Structure-Based Peptide Design to Modulate Amyloid Beta Aggregation and Reduce Cytotoxicity.

ABSTRACT: The deposition of Aβ peptide in the brain is the key event in Alzheimer disease progression. Therefore, the prevention of Aβ self assembly into disease-associated oligomers is a logical strategy for treatment. π stacking is known to provide structural stability to many amyloids; two phenylalanine residues within the Aβ 14-23 self recognition element are in such an arrangement in many solved structures. Therefore, we targeted this structural stacking by substituting these two phenylalanine residues with their D-enantiomers. The resulting peptides were able to modulate Aβ aggregation in vitro and reduce Aβ cytotoxicity in primary neuronal cultures. Using kinetic analysis of fibril formation, electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering characterization of oligomer size distributions, we

SUBMITTER: Kumar J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4466325 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature