title: Trace copper(II) or zinc(II) ions drastically modify the aggregation behavior of amyloid-beta1-42: an AFM study.
abstract: Formation of amyloid-beta (Abeta){1-42} amyloid fibrils, a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), was monitored in situ through atomic force microscopy (AFM). Well-structured amyloid fibrils slowly formed in solution within 24 hours for which high quality AFM pictures could be obtained. Remarkably, addition of either copper(II) or zinc(II) ions to the incubation medium, even at extremely low molar ratios, dramatically changed the Abeta {1-42} aggregation profile and prevented fibril formation. Aggregates of different morphology appeared in accordance with previous observations: small globular aggregates upon addition of zinc; ill-structured micro-aggregates in the case of copper. The implications of these AFM results are discussed in the context of current concepts for AD metallobiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. m.innocenti@unifi.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innocenti
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salvietti
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guidotti
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casini
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellandi
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Foresti
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gabbiani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zatta
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Messori
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000378:metabolism; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D007477:Ions; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc