CD33 and clusterin interact biophysically and genetically to modulate Alzheimer risk

R Roger B. Dodd M Masahiro Enomoto Y Ye Zhou K Kanayo Satoh Y Yalun Zhang F Fusheng Chen B Beatrice Acheson D Deniz Ghaffari E Elizabeth Sayn-Wittgenstein J Jamie J. Manning G George V. Dukas R Ronak Patel (Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.) A Alondra Schweizer Burguete M Mason J. Kralovec M Mamunur Rashid J Jennifer L. Hall K Kirstin A. Tamucci Z Zena Chatila M Minghua Liu (CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 North First Street, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, China) A Annie J. Lee B Badri N. Vardarajan M Mariko F. Taga S Sirkku Pollari A Alon Rabinovitch C Cory D. Rillahan A Andrey A. Bobkov E Eduard Sergienko W William Meadows S Seema Qamar S Suzanne J. Randle C Christopher M. Johnson J Jean Sevalle J Jennifer Griffin C Christopher Bohm M Mitsuhiko Ikura X Xunde Xian J Joachim Herz (Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center) M Megan A. Kelly J Jennifer West S Sandeep Satapathy M Mark R. Wilson (Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.) J Jonathan A. Javitch P Paul E. Fraser D David A. Bennett P Philip L. De Jager Z Zvi Fishelson D Dan Frenkel (The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University) W Wesley B. Asher E Elizabeth M. Bradshaw P Peter St George-Hyslop

Abstract

Abstract Mechanisms linking CD33 variants to Alzheimer Disease (AD) are poorly defined. Here, we combine structural, cellular, and genetic analyses to delineate how the CD33 M splice isoform, upregulated in carriers of CD33 risk alleles, modulates microglial function. We show that CD33 M ectodomain dimerizes, enabling binding of large multi-sialylated molecules. We demonstrate that another AD risk protein - clusterin (CLU) ± Aβ oligomers (but not ApoE) binds with nanomolar avidity to CD33 M , but not CD33 m . We show that in human monocytes CD33 M :CLU binding induces CD33 M ITIM phosphorylation, recruits SHP-1, suppresses Aβ phagocytosis, and impairs clearance of amyloid plaques. We identify a soluble CD33 M ectodomain fragment (sCD33 M ) - absent from CD33 m -expressing cells - which could contribute to the role of CD33 M in AD. Genetic analyses confirm that CD33:CLU interaction modulates amyloid burden, cognition, and disease risk. These findings define a mechanistic CLU:Aβ:CD33 M axis, highlighting CD33 M dimerization and ligand-binding sites as potential therapeutic targets.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 1, Issue 1
Published July 17, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (50)

R

Roger B. Dodd

M

Masahiro Enomoto

Y

Ye Zhou

K

Kanayo Satoh

Y

Yalun Zhang

F

Fusheng Chen

B

Beatrice Acheson

D

Deniz Ghaffari

E

Elizabeth Sayn-Wittgenstein

J

Jamie J. Manning

G

George V. Dukas

R

Ronak Patel

Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.

A

Alondra Schweizer Burguete

M

Mason J. Kralovec

M

Mamunur Rashid

J

Jennifer L. Hall

K

Kirstin A. Tamucci

Z

Zena Chatila

M

Minghua Liu

CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 North First Street, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, China

A

Annie J. Lee

B

Badri N. Vardarajan

M

Mariko F. Taga

S

Sirkku Pollari

A

Alon Rabinovitch

C

Cory D. Rillahan

A

Andrey A. Bobkov

E

Eduard Sergienko

W

William Meadows

S

Seema Qamar

S

Suzanne J. Randle

C

Christopher M. Johnson

J

Jean Sevalle

J

Jennifer Griffin

C

Christopher Bohm

M

Mitsuhiko Ikura

X

Xunde Xian

J

Joachim Herz

Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

M

Megan A. Kelly

J

Jennifer West

S

Sandeep Satapathy

M

Mark R. Wilson

Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.

J

Jonathan A. Javitch

P

Paul E. Fraser

D

David A. Bennett

P

Philip L. De Jager

Z

Zvi Fishelson

D

Dan Frenkel

The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University

W

Wesley B. Asher

E

Elizabeth M. Bradshaw

P

Peter St George-Hyslop