3D analysis of human islet amyloid polypeptide crystalline structures in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 10;14(10):e0223456. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223456. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Expression of the Alzheimer's disease associated polypeptide Aβ42 and the human polypeptide hormon islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) and the prohormone precursor (hproIAPP) in neurons of Drosophila melanogaster leads to the formation of protein aggregates in the fat body tissue surrounding the brain. We determined the structure of these membrane-encircled protein aggregates using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and observed the dissolution of protein aggregates after starvation. Electron tomography (ET) as an extension of transmission electron microscopy revealed that these aggregates were comprised of granular subunits having a diameter of 20 nm aligned into highly ordered structures in all three dimensions. The three dimensional (3D) lattice of hIAPP granules were constructed of two unit cells, a body centered tetragonal (BCT) and a triclinic unit cell. A 5-fold twinned structure was observed consisting of the cyclic twinning of the BCT and triclinic unit cells. The interaction between the two nearest hIAPP granules in both unit cells is not only governed by the van der Waals forces and the dipole-dipole interaction but potentially also by filament-like structures that can connect the nearest neighbors. Hence, our 3D structural analysis provides novel insight into the aggregation process of hIAPP in the fat body tissue of Drosophila melanogaster.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Crystallization
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / ultrastructure
  • Fat Body / metabolism
  • Fat Body / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional*
  • Islet Amyloid Polypeptide / chemistry*
  • Islet Amyloid Polypeptide / ultrastructure
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Protein Subunits / chemistry

Substances

  • Islet Amyloid Polypeptide
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Protein Subunits

Grants and funding

This work was supported by VRK2016-02297, Familjen Ernfors Fund; Swedish diabetes Foundation to GTW. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.