Curcumin alters the salt bridge-containing turn region in amyloid β(1–42) aggregates

Abstract

Amyloid β (Aβ) fibrillar deposits in the brain are a hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD). Curcumin, a common ingredient of Asian spices, is known to disrupt Aβ fibril formation and to reduce AD pathology in mouse models. Understanding the structural changes induced by curcumin can potentially lead to AD pharmaceutical agents with inherent bio-compatibility. Here, we use solid-state NMR spectroscopy to investigate the structural modifications of amyloid β(1–42) (Aβ₄₂) aggregates induced by curcumin. We find that curcumin induces major structural changes in the Asp-23–Lys-28 salt bridge region and near the C terminus. Electron microscopy shows that the Aβ₄₂ fibrils are disrupted by curcumin. Surprisingly, some of these alterations are similar to those reported for Zn²⁺ ions, another agent known to disrupt the fibrils and alter Aβ₄₂ toxicity. Our results suggest the existence of a structurally related family of quasi-fibrillar conformers of Aβ₄₂, which is stabilized both by curcumin and by Zn²⁺.