AICD Plasmids

AICD (Amyloid Precursor Protein Intracellular Domain) plasmids are genetic tools designed to study the expression and function of AICD, a cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). AICD is generated through proteolytic processing by β-secretase (BACE1) and γ-secretase, which also produces amyloid-β peptides associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AICD plays a role in gene regulation, intracellular signaling, and cellular stress responses.

Content of AICD Plasmids

• AICD Coding Sequence:
  • Encodes the intracellular domain of APP (typically the C-terminal ~50 amino acids of APP).
• Promoter:
  • Constitutive Promoters: (e.g., CMV, EF1α) for robust expression in various cell types.
  • Inducible Promoters: (e.g., tetracycline-inducible systems) for controlled expression.
• Tagging Sequences:
  • Tags such as GFP, FLAG, or His6 for detection, visualization, and purification of AICD.
• Selectable Markers:
  • Antibiotic resistance genes (e.g., ampicillin, kanamycin) for plasmid selection in bacteria or mammalian cells.
• Replication Origin (Ori):
  • Supports plasmid replication in bacterial systems (e.g., ColE1) or eukaryotic cells (e.g., SV40).

Applications of AICD Plasmids

• APP Processing Studies:
  • AICD plasmids are used to study γ-secretase-dependent cleavage of APP and its regulatory mechanisms.
• Transcriptional Regulation:
  • AICD has been shown to translocate to the nucleus and regulate gene expression. Plasmids expressing AICD are used to identify its target genes and analyze its transcriptional activity.
• Neurodegenerative Disease Research:
  • AICD’s role in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis is studied using AICD plasmids, especially its contribution to neuronal dysfunction, apoptosis, and oxidative stress.
• Protein-Protein Interaction Studies:
  • Tagged AICD plasmids enable co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays to identify interaction partners, such as Fe65 and Tip60, which are involved in AICD signaling.

AICD plasmids are critical tools for studying APP processing, transcriptional regulation, and neurodegeneration. They provide insights into AICD’s roles in Alzheimer’s disease and its broader implications in cell signaling and gene expression, making them essential for advancing research into APP biology and therapeutic development.