Self-assembly of Mutant Huntingtin Exon-1 Fragments into Large Complex Fibrillar Structures Involves Nucleated Branching.

Huntingtin (HTT) fragments with extended polyglutamine tracts self-assemble into amyloid-like fibrillar aggregates. Elucidating the fibril formation mechanism is critical for understanding Huntington's disease pathology and for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we performed systematic experimental and theoretical studies to examine the self-assembly of an aggregation-prone N-terminal HTT exon-1 fragment with 49 glutamines (Ex1Q49). Using high-resolution imaging techniques such as electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, we show that Ex1Q49 fragments in cell-free assays spontaneously convert into large, highly complex bundles of amyloid fibrils with multiple ends and fibril branching points. Furthermore, we present experimental evidence that two nucleation mechanisms control spontaneous Ex1Q49 fibrillogenesis: (1) a relatively slow primary fibril-independent nucleation process, which involves the spontaneous formation of aggregation-competent fibrillary structures, and (2) a fast secondary fibril-dependent nucleation process, which involves nucleated branching and promotes the rapid assembly of highly complex fibril bundles with multiple ends. The proposed aggregation mechanism is supported by studies with the small molecule O4, which perturbs early events in the aggregation cascade and delays Ex1Q49 fibril assembly, comprehensive mathematical and computational modeling studies, and seeding experiments with small, preformed fibrillar Ex1Q49 aggregates that promote the assembly of amyloid fibrils. Together, our results suggest that nucleated branching in vitro plays a critical role in the formation of complex fibrillar HTT exon-1 aggregates with multiple ends.

Stereochemistry rules: a single stereocenter changes the conformation of a cyclic tetrapeptide.

Two novel cyclo(Boc-Cys-Pro-Leu-Cys-OMe) peptides 1 and 2 containing the enantiomeric amino acids d-Leu and l-Leu, respectively, were synthesized to investigate the effect of chiral centers on peptide conformations. By combining a variety of experimental techniques (X-ray crystallography, 2D NMR spectroscopy, temperature-dependent (1)H NMR and IR spectroscopy, and UV-CD spectroscopy) with replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) techniques and quantum mechanics/molecular dynamics (QM/MM) calculations, we establish that the stereochemistry of just one residue can noticeably influence the properties of the whole peptide and rationalize the origins of this effect, with potential implications for the rational design of peptides of chemical and biological relevance.

Variational transition-state theory study of the rate constant of the DMS·OH scavenging reaction by O2.

The chemical tropospheric dimethyl sulfide (DMS, CH3SCH3) degradation involves several steps highly dependent on the environmental conditions. So, intensive efforts have been devoted during the last years to enhance the understanding of the DMS oxidation mechanism under different conditions. The reaction of DMS with OH is considered to be the most relevant process that initiates the whole oxidation process. The experimental observations have been explained by a two-channel mechanism consisting of a H-abstraction process leading to CH3S(O)CH3 and HO2 and an addition reaction leading to the DMS·OH adduct. In the presence of O2, the DMS·OH adduct is competitively scavenged increasing the contribution of the addition channel to the overall DMS oxidation. Recent experimental measurements have determined from a global fit that the rate constant of this scavenging process is independent of pressure and temperature but this rate constant cannot be directly measured. In this article, a variational transition-state theory calculation of the low- and high-pressure rate constants for the reaction between DMS·OH and O2 has been carried out as a function of temperature. Our proposal is that the slight temperature dependence of the scavenging rate constant can only be explained if the H-abstraction bottleneck is preceded by a dynamical bottleneck corresponding to the association process between the DMS·OH adduct and the O2 molecule. The agreement between the low-pressure and high-pressure rate constants confirms the experimental observations.

Formation pathways of DMSO from DMS-OH in the presence of O(2) and NO(x): A theoretical study.

The relative importance of the reaction pathways and thus the product yields in the dimethyl sulfide (DMS) degradation scheme initiated by the hydroxyl (OH) radical has been said to be influenced by the content of nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) in chamber experiments. In this study, ab initio and density functional electronic structure calculations of all the possible reaction pathways corresponding to the reaction process initiated by DMS-OH + oxygen (O(2)), leading to the formation of the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) product in the presence of NO(x) (NO and NO(2)), are carried out for the first time. The results for the different pathways are compared with the objective of inferring their kinetic relevance in the laboratory experiments that measure DMSO formation yields. Our theoretical results clearly show the existence of NO(x)-dependent pathways leading to the formation of DMSO in addition to O(2)-dependent channels. So then, NO(x)-containing conditions would have to modify the relative importance of the addition channel in the DMS oxidation process.

Formation pathways of DMSO(2) in the addition channel of the OH-initiated DMS oxidation: A theoretical study.

The production of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethyl sulfone (DMSO(2)) in the dimethyl sulfide (DMS) degradation scheme initiated by the hydroxyl (OH) radical has been shown to be very sensitive to nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) levels. In the present work we have explored the potential energy surfaces corresponding to several reaction pathways which yield DMSO(2) from the CH(3)S(O)(OH)CH(3) adduct [including the formation of CH(3)S(O)(OH)CH(3) from the reaction of DMSO with OH] and the reaction channels that yield DMSO or/and DMSO(2) from the CH(3)S(O(2))(OH)CH(3) adduct are also studied. The formation of the CH(3)S(O(2))(OH)CH(3) adduct from CH(3)S(OH)CH(3) (DMS-OH) and O(2) was analyzed in our previous work. All these pathways due to the presence of NO(x) (NO and NO(2)) and also due to the reactions with O(2), OH and HO(2) are compared with the objective of inferring their kinetic relevance in the laboratory experiments that measure DMSO(2) (and DMSO) formation yields. In particular, our theoretical results clearly show the existence of NO(x)-dependent pathways leading to the formation of DMSO(2), which could explain some of these experimental results in comparison with experimental measurements carried out in NO(x)-free conditions. Our results indicate that the relative importance of the addition channel in the DMS oxidation process can be dependent on the NO(x) content of chamber experiments and of atmospheric conditions.