Investigation of the Noncovalent Interactions Between Anti-Amyloid Agents and Amyloid β Peptides by ESI-MS

This paper describes an efficient and reproducible screening method for identifying low molecular weight compounds that bind to amyloid β peptides (Aβ) peptides using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Low molecular weight compounds capable of interacting with soluble Aβ may be able to modulate/inhibit the Aβ aggregation process and serve as potential disease-modifying agents for AD. The present approach was used to rank the binding affinity of a library of compounds to Aβ1-40 peptide. The results obtained show that low molecular weight compounds bind similarly to Aβ1-42, Aβ1-40, as well as Aβ1-28 peptides and they underline the critical role of Aβ peptide charge motif in binding at physiological pH. Finally, some elements of structure-activity relationship (SAR) involved in the binding affinity of homotaurine to soluble Aβ peptides are discussed.

Graphical AbstractESI-MS is used to evaluate the relative binding of low molecular weight compounds to the Aβ1-40 peptide.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (82 K)Download as PowerPoint slide