High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals structural dynamics of α-synuclein monomers and dimers.

ABSTRACT: α-Synuclein (α-syn) is the major component of the intraneuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies, which are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease. α-Syn is capable of self-assembly into many different species, such as soluble oligomers and fibrils. Even though attempts to resolve the structures of the protein have been made, detailed understanding about the structures and their relationship with the different aggregation steps is lacking, which is of interest to provide insights into the pathogenic mechanism of Parkinson's disease. Here we report the structural flexibility of α-syn monomers and dimers in an aqueous solution environment as probed by single-molecule time-lapse high-speed AFM. In addition, we present the molecular basis for the structural transitions using discrete mo

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5764752 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature