Advanced Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies of a Ternary Complex of Copper, Amyloid-beta, and a Chemical Regulator

Abstract

Although there has been extensive effort to develop chemical regulators, progress has been static, in part because of these regulators’ unclear mechanisms. Here, we report using advanced electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to obtain the first molecular-level structural information regarding a ternary complex of CuII-amyloid-β (Aβ) with a chemical regulator that can specifically modulate Cu-induced Aβ aggregation. Our advanced EPR spectroscopic results revealed that a chemical regulator (1) for CuII-Aβ1-16 disrupted the coordination environment of CuII in Aβ, resulting in the detachment of the primary amine at the N-terminal and a carbonyl group between Asp1 and Ala2 from the CuII center and the subsequent formation of a ternary complex, chemical regulator-CuII-Aβ1-16. Therefore, our results demonstrate how a chemical regulator interacts with metal-Aβ at the molecular level. These findings provide novel insight into working mechanisms and thereby contribute to the establishment of a rational design for chemical regulators of metal-Aβ complexes.