A comparative analysis of the aggregation behavior of amyloid-β peptide variants.

Aggregated forms of the amyloid-β peptide are hypothesized to act as the prime toxic agents in Alzheimer disease (AD). The in vivo amyloid-β peptide pool consists of both C- and N-terminally truncated or mutated peptides, and the composition thereof significantly determines AD risk. Other variations, such as biotinylation, are introduced as molecular tools to aid the understanding of disease mechanisms. Since these modifications have the potential to alter key aggregation properties of the amyloid-β peptide, we present a comparative study of the aggregation of a substantial set of the most common in vivo identified and in vitro produced amyloid-β peptides.