title: Soluble protein oligomers in neurodegeneration: lessons from the Alzheimer's amyloid beta-peptide.
abstract: The distinct protein aggregates that are found in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and prion diseases seem to cause these disorders. Small intermediates - soluble oligomers - in the aggregation process can confer synaptic dysfunction, whereas large, insoluble deposits might function as reservoirs of the bioactive oligomers. These emerging concepts are exemplified by Alzheimer's disease, in which amyloid beta-protein oligomers adversely affect synaptic structure and plasticity. Findings in other neurodegenerative diseases indicate that a broadly similar process of neuronal dysfunction is induced by diffusible oligomers of misfolded proteins.
authors.affiliation: Adolf Butenandt Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Research, Ludwig Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany. chaass@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haass
authors.forename: Dennis J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Selkoe
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D017510:Protein Folding; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012995:Solubility; D013569:Synapses / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides