Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affects tens of millions of people all over the world and inflicts huge socioeconomic costs on the societies. AD is a neurodegenerative disease; it progresses over time and is highly debilitating at the advanced stages. Biochemical and genetic studies in the last decades have revealed that amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides play underlying roles in the molecular pathology of AD. Aβ peptides are small, aggregation-prone polypeptides produced in the neural tissue. Soluble aggregates of Aβ peptides, known as Aβ oligomers are regarded as the major neurotoxic species in AD brain.

In this thesis, in vitro studies were performed on Aβ oligomers with a number of spectroscopy and biochemical methods. The main technique used in this thesis is infrared (IR) spectroscopy, a variety of vibrational spectroscopy methods. IR spectroscopy measures the absorption of IR radiation by the vibrational transitions of oscillating dipoles within chemical structures and provides structural information on chemical bonds and functional groups in molecules. The method can provide valuable data on the secondary structure of proteins and therefore is a powerful tool for studying protein self-assembly and aggregation.

Different samples of homogeneous and heterogeneous Aβ42 oligomers were prepared and studied with IR spectroscopy and biochemical methods to establish correlations between oligomers' physical properties (size and homogeneity) and IR parameters. Additionally, the effects of lithium and nickel ions on the formation of homogeneous Aβ42 oligomers were studied. Separately, isotope-edited IR spectroscopy was used to study the molecular structure of homogeneous and heterogeneous Aβ42 oligomers. The obtained data can be helpful to establish IR spectroscopy for characterization of Aβ oligomers, as well as studies on their dynamics and interactions with each other and other biomolecules or inorganic materials. Moreover, the findings in this thesis add to the available knowledge on the molecular structure of Aβ oligomers and help to develop relevant molecular models. Such information can be helpful for the development of diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for AD.