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On the lag phase in amyloid fibril formation

Arosio, Paolo ; Knowles, Tuomas P. J. and Linse, Sara LU (2015) In Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 17(12). p.7606-7618
Abstract
The formation of nanoscale amyloid fibrils from normally soluble peptides and proteins is a common form of self-assembly phenomenon that has fundamental connections with biological functions and human diseases. The kinetics of this process has been widely studied and exhibits on a macroscopic level three characteristic stages: a lag phase, a growth phase and a final plateau regime. The question of which molecular events take place during each one of these phases has been a central element in the quest for a mechanism of amyloid formation. In this review, we discuss the nature and molecular origin of the lag-phase in amyloid formation by making use of tools and concepts from physical chemistry, in particular from chemical reaction kinetics.... (More)
The formation of nanoscale amyloid fibrils from normally soluble peptides and proteins is a common form of self-assembly phenomenon that has fundamental connections with biological functions and human diseases. The kinetics of this process has been widely studied and exhibits on a macroscopic level three characteristic stages: a lag phase, a growth phase and a final plateau regime. The question of which molecular events take place during each one of these phases has been a central element in the quest for a mechanism of amyloid formation. In this review, we discuss the nature and molecular origin of the lag-phase in amyloid formation by making use of tools and concepts from physical chemistry, in particular from chemical reaction kinetics. We discuss how, in macroscopic samples, it has become apparent that the lag-phase is not a waiting time for nuclei to form. Rather, multiple parallel processes exist and typically millions of primary nuclei form during the lag phase from monomers in solution. Thus, the lag-time represents a time that is required for the nuclei that are formed early on in the reaction to grow and proliferate in order to reach an aggregate concentration that is readily detected in bulk assays. In many cases, this proliferation takes place through secondary nucleation, where fibrils may present a catalytic surface for the formation of new aggregates. Fibrils may also break (fragmentation) and thereby provide new ends for elongation. Thus, at least two -primary nucleation and elongation - and in many systems at least four - primary nucleation, elongation, secondary nucleation and fragmentation - microscopic processes occur during the lag phase. Moreover, these same processes occur during all three phases of the macroscopic aggregation process, albeit at different rates as governed by rate constants and by the concentration of reacting species at each point in time. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
volume
17
issue
12
pages
7606 - 7618
publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
external identifiers
  • wos:000351437500001
  • scopus:84925004330
  • pmid:25719972
ISSN
1463-9084
DOI
10.1039/c4cp05563b
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
946de57a-36cf-4c6b-bb02-c707f426995c (old id 5281671)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:59:06
date last changed
2022-05-19 22:13:07
@article{946de57a-36cf-4c6b-bb02-c707f426995c,
  abstract     = {{The formation of nanoscale amyloid fibrils from normally soluble peptides and proteins is a common form of self-assembly phenomenon that has fundamental connections with biological functions and human diseases. The kinetics of this process has been widely studied and exhibits on a macroscopic level three characteristic stages: a lag phase, a growth phase and a final plateau regime. The question of which molecular events take place during each one of these phases has been a central element in the quest for a mechanism of amyloid formation. In this review, we discuss the nature and molecular origin of the lag-phase in amyloid formation by making use of tools and concepts from physical chemistry, in particular from chemical reaction kinetics. We discuss how, in macroscopic samples, it has become apparent that the lag-phase is not a waiting time for nuclei to form. Rather, multiple parallel processes exist and typically millions of primary nuclei form during the lag phase from monomers in solution. Thus, the lag-time represents a time that is required for the nuclei that are formed early on in the reaction to grow and proliferate in order to reach an aggregate concentration that is readily detected in bulk assays. In many cases, this proliferation takes place through secondary nucleation, where fibrils may present a catalytic surface for the formation of new aggregates. Fibrils may also break (fragmentation) and thereby provide new ends for elongation. Thus, at least two -primary nucleation and elongation - and in many systems at least four - primary nucleation, elongation, secondary nucleation and fragmentation - microscopic processes occur during the lag phase. Moreover, these same processes occur during all three phases of the macroscopic aggregation process, albeit at different rates as governed by rate constants and by the concentration of reacting species at each point in time.}},
  author       = {{Arosio, Paolo and Knowles, Tuomas P. J. and Linse, Sara}},
  issn         = {{1463-9084}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{7606--7618}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Chemistry}},
  series       = {{Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}},
  title        = {{On the lag phase in amyloid fibril formation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c4cp05563b}},
  doi          = {{10.1039/c4cp05563b}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}