title: Identification of the molecular interaction site of amyloid beta peptide by using a fluorescence assay.
abstract: Beta-amyloid peptides (Abeta) are the main protein components of neuritic plaques and are important in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. It is reported that Abeta itself is not toxic; however, it becomes toxic to neuronal cells once it has aggregated into amyloid fibrils by peptide-peptide interactions. In this study, to specify the molecular mechanism of aggregation, a novel fluorescence assay was designed. For this purpose, possible partial peptides (38 types of 5-mer) were synthesized on solid-phase. The molecular interactions were examined by a fluorescence probe possessing Lys-Leu-Val-Phe-Phe (KLVFF) as a molecular recognition site. KLVFF is known to be a minimum sequence for formation of the Abeta aggregate. A specific interaction was observed between labeled and immobilized KLVFF. It suggests that the aggregation of Abeta was controlled by the recognition of KLVFF itself by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, 1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Segawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konakahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okuno
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000502:physiology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments