Mass Spectrometry Quantification Revealed Accumulation of C-Terminal Fragment of Apolipoprotein E in the Alzheimer's Frontal Cortex

Polymorphic variation in the apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene is the major genetic susceptibility factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) and likely contributes to neuropathology through various pathways. It is also recognized that apoE undergoes proteolytic cleavage in the brain and the resultant apoE fragments likely have a variety of bioactive properties that regulate neuronal signaling and may promote neurodegeneration. ApoE fragmentation in the human brain has been intensively studied using different immunochemical methods, but has never been analyzed in a quantitative manner to establish preferably accumulated fragments. Here we report quantification using multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM MS) with 15N-labeled full-length apoE4 as an internal standard. Measurements were performed on frontal cortex from control and severe AD donors. Our data point to a preferable accumulation of C-terminal apoE fragment in the insoluble fraction of tissue homogenate in the severe AD group versus the control group. Further insight into the biological consequences of this accumulation may lead to a better understanding of the basic mechanism of AD pathology.