THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF APOLIPOPROTEINS AND THEIR RECEPTORS IN THE CNS AND ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

The importance of apolipoproteins in the central nervous system became increasingly clear with the association in 1993 of the epsilon 4 alle le of apolipoprotein E with familial and sporadic late-onset Alzheimer 's disease. Apolipoprotein E is a ligand for several receptors, most o f which are found to some extent in the brain. This review summarizes the various apolipoproteins and Lipoprotein receptors found in the bra in. A growing body of evidence now implicates irregular Lipoprotein me tabolism in several neurodegenerative disorders. We then focus on rese arch linking apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer's disease, from clinical s tudies to biochemical models, which may explain some of the complex ne urobiology of this disorder. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.