Structure of interacting segments in the growing amyloid fibril of beta2-microglobulin probed with IR spectroscopy

J Mol Biol. 2006 Sep 15;362(2):355-64. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2006.07.023. Epub 2006 Jul 15.

Abstract

Inter-segmental interaction at the growing tip of the amyloid fibril of beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) was investigated using IR microscopy. Cross-seeded fibril formation was implemented, in which the amyloid fibril of the #21-31 fragment of beta2m (fA[#21-31]) was generated on the beta2m amyloid fibril (fA[beta2m]) as a seed. Differences between the IR spectra of the cross-seeded fibril and those of the seed were attributed to the contribution from the tip, whose structure is discussed. The results indicated that 6.5 +/- 1.0 out of 11 residues of the fA[#21-31] tip on fA[beta2m] are contained in a beta-sheet at pH 2.5, which was smaller than the corresponding value (7.5 +/- 1.1 residues) of the spontaneous fA[#21-31] at pH 2.5. The tip was suggested to have a planar structure, indicating the planarity of the interacting segment. The N-terminal region of fA[#21-31] in the fibril is more exposed to the solvent than that in the tip, and vice versa for the C-terminal region. This is consistent with the different protonation levels of these regions, and the direction of peptide in the fibrils is determined from these results.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid / chemistry*
  • Amyloid / metabolism
  • Deuterium Exchange Measurement
  • Humans
  • Infrared Rays
  • Isotopes / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry*
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Protein Conformation*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Spectrum Analysis / methods*
  • beta 2-Microglobulin / chemistry*
  • beta 2-Microglobulin / metabolism

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Isotopes
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • beta 2-Microglobulin