Ac-LPFFD-Th: A Trehalose-Conjugated Peptidomimetic as a Strong Suppressor of Amyloid-β Oligomer Formation and Cytotoxicity

Abstract

The inhibition of amyloid formation is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Peptide-based inhibitors, which have been widely investigated, are generally derived from original amyloid sequences. Most interestingly, trehalose, a nonreducing disaccharide of α-glucose, is effective in preventing the aggregation of numerous proteins. We have determined that the development of hybrid compounds could provide new molecules with improved properties that might synergically increase the potency of their single moieties. In this work, the ability of Ac-LPFFD-Th, a C-terminally trehalose-conjugated derivative, to slow down the Aβ aggregation process was investigated by means of different biophysical techniques, including thioflavin T fluorescence, dynamic light scattering, ESI-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, we demonstrate that Ac-LPFFD-Th modifies the aggregation features of Aβ and protects neurons from Aβ oligomers' toxic insult.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; amyloid beta-peptides; inhibitors; oligomers; peptidomimetics; trehalose.