Analysis of Aβ interactions using ProteinChip Technology

Aβ peptides are now acknowledged to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Their generation results from the sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein by β and γ secretases. The resulting peptide fragments impart toxicity via their ability to form soluble oligomers and bind to cell membranes. In this chapter we describe the use of ProteinChip ® technology to study the physicochemical behaviour of Aβ and its mechanisms of toxicity. These include analyzing (1) Aβ processing and quantitation of peptide fragments, (2) Aβ aggregation and the quantitation of oligomers, and (3) Aβ–lipid interactions.