The mechanism of amyloid fibril formation by proteins has been classically described by the nucleation-dependent polymerization (NDP) model, which makes certain predictions regarding the kinetics of fibrillation. All proteins whose aggregation conforms to the NDP model display a t(2) time dependence for their initial reaction profile. However, there are proteins whose aggregation reactions have...

The tumor microenvironment, including stromal myofibroblasts and associated matrix proteins, regulates cancer cell invasion and proliferation. Here, we report that neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) orchestrates communications between myofibroblasts and soluble fibronectin that promote a5b1 integrin–dependent fibronectin fibril assembly, matrix stiffness, and tumor growth. Tumor growth and fibronectin fibril...

Mechanical testing of collagenous tissues at different length scales will provide improved understanding of the mechanical behavior of structures such as skin, tendon, and bone, and also guide the development of multiscale mechanical models. Using a microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) platform, stress-strain response curves up to failure of type I collagen fibril specimens isolated from the d...

A dispersion of a peptide amphiphile into water forms hierarchical fibril structures, leading to a supramolecular hydrogel. We here report that there exists dynamic heterogeneity in the gel, which might be induced by the heterogeneous fibril network. The network, and therefore, the heterogeneity, can be easily regulated by changing the temperatures used to dissolve the gelator in water.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) contribute to age-related connective tissue damage and functional deficit. The documented association between AGE formation on collagens and the correlated progressive stiffening of tissues has widely been presumed causative, despite the lack of mechanistic understanding. The present study investigates precisely how AGEs affect mechanical function of the co...

BACKGROUND The misfolding of amyloidogenic proteins including human Tau protein, human prion protein, and human α-synuclein is involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, prion disease, and Parkinson disease. Although a lot of research on such amyloidogenic proteins has been done, we do not know the determinants that drive these proteins to form fibrils and thereby induce ...

PURPOSE To quantify long-term changes in stromal collagen ultrastructure following penetrating keratoplasty (PK), and evaluate their possible implications for corneal biomechanics. METHODS A pair of 16 mm post-mortem corneo-scleral buttons was obtained from a patient receiving bilateral penetrating keratoplasty 12 (left)/28 (right) years previously. Small-angle x-ray scattering quantified col...

C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P component (SAP), two major classical pentraxins in humans, are soluble pattern recognition molecules that regulate the innate immune system, but their chaperone activities remain poorly understood. Here, we examined their effects on the amyloid fibril formation from Alzheimer's amyloid β (Aβ) (1-40) and on that from D76N β2-microglobulin (β2-m) which...

A molecular understanding of prion diseases requires an understanding of the mechanism of amyloid fibril formation by the prion protein. In particular, it is necessary to define the sequence of the structural events describing the conformational conversion of monomeric PrP to aggregated PrP. In this study, the sequence of the structural events in the case of amyloid fibril formation by recombin...

We describe the molecular structure of the collagen fibril and how it affects collagen proteolysis or "collagenolysis." The fibril-forming collagens are major components of all mammalian connective tissues, providing the structural and organizational framework for skin, blood vessels, bone, tendon, and other tissues. The triple helix of the collagen molecule is resistant to most proteinases, an...