Effect of Terahertz Waves on the Structure of the Aß42 Monomer, Dimer, and Protofibril: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Amyloid-ß (Aß) and its assemblies play important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies conducted by experimental and computational researchers have extensively explored the structure, assembly, and influence of biomolecules and cell membranes on Aß. However, the impact of terahertz waves on the structures of Aß monomers and aggregates remains largely unexplored. In this study, we systematically investigate the molecular mechanisms by which terahertz waves affect the structure of the Aß42 monomer, dimer, and tetramer through all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our findings indicate that terahertz waves at a specific frequency (42.55 THz) can enhance intramolecular and intermolecular interactions in the Aß42 monomer and dimer, respectively, by resonating with the symmetric stretching mode of the -COO- groups and the symmetric bending/stretching mode of -CH3 groups. Consequently, the ß-structure content of the Aß42 monomer is greatly increased, and the binding energy between the monomers in the Aß42 dimer is significantly enhanced. Additionally, our observations suggest that terahertz waves can mildly stabilize the structure of tetrameric protofibrils by enhancing the interactions among peripheral peptides. Furthermore, we also investigated the effect of the frequency of terahertz waves on the structure of Aß42. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of external fields on the biobehavior of Aß42 peptides and may shed some light on the potential risks associated with electromagnetic field radiation.