First Commercially Available Beta-Amyloid Peptides (1-44 to 1-48)

May 2007 ¡V San Jose, CA — Due to challenges in synthesis due to their structure, beta-amyloid peptides with sequences 1-44 to 1-48 have not been commercially available until now. AnaSpec, a leading provider of integrated proteomics solutions, has introduced the industry¡¦s first commercially available beta-amyloid peptides for sequences 1-44, 1-45, 1-46, 1-47, 1-48 and 1-49.

Amyloid Precursor Protein, APP, is predominantly processed by ƒÑ-Secretase, producing a 83-amino acid C-terminal fragment, C83; while a small amount is processed by ƒÒ-Secretase, producing a 99-amino acid C-terminal fragment, C99. Subsequent cleavages of C83 and C99 by ƒ×-Secretase produce a 3-kD (p3) protein in the former and a 4-kD (beta-amyloid) protein in the latter and a CT57-59 in both fragments.1 The 4-Kd consists of beta-amyloids which are 39 to 42 amino acids in length, with beta-amyloid 1-42 being the major component of amyloid plaques which accumulate in neurons of Alzheimer¡¦s diseased brains.2,3 Novel cleavage sites (ƒÕ and ƒê) downstream of the ƒ×¡Vcleavage site have recently been reported,4,5 which release longer beta-amyloid peptides (1-43, 1-45, 1-46 and 1-48).

These longer beta-amyloid peptides have been notoriously difficult to make, due to a C-terminus sequence composed primarily of hydrophobic amino acids. The successful synthesis and commercialization of these longer beta-amyloid peptides represents a significant achievement on the part of AnaSpec. AnaSpec president, Dr. Anita Hong, noted, ¡§Drawing on our many years of peptide synthesis experience, AnaSpec is committed to supporting the research efforts of our customers with the most innovative tools we can develop. With the successful commercialization of these longer beta-amyloid peptides, we are pleased to offer an even broader selection of amyloid-related products for our customers.¡¨

Company Info

AnaSpec, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated proteomics solutions to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research institutions throughout the world. With a vision for innovation through synergy, AnaSpec focuses on three core technologies: peptides, detection reagents (dyes, assay kits, & antibodies), and combinatorial chemistry. Established in 1993, AnaSpec's ISO9001:2000 certified headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in San Jose, CA.

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3. Iwatsubo, T. et al. Neuron 13, 45 (1994).
4. Qi-Takahara, Y. et al. J. Neurosci. 25, 436 (2005).