Poly-N-methylated Amyloid β-Peptide (Aβ) C-Terminal Fragments Reduce Aβ Toxicity in Vitro and in Drosophila melanogaster

• Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an age related neurodegenerative disorder, threatens to become a major health-economic problem. Assembly of 40- or 42-residue amyloid β-peptides (Aβ) into neurotoxic oligo-/polymeric β-sheet structures is an important pathogenic feature in AD, thus, inhibition of this process has been explored to prevent or treat AD. The C-terminal part plays an important role in Aβ aggregation, but most Aβ aggregation inhibitors have targeted the central region around residues 16−23. Herein, we synthesized hexapeptides with varying extents of N-methylation based on residues 32−37 of Aβ, to target its C-terminal region. We measured the peptides' abilities to retard β-sheet and fibril formation of Aβ and to reduce Aβ neurotoxicity. A penta-N-methylated peptide was more efficient than peptides with 0, 2, or 3 N-methyl groups. This penta-N-methylated peptide moreover increased life span and locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster flies overexpressing human Aβ1−42.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Chemistry

Kemi

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