APP is a ubiquitous membrane protein that is physiologically processed by site-specific proteolysis firstly by alpha- or beta-secretases, releasing a large fragment called APP(S) that contains most of the extracellular sequences of APP, a small extracellular stub, the transmembrane region and the cytoplasmic tail of APP (;AICD'-APP intracellular domain). These are subsequently cleaved by gamma-secretase at multiple sites in the transmembrane region, releasing small peptides, Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42), the major components of AD-associated amyloid fibrils.