Evidence for age-dependent in vivo conformational rearrangement within Aβ amyloid deposits

ACS Chem Biol. 2013;8(6):1128-33. doi: 10.1021/cb4000376. Epub 2013 Mar 29.

Abstract

Deposition of aggregated Aβ peptide in the brain is one of the major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Using a combination of two structurally different, but related, hypersensitive fluorescent amyloid markers, LCOs, reporting on separate ultrastructural elements, we show that conformational rearrangement occurs within Aβ plaques of transgenic mouse models as the animals age. This important mechanistic insight should aid the design and evaluation of experiments currently using plaque load as readout.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / analysis*
  • Animals
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Optical Imaging
  • Plaque, Amyloid / pathology*
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides