Articolo in rivista, 2008, ENG, 10.1016/j.abb.2008.06.018

Calcium-Activated Membrane Interaction of the Islet Amyloid Polypeptide: Implications in the Pathogenesis of Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Michele Francesco Maria Sciacca;a Matteo Pappalardo;a Danilo Milardi;b Domenico M. Grasso;a Carmelo La Rosa;a*

a Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita' di Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy b Istituto CNR di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini--Sezione di Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy

The role played by Ca2+ ions in the interaction of the human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) with model membranes has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD) experiments. In particular, the interaction of hIAPP and its rat isoform (rIAPP) with zwitterionic dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), negatively charged dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylserine (DPPS) vesicles and with a 3:1 Mixtures of them, has been studied in the presence of Ca2+ ions. The experiments have evidenced that amorphous, Soluble NAPP assemblies interact with the hydrophobic core of DPPC bilayers. Conversely, the presence of Ca2+ ions is necessary to activate a preferential interaction of hIAPP with the hydrophobic core of DPPS membranes. These findings support the hypothesis that an impaired cellular homeostasis of Ca2+ ions may promote the insertion of NAPP into the hydrophobic core of carrier vesicles which is thought to contribute to an eventual intracellular accumulation of beta-sheet rich hIAPP aggregates.

Archives of biochemistry and biophysics (Print) 47 , pp. 291–298

Keywords

differential scanning calorimetry, polypeptides, membranes, metal ions, thermotropic properties

CNR authors

Milardi Danilo

CNR institutes

IBB – Istituto di biostrutture e bioimmagini