APP substrate ectodomain defines amyloid-β peptide length by restraining γ-secretase processivity and facilitating product release

Sequential proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by γ-secretases generates amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and defines the proportion of short-to-long Aβ peptides, which is tightly connected to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Here, we study the mechanism that controls substrate processing by γ-secretases and Aβ peptide length. We found that polar interactions established by the APP_C99 ectodomain (ECD), involving but not limited to its juxtamembrane region, restrain both the extent and degree of γ-secretases processive cleavage by destabilizing enzyme–substrate interactions. We show that increasing hydrophobicity, via mutation or ligand binding, at APP_C99-ECD attenuates substrate-driven product release and rescues the effects of Alzheimer's disease-associated pathogenic γ-secretase and APP variants on Aβ length. In addition, our study reveals that APP_C99-ECD facilitates the paradoxical production of longer Aβs caused by some γ-secretase inhibitors, which act as high-affinity competitors of the substrate. These findings assign a pivotal role to the substrate ECD in the sequential proteolysis by γ-secretases and suggest it as a sweet spot for the potential design of APP-targeting compounds selectively promoting its processing by these enzymes.