Effects of Low Amyloid-β (Aβ) Concentration on Aβ(1–42) Oligomers Binding and GluN2B Membrane Expression

Numerous studies have shown that amyloid-β (Aβ) modulate intracellular metabolic cascades and an intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis and a cell surface NMDA receptor expression alteration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However most of these findings have been obtained by using non-physiological Aβ concentrations. The present study deals with the effect of low Aβ concentrations on cellular homeostasis. We used nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12 cells and murine cortical neurons sequentially treated with low chronic monomeric or small oligomeric Aβ concentrations and high acute oligomeric Aβ concentrations to bring out a priming effect of chronic treatment on subsequently high Aβ concentrations-elicited cellular response. Both cell types indeed displayed an enhanced capacity to bind oligomeric Aβ after monomeric or small oligomeric Aβ application. Furthermore, the results show that monomeric Aβ(1–42) application to the cells induces an increase of the Ca(2+)-response and of the membrane expression of the extrasynaptic subunit of the NMDA receptor GluN2B in PC12 cells, while the opposite effects were observed in cultured neurons. This suggests a sequential interaction of Aβ with the cellular plasma membrane involving monomers or small Aβ oligomers which would facilitate the binding of the deleterious high molecular Aβ oligomers. This mechanism would explain the slow progression of AD in the human nervous system and the deep gradient of neuronal death observed around the amyloid plaques in the nervous tissue.