Hemin as a generic and potent protein misfolding inhibitor

Protein misfolding causes serious biological malfunction, resulting in diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and cataract. Molecules which inhibit protein misfolding are a promising avenue to explore as therapeutics for the treatment of these diseases. In the present study, thioflavin T fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy experiments demonstrated that hemin prevents amyloid fibril formation of kappa-casein, amyloid beta peptide and α-synuclein by blocking β-sheet structure assembly which is essential in fibril aggregation. Further, inhibition of fibril formation by hemin significantly reduces the cytotoxicity caused by fibrillar amyloid beta peptide in vitro. Interestingly, hemin degrades partially formed amyloid fibrils and prevents further aggregation to mature fibrils. Light scattering assay results revealed that hemin also prevents protein amorphous aggregation of alcohol dehydrogenase, catalase and γs-crystallin. In summary, hemin is a potent agent which generically stabilises proteins against aggregation, and has potential as a key molecule for the development of therapeutics for protein misfolding diseases.     

Mechanical manipulation of Alzheimer's amyloid beta1-42 fibrils

The 39- to 42-residue-long amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta-peptide) forms filamentous structures in the neuritic plaques found in the neuropil of Alzheimer's disease patients. The assembly and deposition of Abeta-fibrils is one of the most important factors in the pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative disease. Although the structural analysis of amyloid fibrils is difficult, single-molecule methods may provide unique insights into their characteristics. In the present work, we explored the nanomechanical properties of amyloid fibrils formed from the full-length, most neurotoxic Abeta1-42 peptide, by manipulating individual fibrils with an atomic force microscope. We show that Abeta-subunit sheets can be mechanically unzipped from the fibril surface with constant forces in a reversible transition. The fundamental unzipping force (approximately 23 pN) was significantly lower than that observed earlier for fibrils formed from the Abeta1-40 peptide (approximately 33 pN), suggesting that the presence of the two extra residues (Ile and Ala) at the peptide's C-terminus result in a mechanical destabilization of the fibril. Deviations from the constant force transition may arise as a result of geometrical constraints within the fibril caused by its left-handed helical structure. The nanomechanical fingerprint of the Abeta1-42 is further influenced by the structural dynamics of intrafibrillar interactions.     

Construction of a chemically and conformationally self-replicating system of amyloid-like fibrils

The amyloid-like fibril is considered to be a macromolecular self-assemblage with a highly-ordered quaternary structure, in which numerous beta-stranded polypeptide chains align regularly. Therefore, this kind of fibril has the potential to be engineered into proteinaceous materials, although conformational alteration of proteins from their native form to the amyloid form is a misfolding and undesirable process related to amyloid diseases. In this study, we have attempted to design an artificial system to explore applicability of using the amyloid-like fibril as a construct possessing self-recognition and self-catalytic abilities. A peptide self-replicating system based on the beta-structure of the amyloid-like fibril was designed and constructed. The beta-stranded peptide was self-replicated by the native chemical ligation reaction, and the newly generated peptide was self-assembled into amyloid-like fibrils. Thus, the constructed system was of both chemical and conformational self-replicating fibrils.     

Amyloid fibril formation by A beta 16-22, a seven-residue fragment of the Alzheimer's beta-amyloid peptide, and structural characterization by solid state NMR

The seven-residue peptide N-acetyl-Lys-Leu-Val-Phe-Phe-Ala-Glu-NH(2), called A beta(16-22) and representing residues 16-22 of the full-length beta-amyloid peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease, is shown by electron microscopy to form highly ordered fibrils upon incubation of aqueous solutions. X-ray powder diffraction and optical birefringence measurements confirm that these are amyloid fibrils. The peptide conformation and supramolecular organization in A beta(16-22) fibrils are investigated by solid state (13)C NMR measurements. Two-dimensional magic-angle spinning (2D MAS) exchange and constant-time double-quantum-filtered dipolar recoupling (CTDQFD) measurements indicate a beta-strand conformation of the peptide backbone at the central phenylalanine. One-dimensional and two-dimensional spectra of selectively and uniformly labeled samples exhibit (13)C NMR line widths of <2 ppm, demonstrating that the peptide, including amino acid side chains, has a well-ordered conformation in the fibrils. Two-dimensional (13)C-(13)C chemical shift correlation spectroscopy permits a nearly complete assignment of backbone and side chain (13)C NMR signals and indicates that the beta-strand conformation extends across the entire hydrophobic segment from Leu17 through Ala21. (13)C multiple-quantum (MQ) NMR and (13)C/(15)N rotational echo double-resonance (REDOR) measurements indicate an antiparallel organization of beta-sheets in the A beta(16-22) fibrils. These results suggest that the degree of structural order at the molecular level in amyloid fibrils can approach that in peptide or protein crystals, suggest how the supramolecular organization of beta-sheets in amyloid fibrils can be dependent on the peptide sequence, and illustrate the utility of solid state NMR measurements as probes of the molecular structure of amyloid fibrils. A beta(16-22) is among the shortest fibril-forming fragments of full-length beta-amyloid reported to date, and hence serves as a useful model system for physical studies of amyloid fibril formation.     

