A new molecular model for Congo Red-β amyloid interaction: implications for diagnosis and inhibition of brain plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease

Kristine A. Zhang; Yat Li

doi:10.1117/12.2186236

21 August 2015 A new molecular model for Congo Red-β amyloid interaction: implications for diagnosis and inhibition of brain plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease

Kristine A. Zhang, Yat Li

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9550, Biosensing and Nanomedicine VIII; 95500X (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2186236
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. One strong pathological indicator of AD is senile plaques, which are aggregates of fibrils formed from amyloid β (Aβ) peptides. Thus, detection and inhibition of Aβ aggregation are critical for the prevention and treatment of AD. Congo red (CR) is one of the most widely used dye molecules for probing as well as inhabiting Aβ aggregation. However, the nature of interaction between CR and Aβ is not well understood. In this research, we systematically studied the interaction between CR and Aβ using a combination of optical techniques, including electronic absorption, fluorescence, Raman scattering, and circular dichroism, to provide detailed information with molecular specificity and high sensitivity. Compared to CR alone, interaction of the dye with Aβ results in a new absorption peak near 540 nm and significantly enhanced photoluminescence as well as Raman signal. Our results led us to propose a new model suggesting that CR exists primarily in a micellar form, resembling H-aggregates, in water and dissociates into monomers upon interaction with Aβ. This model has significant implications for the development of new strategies to detect and inhibit brain plaques for treatment of neurological diseases like AD.

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Kristine A. Zhang and Yat Li "A new molecular model for Congo Red-β amyloid interaction: implications for diagnosis and inhibition of brain plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease", Proc. SPIE 9550, Biosensing and Nanomedicine VIII, 95500X (21 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2186236

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