Journal article
Ultrasound-induced protein restructuring and ordered aggregation to form amyloid crystals
R Pathak, SK Bhangu, GJO Martin, F Separovic, M Ashokkumar
European Biophysics Journal | SPRINGER | Published : 2022
Abstract
Amyloid crystals, a form of ordered protein aggregates documented relatively recently, have not been studied as extensively as amyloid fibres. This study investigates the formation of amyloid crystals with low frequency ultrasound (20 kHz) using β-lactoglobulin, as a model protein for amyloid synthesis. Acoustic cavitation generates localised zones of intense shear, with extreme heat and pressure that could potentially drive the formation of amyloid structures at ambient bulk fluid temperatures (20 ± 1 °C). Thioflavin T fluorescence and electron microscopy showed that low-frequency ultrasound at 20 W/cm3 input power induced β-stacking to produce amyloid crystals in the mesoscopic size range,..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by University of Melbourne
Funding Acknowledgements
The ARC Dairy Hub is a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland and Dairy Innovation Australia Ltd, and this research received support from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP funding scheme, project number IH120100005). Rachana Pathak is grateful to the University of Melbourne for a Melbourne Research Scholarship (MRS) to support her graduate research degree and for the Norma Hilda Schuster (nee Swift) Scholarship for 2019. The Bio21 institute Advanced Microscopy Facility, which houses the SEM equipment, is acknowledged and the Material Characterization and Fabrication Platform (MCFP), University of Melbourne, and the Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, for the use of their helium ion microscope (HIM). We are thankful to Dr Yee-Foong Mok and Ms Bhanu Devnani for their help with the CD measurements, Mr Paul Brannon for help with polarised optical microscopy setup, and Dr Srinivas Mettu for leading us to useful resources and services.