Intracellular trafficking of TREM2 is regulated by presenilin 1

Researchers have identified a new interaction between two molecules that may clarify development of some neurodegenerative diseases. The TREM2 receptor activates microglia, immune cells in the brain, but it must be on the cell surface to function correctly. Mutations in TREM2 that alter its location have been implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease but TREM2 transport within cells remains poorly understood. Researchers led by Huaxi Xu of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, USA, and Qi Wang of the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine investigated TREM2 transport by searching for proteins that interact with it. They found that presenilin 1, which has also been implicated in AD, regulates TREM2 transport and affects activation of microglia. These results may help to identify a new target for development of AD treatments.