An in vivo platform for identifying inhibitors of protein aggregation

Protein aggregation underlies an array of human diseases, yet only one small molecule therapeutic has been successfully developed to date. Here, we introduce an in vivo system, based on a β-lactamase tripartite fusion construct, capable of identifying aggregation-prone sequences in the periplasm of Escherichia coli and inhibitors that prevent their aberrant self-assembly. We demonstrate the power of the system using a range of proteins, from small unstructured peptides (islet amyloid polypeptide and amyloid β) to larger, folded immunoglobulin domains. Configured in a 48-well format, the split β-lactamase sensor readily differentiates between aggregation-prone and soluble sequences. Performing the assay in the presence of 109 compounds enabled a rank ordering of inhibition and revealed a new inhibitor of IAPP aggregation. This platform can be applied to both amyloidogenic and other aggregation-prone systems, independent of sequence or size, and can identify small molecules or other factors able to ameliorate or inhibit protein aggregation.