Structural Interconversion in Alzheimer's Amyloid-β(16-35) Peptide in an Aqueous Solution

J Phys Chem B. 2018 Feb 15;122(6):1869-1875. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b12528. Epub 2018 Feb 1.

Abstract

Structural properties of Aβ(16-35) fragment are investigated as a model for the amyloid-β peptide excluding its coil-inducing terminals. Our replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations using all-atom and explicit aqueous solvation widely reduce any structural bias. The principal folding pathway shows direct conversion of coil to β-sheet, without the long proposed helix intermediates. Our principal component analysis indicates that the fragment is also intrinsically disordered, as the full amyloid-β peptide. Thus, the observed folding mechanism lacks free-energy barriers and any peaks in the thermal capacity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / chemistry*
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry*
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Protein Conformation
  • Solutions
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Solutions
  • amyloid beta-protein (16-35)
  • Water