Extrinsic Amyloid-Binding Dyes for Detection of Individual Protein Aggregates in Solution.

ABSTRACT: Protein aggregation is a key molecular feature underlying a wide array of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. To understand protein aggregation in molecular detail, it is crucial to be able to characterize the array of heterogeneous aggregates that are formed during the aggregation process. We present here a high-throughput method to detect single protein aggregates, in solution, from a label-free aggregation reaction, and we demonstrate the approach with the protein associated with Parkinson's disease, α-synuclein. The method combines single-molecule confocal microscopy with a range of amyloid-binding extrinsic dyes, including thioflavin T and pentameric formylthiophene acetic acid, and we show that we can observe aggregates at low picomolar concen

SUBMITTER: Taylor CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6127805 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature