Reversible heat-induced dissociation of ß2-microglobulin amyloid fibrils.

Recent progress in the field of amyloid research indicates that the classical view of amyloid fibrils, being irreversibly formed highly stable structures resistant to perturbating conditions and proteolytic digestion, is getting more complex. We studied the thermal stability and heat-induced depolymerization of amyloid fibrils of ß(2)-microglobulin (ß2m), a protein responsible for dialysis-related amyloidosis. We found that freshly polymerized ß2m fibrils at 0.1-0.3 mg/mL concentration completely dissociated to monomers upon 10 min incubation at 99 °C. Fibril depolymerization was followed by thioflavin-T fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy at various temperatures. Dissociation of ß2m fibrils was found to be a reversible and dynamic process reaching equilibrium between fibrils and monomers within minutes. Repolymerization experiments revealed that the number of extendable fibril ends increased significantly upon incubation at elevated temperatures suggesting that the mechanism of fibril unfolding involves two distinct processes: (1) dissociation of monomers from the fibril ends and (2) the breakage of fibrils. The breakage of fibrils may be an important in vivo factor multiplying the number of fibril nuclei and thus affecting the onset and progress of disease. We investigated the effects of some additives and different factors on the stability of amyloid fibrils. Sample aging increased the thermal stability of ß2m fibril solution. 0.5 mM SDS completely prevented ß2m fibrils from dissociation up to the applied highest temperature of 99 °C. The generality of our findings was proved on fibrils of K3 peptide and α-synuclein. Our simple method may also be beneficial for screening and developing amyloid-active compounds for therapeutic purposes.

Identification of a mechanical rheostat in the hydrophobic core of protein L.

The ability of proteins and their complexes to withstand or respond to mechanical stimuli is vital for cells to maintain their structural organisation, to relay external signals and to facilitate unfolding and remodelling. Force spectroscopy using the atomic force microscope allows the behaviour of single protein molecules under an applied extension to be investigated and their mechanical strength to be quantified. protein L, a simple model protein, displays moderate mechanical strength and is thought to unfold by the shearing of two mechanical sub-domains. Here, we investigate the importance of side-chain packing for the mechanical strength of protein L by measuring the mechanical strength of a series of protein L variants containing single conservative hydrophobic volume deletion mutants. Of the five thermodynamically destabilized variants characterised, only one residue (I60 V) close to the interface between two mechanical sub-domains was found to differ in mechanical properties to wild type (Delta F(I60 V-WT)=-36 pN at 447 nm s(-1), Delta x(uI60V-WT)=0.2 nm). Phi-value analysis of the unfolding data revealed a highly native transition state. To test whether the number of hydrophobic contacts across the mechanical interface does affect the mechanical strength of protein L, we measured the mechanical properties of two further variants. protein L L10F, which increases core packing but does not enhance interfacial contacts, increased mechanical strength by 13+/-11 pN at 447 nm s(-1). By contrast, protein L I60F, which increases both core and cross-interface contacts, increased mechanical strength by 72+/-13 pN at 447 nm s(-1). These data suggest a method by which nature can evolve a varied mechanical response from a limited number of topologies and demonstrate a generic but facile method by which the mechanical strength of proteins can be rationally modified.

Mechanism of lysophosphatidic acid-induced amyloid fibril formation of beta(2)-microglobulin in vitro under physiological conditions.

Beta(2)-microglobulin- (beta2m-) based fibril deposition is the key symptom in dialysis-related amyloidosis. beta2m readily forms amyloid fibrils in vitro at pH 2.5. However, it is not well understood which factors promote this process in vivo, because beta2m cannot polymerize at neutral pH without additives even at elevated concentration. Here we show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an in vivo occurring lysophospholipid mediator, promotes amyloid formation under physiological conditions through a complex mechanism. In the presence of LPA, at and above its critical micelle concentration, native beta2m became sensitive to limited proteolytic digestion, indicating increased conformational flexibility. Isothermal titration calorimetry indicates that beta2m exhibits high affinity for LPA. Fluorescence and CD spectroscopy, as well as calorimetry, showed that LPA destabilizes the structure of monomeric beta2m inducing a partially unfolded form. This intermediate is capable of fibril extension in a nucleation-dependent manner. Our findings also indicate that the molecular organization of fibrils formed under physiological conditions differs from that of fibrils formed at pH 2.5. Fibrils grown in the presence of LPA depolymerize very slowly in the absence of LPA; moreover, LPA stabilizes the fibrils even below its critical micelle concentration. Neither the amyloidogenic nor the fibril-stabilizing effects of LPA were mimicked by its structural and functional lysophospholipid analogues, showing its selectivity. On the basis of our findings and the observed increase in blood LPA levels in dialysis patients, we suggest that the interaction of LPA with beta2m might contribute to the pathomechanism of dialysis-related amyloidosis.