Light-controlled toxicity of engineered amyloid β-peptides

Chembiochem. 2012 Dec 21;13(18):2657-60. doi: 10.1002/cbic.201200605. Epub 2012 Nov 19.

Abstract

Aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ(1-42)), causing toxicity, is a critical step in Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD studies are difficult to compare because Aβ(1-42) aggregation is poorly controllable under physiological conditions. To control aggregation and toxicity, we engineered light-switchable Aβ(1-42) analogues that enable controllable conversion of nontoxic fibrils into toxic oligomers simply by illumination.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / chemistry*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / toxicity*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Light*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry*
  • Peptide Fragments / toxicity*
  • Protein Engineering*
  • Protein Multimerization / radiation effects*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary / radiation effects

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Peptide Fragments
  • amyloid beta-protein (1-42)