It has long been assumed that the C-terminal motif, NPXY, is the internalization signal for ␤-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and that the NPXY tyrosine (Tyr 743 by APP751 numbering, Tyr 682 in APP695) is required for APP endocytosis. To evaluate this tenet and to identify the specific amino acids subserving APP endocytosis, we mutated all tyrosines in the APP cytoplasmic domain and amino acids within the sequence GYENPTY (amino acids 737-743). Stable cell lines expressing these mutations were assessed for APP endocytosis, secretion, and turnover. Normal APP endocytosis was observed for cells expressing Y709A, G737A, and Y743A mutations. However, Y738A, N740A, and P741A or the double mutation of Y738A/P741A significantly impaired APP internalization to a level similar to that observed for cells lacking nearly the entire APP cytoplasmic domain (⌬C), arguing that the dominant signal for APP endocytosis is the tetrapeptide YENP. Although not an APP internalization signal, Tyr 743 regulates rapid APP turnover because half-life increased by 50% with the Y743A mutation alone. Secretion of the APP-derived proteolytic fragment, A␤, was tightly correlated with APP internalization, such that A␤ secretion was unchanged for cells having normal APP endocytosis but significantly decreased for endocytosis-deficient cell lines. Remarkably, secretion of the A␤42 isoform was also reduced in parallel with endocytosis from internalization-deficient cell lines, suggesting an important role for APP endocytosis in the secretion of this highly pathogenic A␤ species. APP1 is a transmembrane protein with homology to glycosylated cell surface receptors (1), can reside at the cell surface (2-4) and is reinternalized via clathrin-coated pits (5, 6) to the endosomal-lysosmal pathway (7,8). Some internalized APP remains intact to be recycled to the cell surface plasma membrane (9, 10). However, internalized APP can also be proteolytically processed into several distinct secreted fragments, which include the large secreted N-terminal APP ectodomain (APP s ), and A␤, the major protein component of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD; reviewed in Ref. 11).Because A␤ deposition may be central to AD pathogenesis, the mechanism by which A␤ is generated from the precursor is an important focus of AD research. At least two species of A␤, differing by two amino acids at the C terminus (A␤40 and A␤42), are released from cells during normal cellular metabolism (12-14). A␤42, which readily aggregates in vitro (reviewed in Ref. 15) appears to be more pathogenic and may serve as a seed for plaque formation in individuals with AD (16), hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis Dutch type (17), and Down's syndrome (18). The source of A␤ deposited in brain tissues is still uncertain. However, cell lines expressing wild type APP can produce and release A␤ primarily after internalization of APP from the cell surface (19,20). Although familial mutations in APP can enhance A␤ secretion (e.g. the Swedish KM 3 NL mutation; Refs. 20 -23), almost all huma...

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