Amyloid fibril formation by a synthetic peptide from a region of human acetylcholinesterase that is homologous to the Alzheimer's amyloid-beta peptide

A region near the C-terminus of human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is weakly homologous with the N-terminus of the Alzheimer's disease amyloid-beta peptide. We report that a 14-amino acid synthetic polypeptide whose sequence corresponds to residues 586-599 of the human synaptic or T form of AChE assembles into amyloid fibrils under physiological conditions. The fibrils have all the classical characteristics of amyloid: they have a diameter of 6-7 nm and bind both Congo red and thioflavin-T. Furthermore, the kinetics of assembly indicate that fibril formation proceeds via a two-step nucleation-dependent polymerization pathway, and a transition in the peptide conformation from random coil to beta-sheet is observed during fibril formation using far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy. We also show that the peptide in aggregated fibrillar form has a toxic effect upon PC-12 cells in vitro. AChE normally resides mainly on cholinergic neuronal membranes, but is abnormally localized to senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease. Recently, an in vitro interaction between AChE and A beta, the principal constituent of the amyloid fibrils in senile plaques, has been documented. The presence of a fibrillogenic region within AChE may be relevant to the interaction of AChE with amyloid fibrils formed by Abeta.     

Structural origin of polymorphism of Alzheimer's amyloid β-fibrils

Formation of senile plaques containing amyloid fibrils of Aβ (amyloid β-peptide) is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Unlike globular proteins, which fold into unique structures, the fibrils of Aβ and other amyloid proteins often contain multiple polymorphs. Polymorphism of amyloid fibrils leads to different toxicity in amyloid diseases and may be the basis for prion strains, but the structural origin for fibril polymorphism is still elusive. In the present study we investigate the structural origin of two major fibril polymorphs of Aβ40: an untwisted polymorph formed under agitated conditions and a twisted polymorph formed under quiescent conditions. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we studied the inter-strand side-chain interactions at 14 spin-labelled positions in the Aβ40 sequence. The results of the present study show that the agitated fibrils have stronger inter-strand spin-spin interactions at most of the residue positions investigated. The two hydrophobic regions at residues 17-20 and 31-36 have the strongest interactions in agitated fibrils. Distance estimates on the basis of the spin exchange frequencies suggest that inter-strand distances at residues 17, 20, 32, 34 and 36?in agitated fibrils are approximately 0.2?? (1??=0.1?nm) closer than in quiescent fibrils. We propose that the strength of inter-strand side-chain interactions determines the degree of β-sheet twist, which then leads to the different association patterns between different cross β-units and thus distinct fibril morphologies. Therefore the inter-strand side-chain interaction may be a structural origin for fibril polymorphism in Aβ and other amyloid proteins.     

α1-Antichymotrypsin Binding to Alzheimer Aβ Peptides Is Sequence Specific and Induces Fibril Disaggregation In Vitro

