Unraveling genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Approximately 20 percent of people produce a version of human apolipoprotein E called ApoE4, which increases their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, while the five percent of people who produce the rare ApoE2 appear to show some protection against Alzheimer's.

Liqin Zhao and colleagues explored the influence of these ApoE variations -- in addition to the most common ApoE3 that does not confer risk for or protection against Alzheimer's disease -- on the chemical reactions that transform glucose and ketone bodies into the form of energy used by cells.

大脑表达蛋白质的三种类型handled the process differently, which may underlie their distinct effects on Alzheimer's risk and protection. While the ApoE4 brains struggled to use glucose, they appeared to utilize ketone bodies -- the brain's secondary fuel source -- to compensate for the energy deficiency.