Neuronal anion exchange proteins in Alzheimer's disease pathology

Anion exchange (AE) proteins are present in human neurons in the brain. Imm unohistochemical data indicate that their apparent expression level increas es with age, and especially with degeneration in Alzheimer's disease-affect ed brain areas. The increase in immunoreactivity is probably caused by chan ges in AE structure that lead to an increased accessibility of hitherto hid den epitopes. These epitopes correspond to regions in the membrane domain t hat are involved in generation of senescent cell-specific antigen from AE1 in aging erythrocytes. Elucidation of the molecular nature of these changes and the underlying mechanisms will lead to insight in the processes that g overn aging- and degeneration-associated perturbation of membrane integrity . The functional consequences of changes in AE structure may range from aci dosis and disturbance of cytoskeleton integrity to untimely or impaired rec ognition of neurons by microglia.