Assessment of the aggregation propensity of the β -amyloid peptide during the synthesis and when free in solution

Protein Pept Lett. 2013 Aug;20(8):848-55. doi: 10.2174/0929866511320080002.

Abstract

This work developed an alternative approach targeting the evaluation of the aggregation propensity of the (1-42) β-amyloid peptide (Alzheimer's disease) and some segments, either attached to a polymer during their synthesis or when free in solution. The solvation behavior of peptide-resins was gauged by measuring the swelling of beads in a microscope and the degree of chain motion through EPR spectra of previously labeled resins with an amino acid-type probe. In terms of comparative solvent dissociation power towards aggregated structures, the findings revealed greater values of peptide-resin swelling, peptide chain mobility and solubility when in strong electron donor dimethylsulfoxide than in strong electron acceptor trifluoroethanol. Otherwise, the weakest chain-chain disruption power was verified for acetonitrile, an internally neutral solvent in terms of Lewis acid/base properties. In complement, fluorescence and light scattering experiments depicted that the 15-35 region plays an essential role in the amyloid peptide fibril formation capacity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / chemistry*
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemical synthesis
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Solubility
  • Solutions / chemistry
  • Solvents / chemistry

Substances

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