Insights into the thermodynamics of copper association with amyloid-β, α-synuclein and prion proteins

This review examines recent studies on the thermodynamics of copper association with amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein and prion protein, with an eye towards using this information to understand the etiology of associated neurodegenerative diseases. A variety of binding affinities and binding sites, which are essential to understand the function and consequence of copper-protein interaction, have been reported for copper to these three neurobiologic systems. This current review reconciles the disparate models presented in the literature.