A label-free method to quantify early-stage amyloid aggregation via intrinsic phenylalanine fluorescence

Abstract

The aggregation of amyloid-forming peptides is a dynamic, complex process that underlies their diverse biological activities, from physiological functions to disease-associated dysfunctions. While the structure of fibrillar end-products is well-characterized for most amyloids, the heterogeneous and often transient oligomers, likely key in cytotoxicity, remain poorly investigated, especially for peptides with low-yield aromatic residues. Here, by exploiting and developing flow induced dispersion analysis in both peak and front modes, we demonstrate that intrinsic phenylalanine fluorescence can be harnessed to quantify the conversion of diffusing monomers into non-diffusing oligomers and fibrils. This approach is validated using PSM$\alpha$3, a tryptophan- and tyrosine-free peptide from S. aureus, known for its fast amyloid fibrillation and key roles in bacterial virulence. We indeed characterize its low-molecular-weight oligomers, and size evolution from 2 to 10 nm over time. Importantly, to further validate the robustness of our front-mode approach, we apply it to hIAPP, a tyrosine-containing, tryptophan-free peptide, with critical outcome in type 2 diabetes. Our results overcome the limitations of traditional biochemical and biophysical amyloid assays by extending analysis from large oligomers and fibrils to small heterogeneous oligomers, under near-physiological conditions. This study thus offers a new analytical framework, thereby filling a critical gap in amyloid research, to probe the early stages of aggregation, key in the design of alternative therapeutics for amyloid-diseases.