Conformational and functional changes of the native neuropeptide somatostatin occur in the presence of copper and amyloid-β

Alzheimer’s alters the function of a neurotransmitter

27 January 2023

Copper and amyloid-beta — both products of Alzheimer’s disease — cause an important neurotransmitter in the brain to switch functions.

Like other neurotransmitters, the small protein called somatostatin acts as messenger between neurons, enabling them to talk to each other.

There has been some evidence that somatostatin interacts with amyloid-beta plaques and metal ions that are produced in brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease. But it was not known how this interaction affects how the neurotransmitter works.

Now, a team led by researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea has found that the presence of copper and amyloid-beta causes somatostatin to lose its messaging function. They also discovered that they cause it to gain a new function of making amyloid-beta plaques less toxic.

These findings highlight the importance of neurotransmitters in Alzheimer’s disease and could lead to the development of new biomarkers.

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References

1. Nature Chemistry 14, 1021–1030 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41557-022-00984-3