Physics – Biological Physics
Scientific paper
2009-10-21
Physics
Biological Physics
4 pages, 4 figures
Scientific paper
Many human diseases are associated with protein aggregation and fibrillation. We present experiments on in vitro glucagon fibrillation using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, providing real-time measurements of single-fibril growth. We find that amyloid fibrils grow in an intermittent fashion, with periods of growth followed by long pauses. The observed exponential distributions of stop and growth times support a Markovian model, in which fibrils shift between the two states with specific rates. Remarkably, the probability of being in the growing (stopping) state is very close to 1/4 (3/4) in all experiments, even if the rates vary considerably. This finding suggests the presence of 4 independent conformations of the fibril tip; we discuss this possibility in terms of the existing structural knowledge.
Andersen Christian Beyschau
Ferkinghoff-Borg Jesper
Fonslet Jesper
Goto Yuji
Jensen Mogens H.
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