The Alzheimer's disease amyloid-β peptide affects the size-dynamics of raft-mimicking Lo domains in GM1-containing lipid bilayers.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the overproduction of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) which forms fibrils under the influence of raft microdomains containing the ganglioside GM1. Raft-mimicking artificial liquid ordered (Lo) domains containing GM1 enhance amyloid-β polymerization. Other experiments suggest that Aβ binds preferably to the non-raft liquid disordered (Ld) phase rather than to the Lo phase in the presence of GM1.