BETA-AMYLOID TOXICITY DOES NOT REQUIRE RAGE PROTEIN

It has been suggested that a receptor for advanced glycation end produ cts (RAGE) is the nerve cell receptor for amyloid beta protein (A beta ). To determine if this is indeed the case, two neural cell lines as w ell as rat cortical neurons were examined for the presence of the mRNA for RAGE by PCR and northern blot analysis. Although lung was strongl y positive, in no case was RAGE mRNA detected in the cultured neural c ells. Glycated albumin is a major ligand for RAGE and the cell surface RAGE protein is trypsin sensitive. In agreement with the mRNA data, t rypsin treatment did not alter A beta toxicity, nor did glycated album in modify the A beta response, It follows that RAGE is not the neural receptor for A beta. (C) 1997 Academic Press.