Ultrastructural evidence of amyloid β-induced autophagy in PC12 cells

Herein we demonstrate that PC12 cells overexpress human amyloid β precursor protein bearing double Swedish mutation (AβPPsw), showing the phenotype characteristic for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Examination of cells at ultrastructural level revealed the intracellular presence of peptide aggregates. Furthermore, autophagy induction was found to be a hallmark of amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity. Importantly, autophagic vacuoles were co-localized within amyloid β (Aβ) deposits. This suggests the involvement of autophagy in amyloid β-elicited cell degeneration.