Step 1: The APOE gene has three common polymorphic alleles - e2, e3, and e4 - which produce single amino acid changes in the ApoE protein.
Step 2: The e4 allele (APOE4) is the single most important genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. It influences how amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide aggregates and is cleared from the brain, driving the disease process.
Step 3: By contrast, APOE2 is protective and is linked with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease, while APOE3 is the common neutral allele. Therefore APOE4 is the correct answer, and the e2/e3/e1 distractors are not the major risk factor.