Interactions of Alzheimers B-Amyloid with Lipid Membranes

Increasing evidence has suggested that the fibril form of Alzheimer’s beta-amyloid (Ab) is neurotoxic in Alzheimer’s disease, and in vitro evidence has suggested that Ab fibrils can be formed at very low peptide concentrations if membrane lipids are present. Dr. Lee’s long-range goal is to understand the role of membrane lipids in Ab neurotoxicity. She is screening Ab peptides (Ab-140 and Ab-142) for specific interactions with a variety of individual membrane lipids and with lipid mixtures. After the initial screening, she will use a combination of optical and physical techniques to further characterize the association of Ab peptides with lipids and the effects of the peptides on lipid membranes. She will also characterize fibril formation and obtain high resolution images with atomic force microscopy. Dr. Lee’s investigation is one of two studies funded by the Irwin Lee Challenge Grant.