Methods and techniques to study the bioinorganic chemistry of metal–peptide complexes linked to neurodegenerative diseases

This article provides a review about the most common techniques used to study the interaction of metal ions with amyloidogenic peptides. It is addressed to researchers, who want to know what kind of techniques exists, the information which can be obtained, their advantages, limits and the demands concerning sample preparation etc. It is not addressed to specialists of these techniques as the physical principles of the techniques are nor given. First, a general overview is given about sample preparation and treatment, with focus on the metal ions Zn(II), Cu(I/II) and Fe(II/III) and the peptides amyloid-β (but also α-synuclein, prion etc.). Then the methods NMR, EPR, electrochemistry, optical spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, FTIR, X-ray absorption and mass spectrometry are treated.