Real-time monitoring of amyloid growth in a rigid gel matrix

We demonstrate the real-time monitoring of the growth of amyloid-protein aggregates in a semi-rigid gel environment constructed from a 5% w/v gelatin solution. The kinetics of amyloid fibril growth from reduced and carboxy-methylated κ-casein occurring in the gel medium was contrasted against that obtained in a regular solution assay. Aggregation kinetics were recorded using Thioflavin T fluorescence. Transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm the aggregates' existence and morphology. The current demonstration of controlled amyloid growth in a gel environment represents the first step towards development of an experimental model for investigating the role of spatial and medium factors in the kinetics of aggregation-based proteopathies.