Amyloid-beta peptide (25–35) triggers a reorganization of lipid membranes driven by temperature changes

• Published in: Scientific reports 2021-11, Vol.11 (1), p.21990-21990, Article 21990
• Main Authors: Ivankov, Oleksandr, Murugova, Tatiana N., Ermakova, Elena V., Kondela, Tomáš, Badreeva, Dina R., Hrubovčák, Pavol, Soloviov, Dmitry, Tsarenko, Alexey, Rogachev, Andrey, Kuklin, Alexander I., Kučerka, Norbert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/57/2270; 631/57/2271; 639/301/1034/1035; 639/301/54/1754; 639/766/747; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism; Cell membranes; Fibrils; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lecithin; Lipid Bilayers - metabolism; Lipid membranes; Lipids; Membrane Lipids - metabolism; Membranes; multidisciplinary; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neutron scattering; Neutrons; Peptide Fragments - metabolism; Peptides; Phase transitions; Phosphatidylcholine; Scattering, Small Angle; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Temperature; Temperature effects; Thermodynamics; Vesicles; β-Amyloid
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01347-7

The amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) is considered a key factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) ever since the discovery of the disease. The understanding of its damaging influence has however shifted recently from large fibrils observed in the inter-cellular environment to the small oligomers interacting with a cell membrane. We studied the effect of temperature on the latter interactions by evaluating the structural characteristics of zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes with incorporated Aβ 25–35 peptide. By means of small angle neutron scattering (SANS), we have observed for the first time a spontaneous reformation of extruded unilamellar vesicles (EULVs) to discoidal bicelle-like structures (BLSs) and small unilamellar vesicles (SULVs). These changes in the membrane self-organization happen during the thermodynamic phase transitions of lipids and only in the presence of the peptide. We interpret the dramatic changes in the membrane's overall shape with parallel changes in its thickness as the Aβ 25–35 triggered membrane damage and a consequent reorganization of its structure. The suggested process is consistent with an action of separate peptides or small size peptide oligomers rather than the result of large Aβ fibrils.