Abstract: The serine protease inhibitor α₁-antichymotrypsin (ACT) consistently colocalizes with amyloid deposits of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may contribute to the generation of amyloid proteins and/or physically affect fibril assembly. AD amyloid fibrils are composed primarily of Aβ, which is a proteolytic fragment of the larger β-amyloid precursor protein. Using negative-stain and immunochemical electron microscopy, we have investigated the binding of ACT to the fibrils formed by four synthetic Aβ analogues corresponding to the wild-type human 1–40 sequence [H_Wt(1–40)], a 1–40 peptide [H_Du(1–40)] containing the Glu₂₂→ Gln mutation found in hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type, the N-terminal 1–28 residues [β(1–28)], and an internal fragment of Aβ containing residues 11–28 [β(11–28)]. Each of these peptide analogues assembled into 70–90-Å-diameter fibrils resembling native amyloid and, except for β(11–28), bound ACT, as indicated by the appearance of 80–100-Å globular particles that adhered to preformed fibrils and that could be decorated with anti-ACT antibodies. Under the conditions used, ACT binding destabilized the in vitro fibrils and produced a gradual dissolution of the macromolecular assemblies into constituent filaments and shorter fragments. The internal fragment (11–28) did not exhibit ACT binding or any structural changes. These results suggest that a specific sequence likely contained within the N-terminal 10 residues of Aβ is responsible for the formation of the ACT-amyloid complex. Although the observed fibril disassembly is surprising in view of the notion that ACT contributes directly to the physical process involved in amyloid fibril formation, the induced structural changes may expose new domains in Aβ for additional proteolysis or for interactions with cell-surface receptors.     

A cyclic peptide inhibitor of apoC-II peptide fibril formation: mechanistic insight from NMR and molecular dynamics analysis

The misfolding and aggregation of proteins to form amyloid fibrils is a characteristic feature of several common age-related diseases. Agents that directly inhibit formation of amyloid fibrils represent one approach to combating these diseases. We have investigated the potential of a cyclic peptide to inhibit fibril formation by fibrillogenic peptides from human apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II). Cyc[60-70] was formed by disulfide cross-linking of cysteine residues added to the termini of the fibrillogenic peptide comprising apoC-II residues 60-70. This cyclic peptide did not self-associate into fibrils. However, substoichiometric concentrations of cyc[60-70] significantly delayed fibril formation by the fibrillogenic, linear peptides apoC-II[60-70] and apoC-II[56-76]. Reduction of the disulfide bond or scrambling the amino acid sequence within cyc[60-70] significantly impaired its inhibitory activity. The solution structure of cyc[60-70] was solved using NMR spectroscopy, revealing a well-defined structure comprising a hydrophilic face and a more hydrophobic face containing the Met60, Tyr63, Ile66 and Phe67 side chains. Molecular dynamics (MD) studies identified a flexible central region within cyc[60-70], while MD simulations of "scrambled" cyc[60-70] indicated an increased formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and a reduction in the overall flexibility of the peptide. Our structural studies suggest that the inhibitory activity of cyc[60-70] is mediated by an elongated structure with inherent flexibility and distinct hydrophobic and hydrophilic faces, enabling cyc[60-70] to interact transiently with fibrillogenic peptides and inhibit fibril assembly. These results suggest that cyclic peptides based on amyloidogenic core peptides could be useful as specific inhibitors of amyloid fibril formation.     

Structural and dynamic features of Alzheimer's Abeta peptide in amyloid fibrils studied by site-directed spin labeling

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis of 19 spin-labeled derivatives of the Alzheimer's amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide was used to reveal structural features of amyloid fibril formation. In the fibril, extensive regions of the peptide show an in-register, parallel arrangement. Based on the parallel arrangement and side chain mobility analysis we find the amyloid structure to be mostly ordered and specific, but we also identify more dynamic regions (N and C termini) and likely turn or bend regions (around residues 23-26). Despite their different aggregation properties and roles in disease, the two peptides, Abeta40 and Abeta42, homogeneously co-mix in amyloid fibrils suggesting that they possess the same structural architecture.     

Enhanced stability of human prion proteins with two disulfide bridges

We compare the folding equilibrium of the globular domain of the human prion protein with two variants of this domain, for which an additional disulfide bond was introduced into the location where it is found in the naturally occurring doppel protein. We find that the unfolding transition midpoint of the variants is shifted toward higher denaturant concentration, indicating that the engineered disulfide bond significantly stabilizes the global protein structure. Our results further reveal that the two-disulfide variant proteins, while possessing the same global fold as the wild-type, display marked differences in their folding pathway-in particular, the absence of a characteristic alpha-helix to beta-sheet transition, which is a fundamental feature associated with misfolding of proteins into amyloid fibrils, especially in the context of prion diseases. These surprising characteristics of disulfide mutant prion proteins have important implications for the understanding of the generic aberrant processes leading to amyloid fibril formation and protein aggregation, as well as providing insight into possible therapeutic strategies.     

