Homocysteine fibrillar assemblies display cross-talk with Alzheimer's disease ß-amyloid polypeptide.

High levels of homocysteine are reported as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Correspondingly, inborn hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with an increased predisposition to the development of dementia in later stages of life. Yet, the mechanistic link between homocysteine accumulation and the pathological neurodegenerative processes is still elusive. Furthermore, despite the clear association between protein aggregation and AD, attempts to develop therapy that specifically targets this process have not been successful. It is envisioned that the failure in the development of efficacious therapeutic intervention may lie in the metabolomic state of affected individuals. We recently demonstrated the ability of metabolites to self-assemble and cross-seed the aggregation of pathological proteins, suggesting a role for metabolite structures in the initiation of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we provide a report of homocysteine crystal structure and self-assembly into amyloid-like toxic fibrils, their inhibition by polyphenols, and their ability to seed the aggregation of the AD-associated ß-amyloid polypeptide. A yeast model of hyperhomocysteinemia indicates a toxic effect, correlated with increased intracellular amyloid staining that could be rescued by polyphenol treatment. Analysis of AD mouse model brain sections indicates the presence of homocysteine assemblies and the interplay between ß-amyloid and homocysteine. This work implies a molecular basis for the association between homocysteine accumulation and AD pathology, potentially leading to a paradigm shift in the understanding of AD initial pathological processes.

Real-Time In-Situ Monitoring of a Tunable Pentapeptide Gel-Crystal Transition.

Supramolecular gels often become destabilized by the transition of the gelator into a more stable crystalline phase, but often the long timescale and sporadic localization of the crystalline phase preclude a persistent observation of this process. We present a pentapeptide gel-crystal phase transition amenable for continuous visualization and quantification by common microscopic methods, allowing the extraction of kinetics and visualization of the dynamics of the transition. Using optical microscopy and microrheology, we show that the transition is a sporadic event in which gel dissolution is associated with microcrystalline growth that follows a sigmoidal rate profile. The two phases are based on ß-sheets of similar yet distinct configuration. We also demonstrate that the transition kinetics and crystal morphology can be modulated by extrinsic factors, including temperature, solvent composition, and mechanical perturbation. This work introduces an accessible model system and methodology for studying phase transitions in supramolecular gels.

The Dimensionality of Hydrogen Bond Networks Induces Diverse Physical Properties of Peptide Crystals.

Short peptides are attractive building blocks for the fabrication of self-assembled materials with significant biological, chemical, and physical properties. The microscopic and macroscopic properties of assemblies are usually closely related to the dimensionality of formed hydrogen bond networks. Here, two completely different supramolecular architectures connected by distinct hydrogen bond networks were obtained by simply adding a hydroxyl group to switch from cyclo-tryptophan-alanine (cyclo-WA) to cyclo-tryptophan-serine (cyclo-WS). While hydroxyl-bearing cyclo-WS molecules provided an additional hydrogen bond donor that links to adjacent molecules, forming a rigid three-dimensional network, cyclo-WA arranged into a water-mediated zipper-like structure with a softer two-dimensional layer template. This subtle alteration resulted in a 14-fold enhancement of Young's modulus values in cyclo-WS compared to cyclo-WA. Both cyclo-dipeptides exhibit biocompatibility, high fluorescence, and piezoelectricity. The demonstrated role of dimensionality of hydrogen bond networks opens new avenues for rational design of materials with precise morphologies and customizable properties for bioelectronic applications.

Understanding the Solid-State Structure of Riboflavin through a Multitechnique Approach.

Crystalline riboflavin (vitamin B2) performs an important biological role as an optically functional material in the tapetum lucidum of certain animals, notably lemurs and cats. The tapetum lucidum is a reflecting layer behind the retina, which serves to enhance photon capture and vision in low-light settings. Motivated by the aim of rationalizing its biological role, and given that the structure of biogenic solid-state riboflavin remains unknown, we have used a range of experimental and computational techniques to determine the solid-state structure of synthetic riboflavin. Our multitechnique approach included microcrystal XRD, powder XRD, three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D-ED), high-resolution solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy, and dispersion-augmented density functional theory (DFT-D) calculations. Although an independent report of the crystal structure of riboflavin was published recently, our structural investigations reported herein provide a different interpretation of the intermolecular hydrogen-bonding arrangement in this material, supported by all the experimental and computational approaches utilized in our study. We also discuss, more generally, potential pitfalls that may arise in applying DFT-D geometry optimization as a bridging step between structure solution and Rietveld refinement in the structure determination of hydrogen-bonded materials from powder XRD data. Finally, we report experimental and computational values for the refractive index of riboflavin, with implications for its optical function.

