Amyloid beta

Amyloid beta

Amyloid beta (Aβ or Abeta) represents a peptide of 36–43 amino acids that is crucially involved in Alzheimer's disease as the main component of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer patients. The peptides derive from the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is cleaved by beta and gamma secretase to yield Aβ.

Pronunciation

Amyloid beta is pronounced as /ˈæmɪˌlɔɪd ˈbeɪtə/.

Etymology

The term "amyloid" comes from the early mistaken identification by Rudolf Virchow of the substance as starch (amylum in Latin, for its iodine staining properties), due to an error he made in the 1850s. The "beta" refers to the order of discovery in the lab of George Glenner, where the beta protein was discovered after the alpha protein.

Related Terms

• Amyloid precursor protein (APP)
• Beta secretase
• Gamma secretase
• Alzheimer's disease
• Rudolf Virchow
• George Glenner

See Also

• Amyloidosis
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Dementia

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Amyloid beta
• Wikipedia's article - Amyloid beta

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