Structural Alterations within Native Amyloidogenic Immunoglobulin Light Chains

Amyloid diseases are characterized by the misfolding of a precursor protein that leads to amyloid fibril formation. Despite the fact that there are different precursors, some commonalities in the misfolding mechanism are thought to exist. In light chain amyloidosis (AL), the immunoglobulin light chain forms amyloid fibrils that deposit in the extracellular space of vital organs. AL proteins are thermodynamically destabilized compared to non-amyloidogenic proteins and some studies have linked this instability to increased fibril formation rates. Here we present the crystal structures of two highly homologous AL proteins, AL-12 and AL-103. This structural study shows that these proteins retain the canonical germ line dimer interface. We highlight important structural alterations in two loops flanking the dimer interface and correlate these results with the somatic mutations present in AL-12 and AL-103. We suggest that these alterations are informative structural features that are likely contributing to protein instability that leads to conformational changes involved in the initial events of amyloid formation.     

All or none fibrillogenesis of a prion peptide.

Amyloid proteins and peptides comprise a diverse group of molecules that vary both in size and amino-acid sequence, yet assemble into amyloid fibrils that have a common core structure. Kinetic studies of amyloid fibrillogenesis have revealed that certain amyloid proteins form oligomeric intermediates prior to fibril formation. We have investigated fibril formation with a peptide corresponding to residues 195-213 of the human prion protein. Through a combination of kinetic and equilibrium studies, we have found that the fibrillogenesis of this peptide proceeds as an all-or-none reaction where oligomeric intermediates are not stably populated. This variation in whether oligomeric intermediates are stably populated during fibril formation indicates that amyloid proteins assemble into a common fibrillar structure; however, they do so through different pathways.     

Structural differences in Abeta amyloid protofibrils and fibrils mapped by hydrogen exchange--mass spectrometry with on-line proteolytic fragmentation

We report here structural differences between Abeta(1-40) protofibrils and mature amyloid fibrils associated with Alzheimer's disease as determined using hydrogen-deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HX-MS) coupled with on-line proteolysis. Specifically, we have identified regions of the Abeta(1-40) peptide containing backbone amide hydrogen atoms that are protected from HX or exposed when this peptide is incorporated into protofibrils or amyloid fibrils formed in phosphate-buffered saline without stirring at 37 degrees C. Study of protofibrils was facilitated by use of the protofibril-stabilizing agent calmidazolium chloride. Our data clearly show that both the C-terminal segment 35-40 and the N-terminal segment 1-19 are highly exposed to HX in both fibrils and protofibrils. In contrast, the internal fragment 20-34 is highly protected from exchange in fibrils but much less so in protofibrils. The data suggest that the beta-sheet elements comprising the amyloid fibril are already present in protofibrils, but that they are expanded into some adjacent residues upon the formation of mature amyloid. The N-terminal approximately ten residues appear to be unstructured in both protofibrils and fibrils. The 20-30 segment of Abeta(1-40) is more ordered in fibrils than in protofibrils, suggesting that, if protofibrils are a mechanistic precursor of fibrils, the transition from protofibril to fibril involves substantial ordering of this region of the Abeta peptide.     

Optimum amyloid fibril formation of a peptide fragment suggests the amyloidogenic preference of beta2-microglobulin under physiological conditions

Beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m) is a major component of amyloid fibrils deposited in patients with dialysis-related amyloidosis. Although full-length beta(2)m readily forms amyloid fibrils in vitro by seed-dependent extension with a maximum at pH 2.5, fibril formation under physiological conditions as detected in patients has been difficult to reproduce. A 22-residue K3 peptide of beta(2)m, Ser(20)-Lys(41), obtained by digestion with Acromobacter protease I, forms amyloid fibrils without seeding. To obtain further insight into the mechanism of fibril formation, we studied the pH dependence of fibril formation of the K3 peptide and its morphology using a ThT fluorescence assay and electron microscopy, respectively. K3 peptide formed amyloid fibrils over a wide range of pH values with an optimum around pH 7 and contrasted with the pH profile of the seed-dependent extension reaction of full-length beta(2)m. This suggests that once the rigid native-fold of beta(2)m is unfolded and additional factors triggering the nucleation process are provided, full-length beta(2)m discloses an intrinsic potential to form amyloid fibrils at neutral pH. The fibril formation was strongly promoted by dimerization of K3 through Cys(25). The morphology of the fibrils varied depending on the fibril formation conditions and the presence or absence of a disulfide bond. Various fibrils had the potential to seed fibril formation of full-length beta(2)m accompanied with a characteristic lag phase, suggesting that the internal structures are similar.     

