PLD3 gene contributes to risk of Alzheimer’s disease

PLD3 gene contributes to risk of Alzheimer's disease
This image shows the close relationship between phospholipase D3 and the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in tissue from the temporal lobe of a human brain. Phospholipase D3, which is primarily in neurons, is shown in green and neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are in red stained with thiazine red. Credit: Matthew Schrag

A rare and controversial mutation in the phospholipase D3 (PLD3) protein—previously linked to Alzheimer’s disease—interferes with PLD3’s vital recycling function inside neurons. Matthew Schrag of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues report these new findings in a paper published April 8th in PLOS Genetics.

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