Distribution of BACE1 in the rodent, monkey and human brain

The beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE1) is responsible for initiating generation of beta-amyloid, the major constituent of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, BACE1 is a target for the therapeutic inhibition of beta-amyloid production in AD. Little is known about the distribution pattern of the BACE1 protein in the brain. Brain tissue from rodent, monkey and human brain was analyzed for distribution of the BACE1 protein. BACE1 was found to be ubiquitously distributed in the rodent brain with higher levels in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers and the granule cell layer of the hippocampus. Furthermore, higher amounts of the BACE1 protein were also observed in the globus pallidum and the substantia nigra. In monkey and human hippocampus, higher BACE1 expression was identified in the cell bodies of the dentate gyrus. This study provides first data about the distribution pattern of the BACE1 protein in the rodent, monkey and human brain.