Drusen deposits associated with aging and age-related macular degeneration contain nonfibrillar amyloid oligomers
J. Clin. Invest. Volker Luibl, et al. 116:378 doi:10.1172/JCI25843 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Presence of amyloid oligomers in drusen and thickened Bm. Amyloid oligomer reactivity was visualized with fluorescein (green), and lipofuscin autofluorescence was visualized using the Cy3 channel (red). Multiple amyloid oligomer cores were sometimes observed in large drusen (A and B), as if a large druse may have formed from the fusion of several smaller drusen. The amyloid oligomer cores retained their size and relative positions within the druse and in proximity to the Bm. Within eyes that contained drusen, the oligomers occasionally accumulated above the Bm, in the form of basal linear (C and D) or basal laminar (E–H) deposits, particularly in instances where the Bm appeared to be thickened. (H) Staining within RPE cells was also observed. C and D are differential interference contrast images of D and F, respectively. (I and J) Specificity of the antibody in cryosections is demonstrated in adjacent sections of a large druse. (I) Multiple amyloid oligomer cores were visualized through use of the anti-oligomer antibody. (J) Reactivity was eliminated when the primary antibody was preincubated with amyloid oligomers synthesized from the Aβ_1–40 peptide. Scale bars: 10 μm.