APOLIPOPROTEIN-E UPTAKE AND DEGRADATION VIA CHLOROQUINE-SENSITIVE PATHWAY IN CULTIVATED MONKEY CELLS OVEREXPRESSING LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEINRECEPTOR

Alzheimer's disease with late onset is associated with inheritance of isoform 4 of the polymorphic apolipoprotein E (ApoE). We describe an e xperimental model where intracellular interaction between ApoE isoform s and cellular proteins may be studied. Internalization and intracellu lar fate of ApoE from fresh normal cerebrospinal fluid is followed in COS cells (an SV40 transformed Simian kidney cell line) overexpressing the low density lipoprotein receptor. Chase and chloroquine experimen ts strongly suggest that internalized ApoE travels through the endosom al-lysosomal pathway after dissociation from the receptor in early end osome.