Smallest Secondary Nucleation Competent Aβ Aggregates Probed by an ATP-Independent Molecular Chaperone Domain

Protein oligomerization is a commonly encountered strategy by which the functional repertoire of proteins is increased. This, however, is a double-edged sword strategy because protein oligomerization is notoriously difficult to control. Living organisms have therefore developed a number of chaperones that prevent protein aggregation. The small ATP-independent molecular chaperone domain proSP-C BRICHOS, which is mainly trimeric, specifically inhibits fibril surface-catalyzed nucleation reactions that give rise to toxic oligomers during the aggregation of the Alzheimer’s disease-related amyloid-β peptide (Aβ42). Here, we have created a stable proSP-C BRICHOS monomer mutant and show that it does not bind to monomeric Aβ42 but has a high affinity for Aβ42 fibrils, using surface plasmon resonance. Kinetic analysis of Aβ42 aggregation profiles, measured by thioflavin T fluorescence, reveals that the proSP-C BRICHOS monomer mutant strongly inhibits secondary nucleation reactions and thereby reduces the level of catalytic formation of toxic Aβ42 oligomers. To study binding between the proSP-C BRICHOS monomer mutant and small soluble Aβ42 aggregates, we analyzed fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy measurements with the maximum entropy method for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. We found that the proSP-C BRICHOS monomer mutant binds to the smallest emerging Aβ42 aggregates that are comprised of eight or fewer Aβ42 molecules, which are already secondary nucleation competent. Our approach can be used to provide molecular-level insights into the mechanisms of action of substances that interfere with protein aggregation.