Effects of Congo red on aβ(1-40) fibril formation process and morphology.
Alzheimer's disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common form of dementia, and the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Current treatments offer only symptomatic relief; thus, there is a great need for new treatments with disease-modifying potential. One pathological hallmark of AD is so-called senile plaques, mainly made up of β-sheet-rich assemblies of 40- or 42-residue amyloid β-peptides (Aβ). Hence, inhibition of Aβ aggregation is actively explored as an option to prevent or treat AD. Congo red (CR) has been widely used as a model antiamyloid agent to prevent Aβ aggregation. Herein, we report detailed morphological studies on the effect of CR as an antiamyloid agent, by circular dichroism spectroscopy, photo-induced cross-linking reactions, and atomic force microscopy. We also demonstrate the effect of CR on a preaggregated sample of Aβ(1-40). Our result suggests that Aβ(1-40) follows a different path for aggregation in the presence of CR.
Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, Box 576, S-75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
Partha
P
Pratim Bose
Urmimala
U
Chatterjee
Ling
L
Xie
Jan
J
Johansson
Emmanuelle
E
Göthelid
Per I
PI
Arvidsson
D000682:Amyloid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D003224:Congo Red / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D010777:Photochemistry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary / Q000187:drug effects
D000682:Amyloid; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); D003224:Congo Red