AUTHOR=Montagna Elena , Dorostkar Mario M. , Herms Jochen 

TITLE=The Role of APP in Structural Spine Plasticity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2017.00136

DOI=10.3389/fnmol.2017.00136

ISSN=1662-5099

ABSTRACT=Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a transmembrane protein highly expressed in neurons. The full-length protein has cell-adhesion and receptor-like properties, which play roles in synapse formation and stability. Furthermore, APP can be cleaved by several proteases into numerous fragments, many of which affect synaptic function and stability. This review focuses on the mechanisms of APP in structural synaptic plasticity, which encompasses the morphological alterations at excitatory synapses. These occur as changes in the number and morphology of dendritic spines, which correspond to the postsynaptic compartment of excitatory synapses. Both overexpression and knockout of APP lead to impaired synaptic plasticity. Recent data also suggest a role of APP in the regulation of astrocytic D-serine homeostasis, which in turn regulates synaptic plasticity.