1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine and Protein-Aggregation--Pathological

The aggregation cascade and peptide-membrane interactions of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) have been implicated as toxic events in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ42 forms oligomers and ultimately plaques, and it has been hypothesized that these oligomeric species are the main toxic species contributing to neuronal cell death. To better understand oligomerization events and subsequent oligomer-membrane interactions of Aβ42, we performed atomistic molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize both interpeptide interactions and perturbation of model membranes by the peptides. MD simulations were utilized to first show the formation of a tetramer unit by four separate Aβ42 peptides. Aβ42 tetramers adopted an oblate ellipsoid shape and showed a significant increase in β-strand formation in the final tetramer unit relative to the monomers, indicative of on-pathway events for fibril formation. The Aβ42 tetramer unit that formed in the initial simulations was used in subsequent MD simulations in the presence of a pure POPC or cholesterol-rich raft model membrane. Tetramer-membrane simulations resulted in elongation of the tetramer in the presence of both model membranes, with tetramer-raft interactions giving rise to the rearrangement of key hydrophobic regions in the tetramer and the formation of a more rod-like structure indicative of a fibril-seeding aggregate. Membrane perturbation by the tetramer was manifested in the form of more ordered, rigid membranes, with the pure POPC being affected to a greater extent than the raft membrane. These results provide critical atomistic insight into the aggregation pathway of Aβ42 and a putative toxic mechanism in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Topics: Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Cholesterol; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Membrane Microdomains; Membranes, Artificial; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Peptide Fragments; Phosphatidylcholines; Protein Aggregation, Pathological; Protein Multimerization; Protein Structure, Secondary

The fibrillization of α-synuclein (α-syn) is involved in Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects four million people in the world. The amino acid sequence 71-82 of this protein (VTGVTAVAQKTV) has appeared to be essential for fibril formation. In the present study, we have investigated the secondary structure and thermal stability of the peptide fragment 71-82, α-syn71-82, as a function of concentration and temperature, as well as its interactions with phospholipid model membranes using various spectroscopic techniques. The data show that α-syn71-82 is mainly disordered in solution with the presence of a few β-sheet structure elements. The peptide reversibly forms intermolecular β-sheets with increasing concentration and decreasing temperature, suggesting that it is subjected to a thermodynamic equilibrium between a monomeric and an oligomeric form. This equilibrium seems to be affected by the presence of zwitterionic membranes. Conversely, the influence of the peptide on zwitterionic lipid bilayers is small and concentration-dependent. By contrast, α-syn71-82 is strongly affected by anionic vesicles. The peptide indeed exhibits a dramatic conformational change, reflecting an extensive and irreversible self-aggregation, the majority of the amino acids being involved in a parallel β-sheet conformation. The aggregates appear to be located near the membrane surface but do not perturb significantly the membrane order. Comparing these results with the literature, it appears that α-syn71-82 shares several general properties and structural similarities with its parent protein. These common points suggest that the sequence 71-82 may overall contribute to the behavior and properties of α-syn.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Amyloid; Circular Dichroism; Humans; Lipid Bilayers; Models, Molecular; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Osmolar Concentration; Peptide Fragments; Phosphatidylcholines; Phosphatidylglycerols; Protein Aggregation, Pathological; Protein Conformation; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; Protein Stability; Protein Structure, Secondary; Protein Unfolding; Solubility; Temperature