Active Site Environment and Reactivity of Copper-Aß in Membrane Mimetic SDS Micellar Environment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the abnormal aggregation of amyloid ß (Aß) peptide in extracellular deposits generated upon proteolysis of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP). While copper (Cu2+) binds to Aß in soluble oligomeric and aggregated forms, its interaction with membrane-bound Aß remains elusive. Investigating these interactions is crucial for understanding AD pathogenesis. Here, utilizing SDS micelles as a simplified membrane mimic, we focus on elucidating the interplay between membrane-anchored Aß and copper, given their pivotal roles in AD. We employed spectroscopic techniques including UV, CD, and EPR to characterize the active site of Cu-Aß complexes. Our findings demonstrate that copper interacts with Aß peptides in membrane-mimicking micellar environments similarly to aqueous buffer solutions. Cu-Aß complexes in this medium also induce higher hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, potentially contributing to AD-related oxidative stress. Moreover, we observe an increased oxidation rate of neurotransmitter such as dopamine by Cu-Aß complexes. These results enhance our understanding of Cu-Aß interactions in AD pathology and offer insights into potential therapeutic interventions targeting this interaction.

Highly regioselective oxidation of C-H bonds in water using hydrogen peroxide by a cytochrome P450 mimicking iron complex.

Cytochrome P450, one of nature's oxidative workhorses, catalyzes the oxidation of C-H bonds in complex biological settings. Extensive research has been conducted over the past five decades to develop a fully functional mimic that activates O2 or H2O2 in water to oxidize strong C-H bonds. We report the first example of a synthetic iron complex that functionally mimics cytochrome P450 in 100% water using H2O2 as the oxidant. This iron complex, in which one methyl group is replaced with a phenyl group in either wing of the macrocycle, oxidized unactivated C-H bonds in small organic molecules with very high selectivity in water (pH 8.5). Several substrates (34 examples) that contained arenes, heteroaromatics, and polar functional groups were oxidized with predictable selectivity and stereoretention with moderate to high yields (50-90%), low catalyst loadings (1-4 mol%) and a small excess of H2O2 (2-3 equiv.) in water. Mechanistic studies indicated the oxoiron(v) to be the active intermediate in water and displayed unprecedented selectivity towards 3° C-H bonds. Under single-turnover conditions, the reactivity of this oxoiron(v) intermediate in water was found to be around 300 fold higher than that in CH3CN, thus implying the role water plays in enzymatic systems.

Heme-Aß in SDS micellar environment: Active site environment and reactivity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes brain cell death. Oxidative stress derived from the accumulation of redox cofactors like heme in amyloid plaques originating from amyloid ß (Aß) peptides has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. In the past our group has studied the interactions and reactivities of heme with soluble oligomeric and aggregated forms of Aß. In this manuscript we report the interaction of heme with Aß that remains membrane bound using membrane mimetic SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) micellar medium. Employing different spectroscopic techniques viz. circular dichroism (CD), absorption (UV-Vis), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and resonance Raman (rR) we find that Aß binds heme using one of its three His (preferentially His13) in SDS micellar medium. We also find that Arg5 is an essential distal residue responsible for higher peroxidase activity of heme bound Aß in this membrane mimetic environment than free heme. This peroxidase activity exerted by even membrane bound heme-Aß can potentially be more detrimental as the active site remains close to membranes and can hence oxidise the lipid bilayer of the neuronal cell, which can induce cell apoptosis. Thus, heme-Aß in solution as well as in membrane-bound form are detrimental.

Spin state dependent peroxidase activity of heme bound amyloid ß peptides relevant to Alzheimer's disease.

The colocalization of heme rich deposits in the senile plaque of Aß in the cerebral cortex of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain along with altered heme homeostasis and heme deficiency symptoms in AD patients has invoked the association of heme in AD pathology. Heme bound Aß complexes, depending on the concentration of the complex or peptide to heme ratio, exhibit an equilibrium between a high-spin mono-His bound peroxidase-type active site and a low-spin bis-His bound cytochrome b type active site. The high-spin heme-Aß complex shows higher peroxidase activity than free heme, where compound I is the reactive oxidant. It is also capable of oxidizing neurotransmitters like serotonin in the presence of peroxide, owing to the formation of compound I. The low-spin bis-His heme-Aß complex on the other hand shows enhanced peroxidase activity relative to high-spin heme-Aß. It reacts with H2O2 to produce two stable intermediates, compound 0 and compound I, which are characterized by absorption, EPR and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The stability of compound I of low-spin heme-Aß is accountable for its enhanced peroxidase activity and oxidation of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The effect of the second sphere Tyr10 residue of Aß on the formation and stability of the intermediates of low-spin heme-Aß has also been investigated. The higher stability of compound I for low-spin heme-Aß is likely due to H-bonding interactions involving Tyr10 in the distal pocket.

Insights from Self-Assembled Aggregates of Amyloid ß Peptides on Gold Surfaces.

Amyloid ß (Aß) peptides mutated at different positions using a cysteine moiety assemble on Au electrodes using the thiol functionality of cysteine. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of Aß on Au surfaces can act as abiological platforms that allow the mimicking of fibrils and oligomeric Aß via the formation of controlled large and small peptide aggregates. These Aß constructs bind with heme and Cu and exhibit different reactivities. These abiological platforms can also be used to investigate potential drugs that can interact with heme and Cu-Aß. SAM formation of Aß mutants allows the study of different morphology and structure as well as behavior changes on binding with different metals and cytochrome c (Cyt c). This review provides a detailed insight into the structure and reactivities of various Aß aggregated on Au electrodes mimicking the cell membrane.