Investigation of a peptide responsible for amyloid fibril formation of beta 2-microglobulin by achromobacter protease I.

To obtain insight into the mechanism of amyloid fibril formation from beta(2)-microglobulin (beta2-m), we prepared a series of peptide fragments using a lysine-specific protease from Achromobacter lyticus and examined their ability to form amyloid fibrils at pH 2.5. Among the nine peptides prepared by the digestion, the peptide Ser(20)-Lys(41) (K3) spontaneously formed amyloid fibrils, confirmed by thioflavin T binding and electron microscopy. The fibrils composed of K3 peptide induced fibril formation of intact beta2-m with a lag phase, distinct from the extension reaction without a lag phase observed for intact beta2-m seeds. Fibril formation of K3 peptide with intact beta2-m seeds also exhibited a lag phase. On the other hand, the extension reaction of K3 peptide with the K3 seeds occurred without a lag phase. At neutral pH, the fibrils composed of either intact beta2-m or K3 peptide spontaneously depolymerized. Intriguingly, the depolymerization of K3 fibrils was faster than that of intact beta2-m fibrils. These results indicated that, although K3 peptide can form fibrils by itself more readily than intact beta2-m, the K3 fibrils are less stable than the intact beta2-m fibrils, suggesting a close relation between the free energy barrier of amyloid fibril formation and its stability.     

Molecular Modeling of the Misfolded Insulin Subunit and Amyloid Fibril

Insulin, a small hormone protein comprising 51 residues in two disulfide-linked polypeptide chains, adopts a predominantly α-helical conformation in its native state. It readily undergoes protein misfolding and aggregates into amyloid fibrils under a variety of conditions. Insulin is a unique model system in which to study protein fibrillization, since its three disulfide bridges are retained in the fibrillar state and thus limit the conformational space available to the polypeptide chains during misfolding and fibrillization. Taking into account this unique conformational restriction, we modeled possible monomeric subunits of the insulin amyloid fibrils using β-solenoid folds, namely, the β-helix and β-roll. Both models agreed with currently available biophysical data. We performed molecular dynamics simulations, which allowed some limited insights into the relative structural stability, suggesting that the β-roll subunit model may be more stable than the β-helix subunit model. We also constructed β-solenoid-based insulin fibril models and conducted fiber diffraction simulation to identify plausible fibril architectures of insulin amyloid. A comparison of simulated fiber diffraction patterns of the fibril models to the experimental insulin x-ray fiber diffraction data suggests that the model fibers composed of six twisted β-roll protofilaments provide the most reasonable fit to available experimental diffraction patterns and previous biophysical studies.     

Amyloid fibril formation requires a chemically discriminating nucleation event: studies of an amyloidogenic sequence from the bacterial protein OsmB.

The sequence of the Escherichia coli OsmB protein was found to resemble that of the C-terminal region of the beta amyloid protein of Alzheimer's disease, which seems to be the major determinant of its unusual structural and solubility properties. A peptide corresponding to residues 28-44 of the OsmB protein was synthesized, and its conformational properties and aggregation behavior were analyzed. The peptide OsmB(28-44) was shown to form amyloid fibrils, as did two sequence analogs designed to test the sequence specificity of fibril formation. These fibrils bound Congo red, and two of the peptides showed birefringence. The peptide fibrils were analyzed by electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Subtle differences were observed which were not interpretable at the molecular level. The rate of fibril formation by each peptide was followed by monitoring the turbidity of supersaturated aqueous solutions. The kinetics of aggregation were characterized by a delay period during which the solution remained clear, followed by a nucleation event which led to a growth phase, during which the solution became viscous and turbid due to the presence of insoluble fibrils. The observation of a kinetic barrier to aggregation is typical of a crystallization event. The delay period could be eliminated by seeding the supersaturated solution with previously formed fibrils. Each peptide could be nucleated by fibrils formed from that same peptide, but not by fibrils from closely related sequences, suggesting that fibril growth requires specific hydrophobic interactions. It appears likely that this repeated sequence motif, which comprises most of the OsmB protein sequence, dictates the structure and possibly the function of that protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Core and heterogeneity of beta2-microglobulin amyloid fibrils as revealed by H/D exchange

