The formation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) oligomers at the cellular membrane is considered to be a crucial process underlying neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Therefore, it is critical to characterize the oligomers that form within a membrane environment. To contribute to this characterization, we have applied strategies widely used to examine the structure of membrane proteins to study the two major Aβ variants, Aβ40 and Aβ42. Accordingly, various types of detergent micelles were extensively screened to identify one that preserved the properties of Aβ in lipid environments—namely the formation of oligomers that function as pores. Remarkably, under the optimized detergent micelle conditions, Aβ40 and Aβ42 showed different behavior. Aβ40 aggregated into amyloid fibrils, whereas Aβ42 assembled into oligomers that inserted into lipid bilayers as well-defined pores and adopted a specific structure with characteristics of a β-barrel arrangement that we named β-barrel pore-forming Aβ42 oligomers (βPFOsAβ42). Because Aβ42, relative to Aβ40, has a more prominent role in AD, the higher propensity of Aβ42 to form βPFOs constitutes an indication of their relevance in AD. Moreover, because βPFOsAβ42 adopt a specific structure, this property offers an unprecedented opportunity for testing a hypothesis regarding the involvement of βPFOs and, more generally, membrane-associated Aβ oligomers in AD.

Brain-derived amyloid-β (Aβ) dimers are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their covalent nature remains controversial. This feature is relevant, as a covalent cross-link has been proposed to make brain-derived dimers (brain dimers) more synaptotoxic than Aβ monomers and would also make them suitable candidates for biomarker development. To resolve this controversy, we here present a three-step approach. First, we validated a type of synthetic cross-linked Aβ (CL Aβ) dimers, obtained by means of the photoinduced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) reaction, as well-defined mimics of putative brain CL Aβ dimers. Second, we used these PICUP CL Aβ dimers as standards to improve the isolation of brain Aβ dimers and to develop state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS) strategies to allow their characterization. Third, we applied these MS methods to the analysis of brain Aβ dimer samples allowing the detection of the CL [Aβ(6-16)] peptide comprising a dityrosine cross-link. This result demonstrates the presence of CL Aβ dimers in the brains of patients with AD and opens up avenues for establishing new therapeutic targets and developing novel biomarkers for this disease.

We have recently reported on the preparation of a membrane-associated β-barrel Pore-Forming Aβ42 Oligomer (βPFOAβ42). It corresponds to a stable and homogeneous Aβ42 oligomer that inserts into lipid bilayers as a well-defined pore and adopts a specific structure with characteristics of a β-barrel arrangement. As a follow-up of this work, we aim to establish βPFOAβ42's relevance in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, βPFOAβ42 is formed under dodecyl phosphocholine (DPC) micelle conditions—intended to mimic the hydrophobic environment of membranes—which are dynamic. Consequently, dilution of the βPFOAβ42/DPC complex in a detergent-free buffer leads to dispersion of the DPC molecules from the oligomer surface, leaving the oligomer without the hydrophobic micelle belt that stabilizes it. Since dilution is required for any biological test, transfer of βPFOAβ42 from DPC micelles into another hydrophobic biomimetic membrane environment, that remains associated with βPFOAβ42 even under high dilution conditions, is a requisite for the validation of βPFOAβ42 in AD. Here we describe conditions for exchanging DPC micelles with amphipols (APols), which are amphipathic polymers designed to stabilize membrane proteins in aqueous solutions. APols bind in an irreversible but non-covalent manner to the hydrophobic surface of membrane proteins preserving their structure even under extreme dilution conditions. We tested three types of APols with distinct physical-chemical properties and found that the βPFOAβ42/DPC complex can only be trapped in non-ionic APols (NAPols). The characterization of the resulting βPFOAβ42/NAPol complex by biochemical tools and structural biology techniques allowed us to establish that the oligomer structure is maintained even under high dilution. Based on these findings, this work constitutes a first step towards the in vivo validation of βPFOAβ42 in AD.

Most crustacean metallothioneins (MTs) contain 18 Cys residues and bind six divalent metal ions. The copper-specific CuMT-2 (MTC) of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus with 21 Cys residues, of which six are organized in two uncommon Cys-Cys-Cys sequences, represents an exception. However, its metal-binding properties are unknown. By spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques we show that all 21 Cys residues of recombinant MTC participate in the binding of Cu(I), Zn(II), and Cd(II) ions, indicating that both Cys triplets act as ligands. The fully metallated M(8) (II)-MTC (M is Zn, Cd) form possesses high- and low-affinity metal binding sites, as evidenced by the formation of Zn(6)-MTC and Cd(7)-MTC species from M(8) (II)-MTC after treatment with Chelex 100. The NMR characterization of Cd(7)-MTC suggests the presence of a two-domain structure, each domain containing one Cys triplet and encompassing either the three-metal or the four-metal thiolate cluster. Whereas the metal-Cys connectivities in the three-metal cluster located in the N-terminal domain (residues 1-31) reveal a Cd(3)Cys(9) cyclohexane-like structure, the presence of dynamic processes in the C-terminal domain (residues 32-64) precluded the determination of the organization of the four-metal cluster. Absorption and circular dichroism features accompanying the stepwise binding of Cu(I) to MTC suggest that all 21 Cys are involved in the binding of eight to nine Cu(I) ions (Cu(8-9)-MTC). The subsequent generation of Cu(12)-MTC involves structural changes consistent with a decrease in the Cu(I) coordination number. Overall, the metal-binding properties of MTC reported here contribute to a better understanding of the role of Cys triplets in MTs.

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The formation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) oligomers at the cellular membrane is considered a crucial process that underlies neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To obtain structural information on this type of oligomers, we were inspired by membrane protein approaches used to stabilize, characterize, and analyze the function of such proteins. Using these approaches, we developed conditions under which Aβ42, the Aβ variant most strongly linked to the aetiology of AD, assembles into an oligomer that inserts into lipid bilayers as a well-defined pore and adopts a specific structure with characteristics of a β-barrel arrangement. We named this oligomer β-barrel Pore-Forming Aβ42 Oligomer (βPFO). Here, we describe detailed protocols for its preparation and characterization. We expect βPFO to be useful in establishing the involvement of membrane-associated Aβ oligomers in AD.