Sri Hartati D., Tsang W., Briglio N.M., MacCormac J.E., Yokoyama K.
The State University of New York at Geneseo, US
Keywords: amyloid beta, gold colloids
Fibrillogenesis of amyloid beta (AB) monomers is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The initial stage of this process involves intermediates of Abeta aggregates; which have been the focus of many previous fibrillogenesis studies. We discovered that gold colloidal nanoparticles with an average diameter of 20 nm, coated with AB1-40, exhibited a reversible aggregation process between pH 4 and pH 10, while the rest of the tested gold colloidal particles with the size of 5, 10, 15, 30, 40, 50, and 100 nm did not. This discovery contains a significant implication for the intial step of fibrillogenesis where intermediates of fibrillogenesis exist, while the form of the intermediate is still controversial. Our information on a possible intermediate involves a metal surface which is intended to utilize the nano-scale interfacial environment geometrically mimicking a human membrane or brain cells.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 4, Technical Proceedings of the 2007 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 4
Published: May 20, 2007
Pages: 169 - 172
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topic: Materials Characterization & Imaging
ISBN: 1-4200-6376-6