N-Terminal pyroglutamate formation of Aβ38 and Aβ40 enforces oligomer formation and potency to disrupt hippocampal long-term potentiation

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 774–784. Pyroglutamate (pGlu)‐modified amyloid peptides have been identified in sporadic and familial forms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the inherited disorders familial British and Danish Dementia (FBD and FDD). In this study, we characterized the aggregation of amyloid‐β protein Aβ37, Aβ38, Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADan species in vitro, which were modified by N‐terminal pGlu (pGlu‐Aβ3‐x, pGlu‐ADan) or possess the intact N‐terminus (Aβ1‐x, ADan). The pGlu‐modification confers rapid formation of oligomers and short fibrillar aggregates. In accordance with these observations, the pGlu‐modified Aβ38, Αβ40 and Αβ42 species inhibit hippocampal long term potentiation of synaptic response, but pGlu‐Aβ3‐42 showing the highest effect. Among the unmodified Aβ peptides, only Aβ1‐42 exhibites such propensity, which was similar to pGlu‐Aβ3‐38 and pGlu‐Aβ3‐40. Likewise, the amyloidogenic peptide pGlu‐ADan impaired synaptic potentiation more pronounced than N‐terminal unmodified ADan. The results were validated using conditioned media from cultivated HEK293 cells, which express APP variants favoring the formation of Aβ1‐x, Aβ3‐x or N‐truncated pGlu‐Aβ3‐x species. Hence, we show that the ability of different amyloid peptides to impair synaptic function apparently correlates to their potential to form oligomers as a common mechanism. The pGlu‐modification is apparently mediating a higher surface hydrophobicity, as shown by 1‐anilinonaphtalene‐8‐sulfonate fluorescence, which enforces potential to interfere with neuronal physiology. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are characterized by progressive accumulation of N‐truncated and pyroglutamate (pGlu)‐modified amyloid peptides. Oligomers formed from pGlu‐modified Aβ display significantly enhanced potential to influence hippocampal LTP. The effect correlates with velocity of oligomerization and surface hydrophobicity. We conclude: oligomers of N‐terminally modified Aβ38, 40 and 42 potently influence neuronal function. Thereby, pGlu‐modified Aβ probably contributes to AD symptomatology.