Differential Roles of Plasma Protein Corona on Immune Cell Association and Cytokine Secretion of Oligomeric and Fibrillar Beta-Amyloid

Ava Faridi, Wen Yang, Hannah Gabrielle Kelly, Chuanyu Wang, Pouya Faridi, Anthony Wayne Purcell, Thomas P. Davis, Pengyu Chen, Stephen J. Kent, Pu Chun Ke

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a primary neurological disease with no effective cure. A hallmark of AD is the presence of intracellular tangles and extracellular plaques derived from the aberrant aggregation of tau- and beta-amyloid (Aβ). Aβ presents in the brain as well as in cerebrospinal fluid and the circulation, and Aβ toxicity has been attributed to amyloidosis and inflammation, among other causes. In this study, the effects of the plasma protein corona have been investigated with regard to the blood cell association and cytokine secretion of oligomeric (Aβo) and fibrillar Aβ1-42(Aβf), two major forms of the peptide aggregates. Aβo displayed little change in membrane association in whole blood or washed blood (i.e., cells in the absence of plasma proteins) at 37 °C, while Aβf showed a clear preference for binding with all cell types sans plasma proteins. Immune cells exposed to Aβo, but not to Aβf, resulted in significant expression of cytokines IL-6 and TNF measured in real-time by a localized surface plasmon resonance sensor. These observations indicate greater immune cell association and cytokine stimulation of Aβo than Aβf and shed new light on the contrasting toxicities of Aβo and Aβf resulting from their differential capacities in acquiring a plasma protein corona. These results further implicate a close connection between Aβ amyloidosis and immunopathology in AD. ©

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4208-4217
Number of pages10
JournalBiomacromolecules
Volume20
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Nov 2019

Cite this