Alpha-synucleinopathies are featured by fibrillar inclusions in brain cells. Although α-synuclein fibrils display structural diversity, the origin of this diversity is not fully understood. We used molecular dynamics simulations to design synthetic peptides, based on the NAC 71-82 amino acid fragment of α-synuclein, that govern protofilament contacts and generation of twisted fibrillar polymorphs. Four peptides with structures based on either single or double fragments and capped or non-capped ends were selected for further analysis. We determined the fibrillar yield and the structures from these peptides found in the solution after fibrillisation using protein concentration determination assay and circular dichroism spectroscopy. In addition, we characterised secondary structures formed by individual fibrillar complexes using laser-tweezers Raman spectroscopy. Results suggest less mature fibrils, based on the lower relative β-sheet content for double- than single-fragment peptide fibrils. We confirmed this structural difference by TEM analysis which revealed, in addition to short protofibrils, more elongated, twisted and rod-like fibril structures in non-capped and capped double-fragment peptide systems, respectively. Finally, time-correlated single-photon counting demonstrated a difference in the Thioflavin T fluorescence lifetime profiles upon fibril binding. It could be proposed that this difference originated from morphological differences in the fibril samples. Altogether, these results highlight the potential of using peptide models for the generation of fibrils that share morphological features relevant for disease, e.g., twisted and rod-like polymorphs.

Although Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites are hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), misfolded α-synuclein oligomers are nowadays believed to be key for the development of these diseases. Attempts to target soluble misfolded species of the full-length protein have been limited so far, probably due to the fast aggregation kinetics and burial of aggregation prone segments in final cross-β-sheet fibrils. A previous characterisation study of fibrils prepared from a capped peptide of the non-amyloid β-component (NAC) 71-82 amino acid stretch of α-synuclein demonstrated an increased aggregation propensity resulting in a cross-β-structure that is also found in prion proteins. From this, it was suggested that capped NAC 71-82 peptide oligomers would provide interesting motifs with a capacity to regulate disease development. Here, we demonstrated, from a series of circular dichroism spectroscopic measurements and molecular dynamics simulations, the molecular-environment-sensitive behaviour of the capped NAC 71-82 peptide in a solution phase and the formation of β-sheet oligomeric structures in the supernatant of a fibrillisation mixture. These results highlighted the use of the capped NAC 71-82 peptide as a motif in the preparation of oligomeric β-sheet structures that potentially could be used in therapeutic strategies in the fight against progressive neurodegenerative disorders, such as PD and DLB.

The 71-82 fragment of the non-amyloid-beta component (NAC) region of the Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) related protein alpha-Synuclein, has been reported to be important during protein misfolding. Although reports have demonstrated the importance of this fragment for the aggregation properties of the full-length protein, its exact role in pre-fibrillar oligomerisation, fibrillar growth and morphology has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we provide evidence that fibrils prepared from an acetylated and methyl amidated peptide of the NAC 71-82 amino acid stretch of alpha-Synuclein are amyloid and contain, in addition to the cross-beta structure detected in the full-length protein fibrils, a cross-beta structure previously observed in prion proteins. These results shed light on the aggregation propensity of the NAC 71-82 amino acid stretch of the full-length protein but also the roles of the N- and C-terminal domains of alpha-Synuclein in balancing this aggregation propensity. The results also suggest that early aggregated forms of the capped NAC 71-82 peptide generated structures were stabilised by an anti-parallel and twisted beta-sheet motif. Due to its expected toxicity, this beta-sheet motif may be a promising molecular target for the development of therapeutic strategies for PD and DLB.

A series of steady-state fluorescence anisotropy experiments has been performed to demonstrate the presence of a deprotonated open side chain form of warfarin in organic environments. We explain the observed emission-wavelength-dependent anisotropy of warfarin in ethanol, 2-propanol, and acetonitrile due to the coexistence of neutral isomers and deprotonated open side chain forms displaying different fluorescence decay kinetics. To investigate solvent-solute interactions in more detail, a series of molecular dynamics simulations was performed to study warfarin solvation and to predict the time scale of rotational diffusion displayed by this compound. Predictions obtained provide an explanation for the nonzero values in anisotropy observed for neutral isomers of warfarin associated with the short fluorescence lifetime (tau < 0.1 ns) and for an approximately zero anisotropy observed for the deprotonated open side chain form, which is associated with the longer fluorescence lifetime (tau = 0.5-1.6 ns). Finally, we address the potential use of fluorescence anisotropy for an increased understanding of the structural diversity of warfarin in protein binding pockets.