Peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 and its potential role in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia, and its pathogenesis is still not clear. Peptidyl arginine deiminases 4(PAD4) as one of the important members of PAD family, is the only protein with nuclear transfer function, it can regulate the expression of many proteins through citrullinating histone. PAD4 can also interact with many transcription factors, involved in regulating gene expression. PAD4 expression is closely related to the inflammatory factors secreted, cell autophagy, tumorigenesis and other neurodegenerative diseases. More importantly, PAD4 and its citrullinated protein were found in cortical and hippocampal neurons of AD patients. To study the expression and regulatory pathway of PAD4 in vivo and in vitro experiments on AD may be of helpful to elucidate the pathogenesis of AD. Meanwhile, detection of anti-citrullinated antibody will have potential value as novel biomarkers of AD.