A rapid in vivo pipeline to identify small molecule inhibitors of amyloid aggregation.

Amyloids are associated with over 50 human diseases and have inspired significant effort to identify small molecule remedies. Here, we present an in vivo platform that efficiently yields small molecule inhibitors of amyloid formation. We previously identified small molecules that kill the nematode C. elegans by forming membrane-piercing crystals in the pharynx cuticle, which is rich in amyloid-like material. We show here that many of these molecules are known amyloid-binders whose crystal-formation in the pharynx can be blocked by amyloid-binding dyes. We asked whether this phenomenon could be exploited to identify molecules that interfere with the ability of amyloids to seed higher-order structures. We therefore screened 2560 compounds and found 85 crystal suppressors, 47% of which inhibit amyloid formation. This hit rate far exceeds other screening methodologies. Hence, in vivo screens for suppressors of crystal formation in C. elegans can efficiently reveal small molecules with amyloid-inhibiting potential.

On-off transition and ultrafast decay of amino acid luminescence driven by modulation of supramolecular packing.

Luminescence of biomolecules in the visible range of the spectrum has been experimentally observed upon aggregation, contrary to their monomeric state. However, the physical basis for this phenomenon is still elusive. Here, we systematically examine all coded amino acids to provide non-biased empirical insights. Several amino acids, including non-aromatic, show intense visible luminescence. Lysine crystals display the highest signal, whereas the very chemically similar non-coded ornithine does not, implying a role for molecular packing rather than the chemical characteristics. Furthermore, cysteine shows luminescence that is indeed crystal packing dependent as repeated rearrangements between two crystal structures result in a reversible on-off optical transition. In addition, ultrafast lifetime decay is experimentally validated, corroborating a recently raised hypothesis regarding the governing role of nπ∗ states in the emission formation. Collectively, our study supports that electronic interactions between non-fluorescent, non-absorbing molecules at the monomeric state may result in reversible optically active states by the formation of supramolecular fluorophores.

Sponge-associated bacteria mineralize arsenic and barium on intracellular vesicles.

Arsenic and barium are ubiquitous environmental toxins that accumulate in higher trophic-level organisms. Whereas metazoans have detoxifying organs to cope with toxic metals, sponges lack organs but harbour a symbiotic microbiome performing various functions. Here we examine the potential roles of microorganisms in arsenic and barium cycles in the sponge Theonella swinhoei, known to accumulate high levels of these metals. We show that a single sponge symbiotic bacterium, Entotheonella sp., constitutes the arsenic- and barium-accumulating entity within the host. These bacteria mineralize both arsenic and barium on intracellular vesicles. Our results indicate that Entotheonella sp. may act as a detoxifying organ for its host.

Coherently aligned nanoparticles within a biogenic single crystal: A biological prestressing strategy.

In contrast to synthetic materials, materials produced by organisms are formed in ambient conditions and with a limited selection of elements. Nevertheless, living organisms reveal elegant strategies for achieving specific functions, ranging from skeletal support to mastication, from sensors and defensive tools to optical function. Using state-of-the-art characterization techniques, we present a biostrategy for strengthening and toughening the otherwise brittle calcite optical lenses found in the brittlestar Ophiocoma wendtii This intriguing process uses coherent nanoprecipitates to induce compressive stresses on the host matrix, functionally resembling the Guinier-Preston zones known in classical metallurgy. We believe that these calcitic nanoparticles, being rich in magnesium, segregate during or just after transformation from amorphous to crystalline phase, similarly to segregation behavior from a supersaturated quenched alloy.