Dialysis-related amyloidosis, which occurs in the patients receiving a long-term hemodialysis with high frequency, accompanies the deposition of amyloid fibrils composed of beta(2)-microglobulin (beta2-m). In vitro, beta2-m forms two kinds of fibrous structures at acidic pH. One is a rigid "mature fibril", and the other is a flexible thin filament often called an "immature fibril". In addition, a 22-residue peptide (K3 peptide) corresponding to Ser20 to Lys41 of intact beta2-m forms rigid amyloid-like fibrils similar to mature fibrils. We compared the core of these three fibrils at single-residue resolution using a recently developed hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange method with the dissolution of fibrils by dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The exchange time-course of these fibrils showed large deviations from a single exponential curve showing that, because of the supramolecular structures, the same residue exists in different environments from molecule to molecule, even in a single fibril. The exchange profiles revealed that the core of the immature fibril is restricted to a narrow region compared to that of the mature fibril. In contrast, all residues were protected from exchange in the K3 fibril, indicating that a whole region of the peptide is engaged in the beta-sheet network. These results suggest the mechanism of amyloid fibril formation, in which the core beta-sheet formed by a minimal sequence propagates to form a rigid and extensive beta-sheet network.     

Aggregation and conformational studies on a pentapeptide derivative

Most of the disease causing proteins such as beta amyloid, amylin, and huntingtin protein, which are natively disordered, readily form fibrils consisting of beta-sheet polymers. Though all amyloid fibrils are made up of beta-sheet polymers, not all peptides with predominant beta-sheet content in the native state develop into amyloid fibrils. We hypothesize that stable amyloid like fibril formation may require mixture of different conformational states in the peptide. We have tested this hypothesis on amyloid forming peptide namely HCl(Ile)(5)NH(CH(2)CH(2)O)(3)CH(3) (I). We show peptide I, has propensity to form self-assembled structures of beta-sheets in aqueous solutions. When incubated over a period of time in aqueous buffer, I self assembled into beta sheet like structures with diameters ranging from 30 to 60 A that bind with amyloidophilic dyes like Congo red and Thioflavin T. Interestingly peptide I developed into unstable fibrils after prolonged aging at higher concentration in contrast with the general mature fibril-forming propensity of various amyloid petides known to date.     

Amyloid-forming peptides from beta2-microglobulin-Insights into the mechanism of fibril formation in vitro

Beta(2)-Microglobulin (beta(2)m) is one of over 20 proteins known to be involved in human amyloid disease. Peptides equivalent to each of the seven beta-strands of the native protein, together with an eighth peptide (corresponding to the most stable region in the amyloid precursor conformation formed at pH 3.6, that includes residues in the native strand E plus the eight succeeding residues (named peptide E')), were synthesised and their ability to form fibrils investigated. Surprisingly, only two sequences, both of which encompass the region that forms strand E in native beta(2)m, are capable of forming amyloid-like fibrils in vitro. These peptides correspond to residues 59-71 (peptide E) and 59-79 (peptide E') of intact beta(2)m. The peptides form fibrils under the acidic conditions shown previously to promote amyloid formation from the intact protein (pH <5 at low and high ionic strength), and also associate to form fibrils at neutral pH. Fibrils formed from these two peptides enhance fibrillogenesis of the intact protein. No correlation was found between secondary structure propensity, peptide length, pI or hydrophobicity and the ability of the peptides to associate into amyloid-like fibrils. However, the presence of a relatively high content of aromatic side-chains correlates with the ability of the peptides to form amyloid fibrils. On the basis of these results we propose that residues 59-71 may be important in the self-association of partially folded beta(2)m into amyloid fibrils and discuss the relevance of these results for the assembly mechanism of the intact protein in vitro.