Deficits in synaptic transmission and learning in amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice require C-terminal cleavage of APP

Synaptic dysfunction has been shown to be one of the earliest correlates of disease progression in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid-beta protein (A beta) is thought to play an important role in disease-related synaptic dysfunction, but the mechanism by which A beta leads to synaptic dysfunction is not understood. Here we describe evidence that cleavage of APP in the C terminus may be necessary for the deficits present in APP transgenic mice. In APP transgenic mice with a mutated cleavage site at amino acid 664, normal synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and learning were maintained despite the presence of elevated levels of APP, A beta(42), and even plaque accumulation. These results indicate that cleavage of APP may play a critical role in the development of synaptic and behavioral dysfunction in APP transgenic mice.