Formation of intracellular plaques and small oligomeric species of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides
inside neurons is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The most abundant Aβ species in the
brain are Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, which are composed, respectively, of 40 and 42 residues.
Aβ1-42 differs from Aβ1-40 only in two residues, Ile41 and Ala42, yet it shows remarkably
faster aggregation and greater neurotoxicity than Aβ1-40. Thus, it is crucial to understand
the relative contributions of Ile41 and Ala42 to these distinct behaviors. To achieve this …