Role of water in Protein Aggregation and Amyloid Polymorphism

A variety of neurodegenerative diseases are associated with the formation of amyloid plaques. Our incomplete understanding of this process underscores the need to decipher the principles governing protein aggregation. Most experimental and simulation studies have been interpreted largely from the perspective of proteins: the role of solvent has been relatively overlooked. In this Account, we provide a perspective on how interactions with water affect folding landscapes of A$\beta$ monomers, A$\beta_{16-22}$ oligomer formation, and protofilament formation in a Sup35 peptide. Simulations show that the formation of aggregation-prone structures (N$^*$) similar to the structure in the fibril requires overcoming high desolvation barrier. The mechanism of protofilament formation in a polar Sup35 peptide fragment illustrates that water dramatically slows down self-assembly. Release of water trapped in the pores as water wires creates protofilament with a dry interface. Similarly, one of the main driving force for addition of a solvated monomer to a preformed fibril is the entropy gain of released water. We conclude by postulating that two-step model for protein crystallization must also hold for higher order amyloid structure formation starting from N$^*$. Multiple N$^*$ structures with varying water content results in a number of distinct water-laden polymorphic structures. In predominantly hydrophobic sequences, water accelerates fibril formation. In contrast, water-stabilized metastable intermediates dramatically slow down fibril growth rates in hydrophilic sequences.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures; Accounts of Chemical Research, 201

A new era for understanding amyloid structures and disease

The aggregation of proteins into amyloid fibrils and their deposition into plaques and intracellular inclusions is the hallmark of amyloid disease. The accumulation and deposition of amyloid fibrils, collectively known as amyloidosis, is associated with many pathological conditions that can be associated with ageing, such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, type II diabetes and dialysis-related amyloidosis. However, elucidation of the atomic structure of amyloid fibrils formed from their intact protein precursors and how fibril formation relates to disease has remained elusive. Recent advances in structural biology techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, have finally broken this impasse. The first near-atomic-resolution structures of amyloid fibrils formed in vitro, seeded from plaque material and analysed directly ex vivo are now available. The results reveal cross-β structures that are far more intricate than anticipated. Here, we describe these structures, highlighting their similarities and differences, and the basis for their toxicity. We discuss how amyloid structure may affect the ability of fibrils to spread to different sites in the cell and between organisms in a prion-like manner, along with their roles in disease. These molecular insights will aid in understanding the development and spread of amyloid diseases and are inspiring new strategies for therapeutic intervention

Cross-ß spine architecture of fibrils formed by the amyloidogenic segment NFGSVQFV of medin from solid-state NMR and X-ray fibre diffraction measurements

Over 30 polypeptides are known to assemble into highly ordered fibrils associated with pathological disorders known collectively as amyloidoses. Structural studies of short model peptides are beginning to reveal trends in the types of molecular interactions that drive aggregation and stabilize the packing of ß-sheet layers within fibrillar assemblies. This work investigates the molecular architecture of fibrils formed by the peptide AMed42-49 representing residues 42-49 of the 50 amino acid polypeptide medin associated with aortic medial amyloid, the most common form of senile localized amyloid. The peptide aggregates within 2 days to form bundles of microcrystalline-like needles displaying a high degree of order. Fibrils were prepared from peptides containing up to 23 13C labels, and the solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) method rotational resonance (RR) was used to determine constraints on the distances between selective atomic sites within fibrils. The constraints are consistent with unbroken ß-strands hydrogen bonded in a parallel in-register arrangement within ß-sheets. Further RR measurements identify close (>6.5 Å) contacts between residues F43 and V46 and between S45 and V46, which can only occur between ß-sheet layers and which are consistent with two principal models of ß-sheet arrangements. X-ray fiber diffraction from partially aligned fibrils revealed the classical amyloid diffraction pattern, and comparison of patterns calculated from model coordinates with experimental data allowed determination of a consistent molecular model