Alzheimer's plaques reduced by targeting sugar attachment to the BACE1 enzyme
Date: January 15, 2015
Source: RIKEN
Summary: Hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can be reduced when sugars are prevented from binding to one of the key enzymes implicated in the disease, scientists report. The new findings show that abnormal attachment of a particular sugar to the enzyme BACE1 is a critical factor leading to the formation of plaques in the brain.
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This research highlights the importance of glycosylation--the modification of proteins by sugars. Far from being rare, it is the most common way in which protein structure is altered, with more than half of proteins being glycosylated in mammals
