Comments for:

LRP: a multifunctional scavenger and signaling receptor

Joachim Herz, Dudley K. Strickland

Joachim Herz, Dudley K. Strickland

Published September 15, 2001
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2001;108(6):779-784. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI13992.

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Perspective

LRP: a cholesterol recruitment checkpoint for neuronal structure-functional plasticity?

Submitter: Alexei R. Koudinov, M.D., Ph.D., and Natalia V. Koudinova, M.D., Ph.D. | koudin@imb.ac.ru

Berezov Academic Lab, Rus Acad Med Sci, and Weizmann Institute of Science, Dept. Biol. Regulation

Published October 12, 2001

We read with great interest the perspective article by Herz and Strickland entitled “LRP: a multifunctional scavenger and signaling receptor” ( JCI, 2001, 108 (6), 779-784 ) and related review articles by Herz in recent issues of Neuron ( 1 ) and TINS ( 2). In these papers the signaling roles of LRP in response to ligand binding was proposed to be important for normal synaptic plasticity. It was also suggested that the loss of LRP function or levels may impair synaptic plasticity and lead to neuronal degeneration.

We would like to bring readers attention to the other feasibility missed in Herz contribution. As we recently discussed in our FASEB Journal research article ( 3 ) an inability of the hippocampus to synthesize cholesterol and redistribute cholesterol from one cell to another via lipoprotein receptor-mediated transport impairs synaptic plasticity and causes acute appearance of the major neurodegeneration markers ( 3 ).

We believe that activity-dependent fast neuronal recruitment of lipoprotein cholesterol via LRP receptor represents important mechanism for the fast onset neuronal structural plasticity essential to the plastic changes of synapses during memory formation and memory storage.

References:

1. Herz J. The LDL receptor gene family: (un)expected signal transducers in the brain. Neuron 2001 Mar; 29: 571-81 [ PubMed Citation ] [ Abstract and Full text at Neuron ]

2. Herz J. Lipoprotein receptors: beacons to neurons? Trends Neurosci. 2001 Apr; 24: 193-5 [ PubMed Citation ] [ Abstract and Full text at BioMedNet ].

3. Koudinov AR, Koudinova NV. Essential role for cholesterol in synaptic plasticity and neuronal degeneration. FASEB J. published June 27, 2001, 10.1096/fj.00-0815fje [ PubMed Citation ] [ Abstract and Full text at FASEB J ] [ Authors WEB site ] [ Authors WEB site mirror ] [ Authors related Electronic Letter at British Medical Journal ].