might control APP stabilization, which could further be utilized for new therapeutic intervention in AD.