PP2A methylation controls sensitivity and resistance to β-amyloid-induced cognitive and electrophysiological impairments

Elevated levels of the beta-amyloid peptide (A beta) are thought to contribute to cognitive and behavioral impairments observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) participates in multiple molecular pathways implicated in AD, and its expression and activity are reduced in postmortem brains of AD patients. PP2A is regulated by protein methylation, and impaired PP2A methylation is thought to contribute to increased AD risk in hyperhomocysteinemic individuals. To examine further the link between PP2A and AD, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress the PP2A methylesterase, protein phosphatase methylesterase-1 (PME-1), or the PP2A methyltransferase, leucine carboxylmethyltransferase-1 (LCMT-1), and examined the sensitivity of these animals to behavioral and electrophysiological impairments caused by exogenous A beta exposure. We found that PME-1 overexpression enhanced these impairments, whereas LCMT-1 overexpression protected against A beta-induced impairments. Neither transgene affected A beta production or the electrophysiological response to low concentrations of A beta, suggesting that these manipulations selectively affect the pathological response to elevated A beta levels. Together these data identify a molecular mechanism linking PP2A to the development of AD-related cognitive impairments that might be therapeutically exploited to target selectively the pathological effects caused by elevated A beta levels in AD patients.