Beta amyloid
Beta amyloid
Beta amyloid (pronunciation: /ˈbeɪtə əˈmaɪlɔɪd/), also known as Aβ or Amyloid beta, is 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 secretase and gamma secretase to yield Aβ.
Etymology
The term "amyloid" comes from the early mistaken identification by Rudolf Virchow of the substance as starch (amylum in Latin), based on crude iodine-staining techniques. For a period, the scientific community debated whether or not amyloid deposits were fatty deposits or carbohydrate deposits until it was finally found (in 1859) to be a proteinaceous deposit.
Related terms
- Amyloidosis: A group of diseases in which abnormal protein, known as amyloid fibrils, builds up in tissue.
- Amyloid precursor protein (APP): A protein that, in humans, is encoded by the APP gene. APP is cleaved by certain enzymes to yield Aβ.
- Beta secretase: An enzyme that cleaves APP and is involved in the formation of Aβ.
- Gamma secretase: Another enzyme that cleaves APP and is involved in the formation of Aβ.
- Alzheimer's disease: A chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and worsens over time. It is characterized by the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Beta amyloid
- Wikipedia's article - Beta amyloid
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