Zn++ Binding Disrupts the Asp23-Lys28 Salt Bridge without Altering the Hairpin-Shaped Cross-β Structure of Aβ42 Amyloid Aggregates

AbstractObservations like high Zn2+ concentrations in senile plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and evidences emphasizing the role of Zn2+ in amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced toxicity have triggered wide interest in understanding the nature of Zn2+-Aβ interaction. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that aggregation kinetics, toxicity, and morphology of Aβ aggregates are perturbed in the presence of Zn2+. Structural studies have revealed that Zn2+ has a binding site in the N-terminal region of monomeric Aβ, but not much is precisely known about the nature of binding of Zn2+ with aggregated forms of Aβ or its effect on the molecular structure of these aggregates. Here, we explore this aspect of the Zn2+-Aβ interaction using one- and two-dimensional 13C and 15N solid-state NMR. We find that Zn2+ causes major structural changes in the N-terminal and the loop region connecting the two β-sheets. It breaks the salt bridge between the side chains of Asp23 and Lys28 by driving these residues into nonsalt-bridge-forming conformations. However, the cross-β structure of Aβ42 aggregates remains unperturbed though the fibrillar morphology changes distinctly. We conclude that the salt bridge is not important for defining the characteristic molecular architecture of Aβ42 but is significant for determining its fibrillar morphology and toxicity