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Related Concept Videos

Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments01:11

Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments

The polymerization of G-actin monomers into filamentous F-actin is a multi-step process. Once the F-actins are formed, they can bundle together in different arrangements to form higher-order networks and regulate cellular functions. Common examples include the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia at the cell's leading edge by actin reorganization in a migrating cell. The microvilli on the brush border epithelial cells are also formed through the F-actin network.
The high-order actin networks...
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments01:14

Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments

The straight or branched structure formation of actin filaments is controlled by nucleating proteins such as the formins and Arp2/3 complex. Formin-mediated assembly results in straight filaments, whereas Arp2/3 protein complex-mediated assembly results in branched actin filaments.
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures01:32

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Characterizing Individual Protein Aggregates by Infrared Nanospectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy
12:58

Characterizing Individual Protein Aggregates by Infrared Nanospectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy

Published on: September 12, 2019

Aggregate geometry in amyloid fibril nucleation.

Anders Irbäck1, Sigurður Æ Jónsson, Niels Linnemann

  • 1Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Sölvegatan 14A, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden.

Physical Review Letters
|February 19, 2013
PubMed
Summary

This study models peptide self-assembly into fibrils, revealing that fibril width, not length, presents the primary energy barrier during nucleation. This finding aids understanding of protein aggregation.

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Characterization of pH-Dependent Reversible Self-Assembly of Amyloid Beta 1-40-Coated Gold Colloids
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Characterization of pH-Dependent Reversible Self-Assembly of Amyloid Beta 1-40-Coated Gold Colloids

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Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Characterizing Individual Protein Aggregates by Infrared Nanospectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy
12:58

Characterizing Individual Protein Aggregates by Infrared Nanospectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy

Published on: September 12, 2019

Characterization of pH-Dependent Reversible Self-Assembly of Amyloid Beta 1-40-Coated Gold Colloids
08:53

Characterization of pH-Dependent Reversible Self-Assembly of Amyloid Beta 1-40-Coated Gold Colloids

Published on: March 21, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational chemistry
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Protein misfolding and aggregation into amyloid fibrils are implicated in various diseases.
  • Understanding the fundamental principles of fibril formation is crucial for therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and analyze a minimal, structure-based model for peptide self-assembly into ordered β-sheet-rich fibrils.
  • To elucidate the nucleation mechanism and identify the key free-energy barriers in fibril formation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Monte Carlo simulations with over 10^5 peptides on a cubic lattice.
  • Employed cluster moves and flat-histogram techniques for efficient analysis of aggregate equilibrium.
  • Calculated the joint distribution of aggregate length and width.

Main Results:

  • Fibril formation exhibited sigmoidal kinetics in the model.
  • Analysis of reversible aggregate formation and dissolution identified width-related changes as the primary free-energy barriers.
  • The model successfully captures key aspects of peptide self-assembly into ordered structures.

Conclusions:

  • The width of nascent fibrils is the critical factor controlling the free-energy landscape of self-assembly.
  • This minimal model provides valuable insights into the nucleation and growth mechanisms of amyloid-like fibrils.
  • Findings can inform strategies for controlling or preventing pathological protein aggregation.