Regulation of alpha-secretase ADAM10 expression and activity

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) has a pivotal role in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) via its beta- and gamma-secretase-derived cleavage products-the A-beta peptides. An alternative processing pathway provided by the alpha-secretase prevents formation of those toxic peptides and gives rise to the neurotrophic and neuroprotective cleavage product APPs-alpha. The molecular identity of the alpha-secretase has been confirmed recently, and there is consistency about ADAM10 being the most relevant and physiological enzyme of this class. It is not clear to what extent a deficiency in the catalytic activity of ADAM10 contributes to AD pathology and whether a decline occurs in aging humans. Nevertheless, ADAM10 has been suggested as a valuable target for prevention and/or for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review focuses on our knowledge about regulation of ADAM10 on different levels of cell physiology, such as transcription and translation, as well as protein-protein interactions and how this especially in the case of transcriptional regulation by retinoic acids might lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches.