Determination of amyloid core regions of insulin analogues fibrils

A rapid-acting insulin lispro and long-acting insulin glargine are commonly used for the treatment of diabetes. Clinical cases have described the formation of injectable amyloidosis with these insulin analogues, but their amyloid core regions of fibrils were unknown. To reveal these regions, we have analysed the hydrolyzates of insulin fibrils and its analogues using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry methods and found that insulin and its analogues have almost identical amyloid core regions that intersect with the predicted amyloidogenic regions. The obtained results can be used to create new insulin analogues with a low ability to form fibrils.

a.a., amino acid residues; HPLC-MS, high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry; m/z, mass-to-charge ratio; TEM, transmission electron microscopy.