Study shows Alzheimer's disease-related peptides form toxic calcium channels in the plasma membrane
Monday, October 24, 2011 - 12:31
in Biology & Nature
Alzheimer's disease is triggered by the inappropriate processing of amyloid precursor protein to generate excess amounts of short peptide fragments called A-beta. For many years, the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease was thought to be caused by the buildup of A-beta in insoluble, fibrous plaques. However, increasing suspicion now falls on smaller, soluble A-beta complexes as the toxic form of the protein, partly through their ability to induce excess calcium influx into cells, which disrupts synaptic signaling and stimulates cell death. A new study in The Journal of Cell Biology uses high-resolution imaging to reveal that A-beta oligomers elevate calcium by forming calcium-permeable pores in the plasma membrane.