Cysteine and glutathione trigger the Cu–Zn swap between Cu(<scp>ii</scp>)-amyloid-β_4-16peptide and Zn₇-metallothionein-3

Abstract

Cysteine and glutathione are able to reduce Cu(ii) coordinated to the peptide amyloidβ_4-16, and shuttle the resulting Cu(i) to partially replace Zn(ii) in the protein Zn₇-metallothionein-3. The released Zn(ii) in turn binds to amyloid-β_4-16. Thus cysteine and glutathione are modulators of Cu/Zn-distribution between metallothionein-3 and amyloid-β_4-16.