Structural insights into α-synuclein monomer–fibril interactions

Protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils is associated with multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. Kinetic data and biophysical characterization have shown that the secondary nucleation pathway highly accelerates aggregation via the absorption of monomeric protein on the surface of amyloid fibrils. Here, we used NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the interaction of monomeric α-synuclein (α-Syn) with its fibrillar form. We demonstrate that α-Syn monomers interact transiently via their positively charged N terminus with the negatively charged flexible C-terminal ends of the fibrils. These intermolecular interactions reduce intramolecular contacts in monomeric α-Syn, yielding further unfolding of the partially collapsed intrinsically disordered states of α-Syn along with a possible increase in the local concentration of soluble α-Syn and alignment of individual monomers on the fibril surface. Our data indicate that intramolecular unfolding critically contributes to the aggregation kinetics of α-Syn during secondary nucleation.