Many properties of Aβ such as toxicity, aggregation and ROS formation are modulated by Cu2+. Previously, the coordination configuration and interaction of Cu2+ with the Aβ N-terminus has been extensively studied. However, the effect of Aβ C-terminal residues on related properties is still unclear. In the present study, several C-terminus-truncated Aβ peptides, including Aβ1-40, Aβ1-35, Aβ1-29, ...

Elevated copper levels in tumor microenvironment are directly correlated to cancer progression in a variety of malignancies. Copper is required in angiogenesis, and promotes the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanism of copper in promoting cancer progression remains elusive. Here we report that CD147 serves as a signaling receptor for extracellular Cu2+ i...

The prion protein (PrP) is a Cu2+-binding cell-surface glycoprotein. Using various PrP fragments and spectroscopic techniques, we show that two Cu2+ ions bind to a region between residues 90 and 126. This region incorporates the neurotoxic portion of PrP, vital for prion propagation in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Pentapeptides PrP-(92-96) and PrP-(107-111) represent the minimum m...

The phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus (PC-PLC(Bc)) is a tri-Zn enzyme with two 'tight binding' and one 'loose binding' sites. The Zn2+ ions can be replaced with Co2+ and Cu2+ to afford metal-substituted derivatives. Two Cu2+-substituted derivatives are detected by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, a 'transient' derivative and a 'stable' derivative. The detection of...

Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of degenerately doped copper chalcogenide nanoparticles (NPs) (Cu2-xSe berzelianite and Cu1.1S covellite) have been modified applying different methods. The comparison of the cation exchange (Cu2-xSe) and intercalation (Cu1.1S) of Ag(I) and Cu(I) has shown that Ag(I) causes a non reversible, air stable shift of the LSPR. This was compared to the infl...

To investigate the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals on the population reproduction, antioxidative defense system and cell ultrastructure of the marine diatom, fluoranthene and Cu2+ were selected to test their toxicity to Phaeodactylum tricorntum, in the laboratory. The results indicated that both fluoranthene and Cu2+ inhibited population reproduction of P. tricornt...

The mode of DNA-breaking actions of ascorbic acid (AsA) and triose reductone (TR) in the presence of Cu2+ was studied by use of 0.8% agarose slab gel electrophoretic analysis. The DNA-breaking actions of the mixture of AsA or TR and Cu2+ were inhibited by N2 gas, hydroxyl radical scavengers and catalase, indicating that the oxidation of AsA or TR by Cu2+ and the hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl r...

The lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is proposed to be a toxic factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. The primary products of lipid peroxidation are phospholipid hydroperoxides, and degraded reactive aldehydes, such as HNE, are considered secondary peroxidation products. In this study, we investigated the role of amyloid-beta peptide (A beta) in the formation of ph...

It has been shown previously that the unfolded N-terminal domain of the prion protein can bind up to six Cu2+ ions in vitro. This domain contains four tandem repeats of the octapeptide sequence PHGGGWGQ, which, alongside the two histidine residues at positions 96 and 111, contribute to its Cu2+ binding properties. At the maximum metal-ion occupancy each Cu2+ is co-ordinated by a single imidazol...

α-Crystallin is a small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone. Binding of Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions to α-crystallin leads to enhanced chaperone function. Sequestration of Cu2+ by α-crystallin prevents metal-ion mediated oxidation. Here we show that binding of human γD-crystallin (HGD, a natural substrate) to human αA-crystallin (HAA) is inversely related to the binding of Cu2+/Zn2+ ions: The high...