# Astrocyte Lipid Droplets as a Novel Mechanism for Impaired Glucose Metabolism in the E4 and AD Brain

> **NIH NIH F30** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2020 · $50,520

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a societal burden, costing the nation 277 billion dollars per year and is the
sixth leading cause of death. As the search for disease modifying therapies for AD continues, a deeper
understanding of cellular metabolism in the AD brain is critical to guide research. The apolipoprotein E (APOE)
gene is the strongest genetic predictor of late onset AD (LOAD). In humans, there are three major isoforms of
apoE: E2, E3, and E4. E3 is the major isoform expressed in humans (~60% of population). E4 confers between
a 2 (heterozygous) to 15-fold (homozygous) increase in risk of LOAD compared to E3. Apolipoprotein E (apoE)
is primarily secreted by astrocytes as a primary lipid carrier in the brain, and has gained traction as a regulator
of cerebral metabolism. For example, E4 carriers exhibit decreased glucose uptake as measured by 18fludeoxy-
glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). FDG-PET is similarly lower in AD individuals, however E4
carriers show low FDG-PET decades before the onset of symptomatic cognitive decline. We recently showed
that E4 expressing astrocytes accumulate significantly more lipid in the form of lipid droplets (LDs) compared to
E3, an intriguing finding in light of the initial 1907 report from Alzheimer that implicated glial lipid accumulation
as a hallmark of disease. Since LDs have been shown to be involved in metabolic disease – including regulation
of glucose uptake – we hypothesize that over accumulation of astrocyte LDs drive the impaired glucose uptake
seen in E4 and AD brains. Therefore, this proposal tests a mechanism by which an LD-associated protein
sequesters a critical mediator of glucose transporter trafficking, leading to a decrease in astrocyte glucose
uptake. We will test this mechanism (Aim 1A) in vivo in mice homozygous for human E3 and E4, and (Aim 1B-
C) in vitro in primary astrocytes that express human E3 and E4. We will also translate our findings (Aim 2) by
characterizing LD formation in APOE genotyped human post-mortem brain tissue, correlating lipid abundance
with clinical data from the UK Alzheimer’s Disease Center cohort. The key focus of this fellowship is to uncover
a cellular mechanism driving impaired glucose uptake in E4 astrocytes, as well as equip the trainee with skills in
mass spectrometry, confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry, radioactive tracing, translational human
specimen handling, data analysis, and more. These skills and excellent mentorship will be instrumental in the
trainee’s path to become an independent physician-scientist.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10023142
- **Project number:** 5F30AG063422-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Brandon Charles Farmer
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $50,520
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-29 → 2021-09-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10023142

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10023142, Astrocyte Lipid Droplets as a Novel Mechanism for Impaired Glucose Metabolism in the E4 and AD Brain (5F30AG063422-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-04 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10023142. Licensed CC0.

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