Copper(i) targeting in the Alzheimer's disease context: a first example using the biocompatible PTA ligand

Copper(i) coordinating ligands in the Alzheimer's disease context have remained unexplored, despite the biological relevance of this redox state of the copper ion. Here, we show that the PTA ligand can remove copper from Aβ, prevent reactive oxygen species production and oligomer formation, two deleterious events in the disease's etiology.Peer Reviewe

Link between Affinity and Cu(II) Binding Sites to Amyloid-β Peptides Evaluated by a New Water-Soluble UV-Visible Ratiometric Dye with a Moderate Cu(II) Affinity

Being able to easily determine the Cu(II) affinity for biomolecules of moderate affinity is important. Such biomolecules include amyloidogenic peptides, such as the well-known amyloid-β peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we report the synthesis of a new water-soluble ratiometric Cu(II) dye with a moderate affinity (109 M-1 at pH 7.1) and the characterizations of the Cu(II) corresponding complex by X-ray crystallography, EPR, and XAS spectroscopic methods. UV-vis competition was performed on the Aβ peptide as well as on a wide series of modified peptides, leading to an affinity value of 1.6 × 109 M-1 at pH 7.1 for the Aβ peptide and to a coordination model for the Cu(II) site within the Aβ peptide that agrees with the one mostly accepted currently