T. Mirzabekov et al., CHANNEL FORMATION IN PLANAR LIPID BILAYERS BY A NEUROTOXIC FRAGMENT OF THE BETA-AMYLOID PEPTIDE, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 202(2), 1994, pp. 1142-1148
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is characterized by plaques, tangle
s, and neuronal cell loss. The main constituent of plaques is beta-amy
loid peptide (A beta), a 39-42 residue peptide which has been linked t
o disruption of calcium homeostasis and neurotoxicity in vitro. We dem
onstrate that a neurotoxic fragment of A beta, A beta (25-35) spontane
ously inserted into planar lipid membranes to form weakly selective, v
oltage dependent, ion-permeable channels. We suggest that channel form
ation may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD and that A beta (25-35
) may be the active channel forming segment. (C) 1994 Academic Press,
Inc