Soluble β-amyloid Precursor Protein Alpha Binds to p75 Neurotrophin Receptor to Promote Neurite Outgrowth

BACKGROUND The cleavage of β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates multiple proteins: Soluble β-amyloid Precursor Protein Alpha (sAPPα), sAPPβ, and amyloid β (Aβ). Previous studies have shown that sAPPα and sAPPβ possess neurotrophic properties, whereas Aβ is neurotoxic. However, the underlying mechanism of the opposing effects of APP fragments remains poorly understood. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism of sAPPα-mediated neurotrophic effects. sAPPα and sAPPβ interact with p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)), and sAPPα promotes neurite outgrowth. METHODS AND FINDINGS First, we investigated whether APP fragments interact with p75(NTR), because full-length APP and Aβ have been shown to interact with p75(NTR) in vitro. Both sAPPα and sAPPβ were co-immunoprecipitated with p75(NTR) and co-localized with p75(NTR) on COS-7 cells. The binding affinity of sAPPα and sAPPβ for p75(NTR) was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Next, we investigated the effect of sAPPα on neurite outgrowth in mouse cortical neurons. Neurite outgrowth was promoted by sAPPα, but sAPPα was uneffective in a knockdown of p75(NTR). CONCLUSION We conclude that p75(NTR) is the receptor for sAPPα to mediate neurotrophic effects.