skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: The Amyloid-β Peptide of Alzheimer’s Disease Binds CuI in a Linear Bis-His Coordination Environment: Insight into a Possible Neuroprotective Mechanism for the Amyloid-β Peptide

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja805940m· OSTI ID:980620

Oxidative stress has been suggested to contribute to neuronal apoptosis associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Copper may participate in oxidative stress through redox-cycling between its +2 and +1 oxidation states to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). In vitro, copper binds to the amyloid-? peptide of AD, and in vivo, copper is associated with amyloid plaques characteristic of AD. As a result, the A?CuI complex may be a critical reactant involved in ROS associated with AD etiology. To characterize the A?CuI complex, we have pursued X-ray absorption (XAS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of A?CuII and A?CuI (produced by ascorbate reduction of A?CuII). The A?CuII complex Cu K-edge XAS spectrum is indicative of a square-planar CuII center with mixed N/O ligation. Multiple scattering analysis of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data for A?CuII indicates that two of the ligands are imidazole groups of histidine ligands, indicating a (NIm)2(N/O)2 CuII ligation sphere for A?CuII. After reduction of the A?CuII complex with ascorbate, the edge region decreases in energy by 4 eV. The X-ray absorption near-edge spectrum region of A?CuI displays an intense pre-edge feature at 8984.1(2) eV. EXAFS data fitting yielded a two-coordinate geometry, with two imidazole ligands coordinated to CuI at 1.877(2) A in a linear geometry. Ascorbate reduction of A?CuII under inert atmosphere and subsequent air oxidation of A?CuI to regenerate A?CuII was monitored by low-temperature EPR spectroscopy. Slow reappearance of the A?CuII EPR signal indicates that O2 oxidation of the A?CuI complex is kinetically sluggish and A? damage is occurring following reoxidation of A?CuI by O2. Together, these results lead us to hypothesize that CuI is ligated by His13 and His14 in a linear coordination environment in ??, that A? may be playing a neuroprotective role, and that metal-mediated oxidative damage of A? occurs over multiple redox cycles.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
Sponsoring Organization:
Doe - Office Of Science
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-98CH10886
OSTI ID:
980620
Report Number(s):
BNL-93538-2010-JA; JACSAT; TRN: US201015%%2005
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 130, Issue 52; ISSN 0002-7863
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English