Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Purification and Aggregation of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Intracellular Domain
Published on: August 28, 2012
Multiscale Aggregation of the Amyloid Aβ16-22 Peptide: From Disordered Coagulation and Lateral Branching to Amorphous
Mara Chiricotto1, Simone Melchionna2, Philippe Derreumaux1
1Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, IBPC, CNRS UPR9080 , Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité , 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie , 75005 Paris , France.
Abstract:
In this work we investigate the multiscale dynamics of the aggregation process of an amyloid peptide, Aβ16-22. By performing massive coarse-grained simulations at the quasi-atomistic resolution and including hydrodynamic effects, we followed the formation and growth of a large elongated aggregate and its slow structuring. The elongation proceeds via a two-step nucleation mechanism with disordered aggregates formed initially and subsequently fusing to elongate the amorphous prefibril. A variety of coagulation events coexist, including lateral growth. The latter mechanism, sustained by long-range hydrodynamics correlations, actually can create a large branched structure spanning a few tens of nanometers. Our findings confirm the experimental hypothesis of a critical contribution of lateral growth to the amyloid aggregation kinetics and the capability of our model to sample critical structures like prefibril hosting annular pores.
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Amyloid Fibrils
Coagulation
Coagulation
During the coagulation phase, clotting factors, or procoagulants, play a vital role in initiating and progressing the coagulation cascade. This cascade is a series of reactions...
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Polymorphism, Amorphism and Pseudopolymorphism
Some polymorphic crystals possess lower aqueous solubility than their amorphous counterparts, leading to incomplete absorption. For instance, the oral suspension of Chloramphenicol, which...
Peptide Bonds

