1. Qianqian Ma, and Xinju Yang
Effects of carbon nanotubes on the aggregation of Aβ proteins studied by atomic force microscopy
Qianqian Ma, and Xinju Yang
Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai , P. R. China
1. Introduction
The aggregation of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) is taken as the main possible cause of the Alzheimer‘s disease (AD). How to inhibit the aggregation of Aβ peptide has been an intensive subject. Here the aggregations of Aβ 1-40, Aβ 16-22, and Aβ25-35 proteins are investigated by atomic force microscopy(AFM) with and without carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It is found that CNTs can inhibit the formation of Aβ fibers, and adsorb the oligomers of Aβ 1-40 on CNTs’ surface, which make protein to form short-fibers. But the effect of CNTs on aggregation of Aβ is not observed.
2. The effects of carbon nanotubes on the aggregation of Aβ16-22 E D’ E’ C’ A’ B’ A D C B
3. The effects of carbon nanotubes on the aggregation of Aβ 25-35
as prepared
3 days
8 days
14 days
Time
Aβ 16-22
Aβ CNTs
(nm) 15 A A’ D C B B’ C’ D’
Sample
Aβ 25-35
as prepared
(nm) 10
Aβ CNTs
3 hours
500nm
Sample
The effect of CNTs on aggregation of Aβ is not observed.
6 hours
4. The effects of carbon nanotubes on the aggregation of Aβ 1-40
as prepared
3 days
7 days
14 days
Time A B C D
9 hours
Aβ 1-40
(nm) 10 A’ B’ C’ D’
7 days
Aβ 1-40+CNTs
1μm
500nm
Time
Sample
CNTs inhibit the formation of Aβ16-22 fibers significantly.
CNTs make Aβ 1-40 protein to form short-fibers (taken as protofibrils)
Reference
[1]. Yon JM. Protein folding: a perspective for biology, medicine and biotechnology. Braz J Med Biol Res 2001;34(4):419–35.
[2] Harris PJF. Carbon nanotubes and related structures. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1999
[3] Ghule, A.V., et al., Carbon nanotubes prevent 2,2,2 trifluoroethanol induced aggregation of protein. CARBON, (7): p
5. Conclusion
The effect of CNTs on the aggregation of Aβ is to inhibit the formation of fibers.
CNTs make Aβ 1-40 protein form short-fibers(taken as protofibrils), inhibition the formation of fibers.
The effect of CNTs on inhibition to the aggregation of Aβ is not observed.