Errors in peptide synthesis are a source of discrepancies in Aβ42 studies

Abstract

Amyloid-{beta}42 (A{beta}42) aggregation is highly sensitive to experimental conditions, making reproducibility a persistent challenge in Alzheimers disease research. Among the many variables that influence aggregation, the impact of peptide production remains poorly understood. Direct comparison of recombinant and chemically synthesised A{beta}42 prepared under carefully controlled conditions reveals that, despite following similar aggregation mechanism and forming the same predominant fibril structures, synthetic A{beta}42 aggregates more slowly and exhibits reduced seeding efficiency. Consequently, synthetic A{beta}42 produces fewer oligomeric species and displays lower cellular toxicity. Mass spectrometric analyses identify low-abundance sequence imperfections introduced during peptide synthesis as the origin of these differences. By linking synthesis-derived imperfections to variations in A{beta}42 behaviour, this work reveals a previously underappreciated source of discrepancies in amyloid studies. In addition, we provide a framework for evaluating the impact of sequence impurities on biophysical studies that are sensitive to peptide composition.