Cysteine and glutathione trigger the Cu–Zn swap between Cu(II)-amyloid-β4-16 peptide and Zn7-metallothionein-3

Cysteine and glutathione are able to reduce Cu(II) coordinated to the peptide amyloidβ4-16, and shuttle the resulting Cu(I) to partially replace Zn(II) in the protein Zn7-metallothionein-3. The released Zn(II) in turn binds to amyloid-β4-16. Thus cysteine and glutathione are modulators of Cu/Zn-distribution between metallothionein-3 and amyloid-β4-16.