protein
Apolipoprotein E
aka Apo-E
Gene
APOE
Organism
Homo sapiens(9606)
Length
317 aa
Mass
36,154 Da
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a 317-amino-acid apolipoprotein that functions primarily in lipoprotein-mediated lipid transport between organs via plasma and interstitial fluids (UniProt: P02649). It is a core component of multiple lipoprotein classes—including chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, and HDL—and mediates their cellular uptake through binding to receptors such as LDLR, LRP1, LRP2, LRP8, and VLDLR. APOE also plays critical roles in reverse cholesterol transport, hepatic VLDL biosynthesis, and lipid homeostasis, and is involved in immune responses and lipid transport in the central nervous system.
APOE is widely expressed and functions in plasma lipoprotein metabolism and, notably, in neuronal survival and neurite sprouting within the CNS (UniProt: P02649). It is associated with multiple disorders including hyperlipoproteinemia 3, sea-blue histiocyte disease, and lipoprotein glomerulopathy. The protein also interacts with the amyloid precursor protein (APP) through a receptor-dependent mechanism that activates MAP3K12 signaling and enhances AP-1-mediated APP transcription.
APOE is significantly upregulated in Alzheimer disease. In post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls, APOE shows a mean log2 fold-change of +1.05 (Chaparral AD proteomics), indicating elevated abundance in the disease state. This upregulation aligns with APOE's established role in AD pathogenesis, as the ε4 allele is a major genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD2, MIM 104310), and APOE is implicated in amyloid-beta metabolism and neurodegeneration (UniProt: P02649).
Generated from the curated entity record below. May contain errors — verify against source links.
Proteomics Evidence · AD
↑ Up in ADP3
+1.046
P2
not detected
S2
not detected
S3
not detected
Mean log₂FC across detected fractions: +1.0461 (1 of 4 fractions detected)
Human post-mortem AD brain vs age-matched controls, TMT-labeled, 4 subcellular fractions (P2, P3, S2, S3), DDA proteomics.
Related Publications
Browse all →Tau molecular diversity contributes to clinical heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease.
Dujardin Simon et al.Nature medicine2020PMID 32572268Deep Multilayer Brain Proteomics Identifies Molecular Networks in Alzheimer's Disease Progression.
Bai Bing et al.Neuron2020PMID 31926610A Multi-network Approach Identifies Protein-Specific Co-expression in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Alzheimer's Disease.
Seyfried Nicholas T et al.Cell systems2017PMID 27989508Large-scale deep multi-layer analysis of Alzheimer's disease brain reveals strong proteomic disease-related changes not observed at the RNA level.
Johnson Erik C B et al.Nature neuroscience2022PMID 35115731Organization and regulation of gene transcription.
Cramer PatrickNature2019PMID 31462772
Function
APOE is an apolipoprotein, a protein associating with lipid particles, that mainly functions in lipoprotein-mediated lipid transport between organs via the plasma and interstitial fluids (PubMed:14754908, PubMed:1911868, PubMed:6860692). APOE is a core component of plasma lipoproteins and is involved in their production, conversion and clearance (PubMed:14754908, PubMed:1911868, PubMed:1917954, PubMed:23620513, PubMed:2762297, PubMed:6860692, PubMed:9395455). Apolipoproteins are amphipathic molecules that interact both with lipids of the lipoprotein particle core and the aqueous environment of the plasma (PubMed:2762297, PubMed:6860692, PubMed:9395455). As such, APOE associates with chylomicrons, chylomicron remnants, very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) but shows a preferential binding to high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (PubMed:1911868, PubMed:6860692). It also binds a wide range of cellular receptors including the LDL receptor/LDLR, the LDL receptor-related proteins LRP1, LRP2 and LRP8 and the very low-density lipoprotein receptor/VLDLR that mediate the cellular uptake of the APOE-containing lipoprotein particles (PubMed:12950167, PubMed:1530612, PubMed:1917954, PubMed:20030366, PubMed:20303980, PubMed:2063194, PubMed:2762297, PubMed:7635945, PubMed:7768901, PubMed:8756331, PubMed:8939961). Finally, APOE also has a heparin-binding activity and binds heparan-sulfate proteoglycans on the surface of cells, a property that supports the capture and the receptor-mediated uptake of APOE-containing lipoproteins by cells (PubMed:23676495, PubMed:7635945, PubMed:9395455, PubMed:9488694). A main function of APOE is to mediate lipoprotein clearance through the uptake of chylomicrons, VLDLs, and HDLs by hepatocytes (PubMed:1911868, PubMed:1917954, PubMed:23676495, PubMed:29516132, PubMed:9395455). APOE is also involved in the biosynthesis by the liver of VLDLs as well as their uptake by peripheral tissues ensuring the delivery of triglycerides and energy storage in muscle, heart and adipose tissues (PubMed:2762297, PubMed:29516132). By participating in the lipoprotein-mediated distribution of lipids among tissues, APOE plays a critical role in plasma and tissues lipid homeostasis (PubMed:1917954, PubMed:2762297, PubMed:29516132). APOE is also involved in two steps of reverse cholesterol transport, the HDLs-mediated transport of cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver, and thereby plays an important role in cholesterol homeostasis (PubMed:14754908, PubMed:23620513, PubMed:9395455). First, it is functionally associated with ABCA1 in the biogenesis of HDLs in tissues (PubMed:14754908, PubMed:23620513). Second, it is enriched in circulating HDLs and mediates their uptake by hepatocytes (PubMed:9395455). APOE also plays an important role in lipid transport in the central nervous system, regulating neuron survival and sprouting (PubMed:25173806, PubMed:8939961). APOE is also involved in innate and adaptive immune responses, controlling for instance the survival of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (By similarity). Binds to the immune cell receptor LILRB4 (PubMed:30333625). APOE may also play a role in transcription regulation through a receptor-dependent and cholesterol-independent mechanism, that activates MAP3K12 and a non-canonical MAPK signal transduction pathway that results in enhanced AP-1-mediated transcription of APP (PubMed:28111074)
(Microbial infection) Through its interaction with HCV envelope glycoprotein E2, participates in the attachment of HCV to HSPGs and other receptors (LDLr, VLDLr, and SR-B1) on the cell surface and to the assembly, maturation and infectivity of HCV viral particles (PubMed:25122793, PubMed:29695434). This interaction is probably promoted via the up-regulation of cellular autophagy by the virus (PubMed:29695434)
Disease associations
Hyperlipoproteinemia 3HLPP3
A disorder characterized by the accumulation of intermediate-density lipoprotein particles (IDL or broad-beta-lipoprotein) rich in cholesterol. Clinical features include xanthomas, yellowish lipid deposits in the palmar crease, or less specific on tendons and on elbows. The disorder rarely manifests before the third decade in men. In women, it is usually expressed only after the menopause.
Alzheimer disease 2AD2
A late-onset form of Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive dementia, loss of cognitive abilities, and deposition of fibrillar amyloid proteins as intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles, extracellular amyloid plaques and vascular amyloid deposits. The major constituents of these plaques are neurotoxic amyloid-beta protein 40 and amyloid-beta protein 42, that are produced by the proteolysis of the transmembrane APP protein. The cytotoxic C-terminal fragments (CTFs) and the caspase-cleaved products, such as C31, are also implicated in neuronal death.
Sea-blue histiocyte diseaseSBHD
Characterized by splenomegaly, mild thrombocytopenia and, in the bone marrow, numerous histiocytes containing cytoplasmic granules which stain bright blue with the usual hematologic stains. The syndrome is the consequence of an inherited metabolic defect analogous to Gaucher disease and other sphingolipidoses.
Lipoprotein glomerulopathyLPG
Uncommon kidney disease characterized by proteinuria, progressive kidney failure, and distinctive lipoprotein thrombi in glomerular capillaries.
Sources
Last updated 5/8/2026, 6:31:09 AM