This book explores the role of sub-cellular trafficking in the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent findings point to faulty trafficking as contributing to the dysfunction and degeneration of neurons and neural circuits. Increasingly, research is targeting the mechanisms responsible and means to address them therapeutically. Many adult onset neurodegenerative diseases appear to arise from the accumulation of misfolded, neurotoxic peptides. This book investigates the ways in which sub-cellular trafficking pathways play a role both in the pathological accumulation of these misfolded proteins and in attempts to clear them. Because subcellular protein trafficking has an important role in the biology of neuronal function and survival, this also addresses how trophic factors maintain cell: cell interactions and how the underlying mechanisms may be compromised in neurodegenerative diseases. Examples where the use of such trophic factors may provide a way to modify neurodegenerative diseases are investigated.

Zusammenfassung

Many adult onset neurodegenerative diseases arise from the accumulation of misfolded peptides. This book examines the role sub-cellular trafficking pathways play in the pathological accumulation of these misfolded proteins and in attempts to clear them.

Inhalt
Amyloid Precursor Protein Sorting and Processing: Transmitters, Hormones, and Protein Phosphorylation Mechanisms.- Intramembrane Proteolysis by ?-Secretase and Signal Peptide Peptidases.- Axonal Transport and Neurodegenerative Disease.- Simple Cellular Solutions to Complex Problems.- Tau and Intracellular Transport in Neurons.- Signaling Between Synapse and Nucleus During Synaptic Plasticity.- Axonal Transport of Neurotrophic Signals: An Achilles' Heel for Neurodegeneration?.- Membrane Trafficking and Targeting in Alzheimer's Disease.- Huntington's Disease: Function and Dysfunction of Huntingtin in Axonal Transport.- The Role of Retromer in Neurodegenerative Disease.- Regulation of Endocytic Trafficking of Receptors and Transporters by Ubiquitination: Possible Role in Neurodegenerative Disease.- The Sortilin-Related Receptor SORL1 is Functionally and Genetically Associated with Alzheimer's Disease.- Regulation of Transport and Processing of Amyloid Precursor Protein by the Sorting Receptor SORLA.