Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

Characterization of pH-Dependent Reversible Self-Assembly of Amyloid Beta 1-40-Coated Gold Colloids
Published on: March 21, 2025
Preparation of stable amyloid β-protein oligomers of defined assembly order
Clark Rosensweig1, Kenjiro Ono, Kazuma Murakami
1Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Oligomeric assemblies of the amyloid β-protein, Aβ, are thought to be the proximate neurotoxic agents in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Oligomer formation is a complex process that produces a polydisperse population of metastable structures. For this reason, formal structure-activity correlations, both in vitro and in vivo, have been difficult to accomplish. An analytical solution to this problem was provided by the application of a photochemical cross-linking method to the Aβ assembly system. This method, photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP), enabled the quantitative determination of the oligomer size distribution. We report here the integration of PICUP with SDS-PAGE and alkaline extraction procedures to create a method for the isolation of pure populations of oligomers of defined order. This method has been used successfully to provide material for formal structure-activity studies of Aβ oligomers.
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...

