Crucial role of nonspecific interactions in amyloid nucleation.

ABSTRACT: Protein oligomers have been implicated as toxic agents in a wide range of amyloid-related diseases. However, it has remained unsolved whether the oligomers are a necessary step in the formation of amyloid fibrils or just a dangerous byproduct. Analogously, it has not been resolved if the amyloid nucleation process is a classical one-step nucleation process or a two-step process involving prenucleation clusters. We use coarse-grained computer simulations to study the effect of nonspecific attractions between peptides on the primary nucleation process underlying amyloid fibrillization. We find that, for peptides that do not attract, the classical one-step nucleation mechanism is possible but only at nonphysiologically high peptide concentrations. At low peptide concentrations, which mimic th

SUBMITTER: Saric A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4273401 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature