PS1 activates PI3K thus inhibiting GSK-3 activity and tau overphosphorylation: effects of FAD mutations

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) promotes cell survival and communication by activating its downstream effector Akt kinase. Here we show that PSI, a protein involved in familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), promotes cell survival by activating the PI3K/Akt cell survival signaling. This function of PSI is unaffected by gamma-secretase inhibitors. Pharmacological and genetic evidence indicates that PSI acts upstream of Akt, at or before PI3K kinase. PSI forms complexes with the p85 subunit of PI3K and promotes cadherin/PI3K association. Furthermore, conditions that inhibit this association prevent the PSI-induced PI3K/Akt activation, indicating that PSI stimulates PI3K/Akt signaling by promoting cadherin/PI3K association. By activating PI3K/Akt signaling, PSI promotes phosphorylation/inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), suppresses GSK-3-dependent phosphorylation of tau at residues overphosphorylated in AD and prevents apoptosis of confluent cells. PSI FAD mutations inhibit the PSI-dependent PI3K/Akt activation, thus promoting GSK-3 activity and tau overphosphorylation at AD-related residues. Our data raise the possibility that PSI may prevent development of AD pathology by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In contrast, FAD mutations may promote AD pathology by inhibiting this pathway.