Inhibition of beta2-microglobulin amyloid fibril formation by alpha2-macroglobulin.

ABSTRACT: The relationship between various amyloidoses and chaperones is gathering attention. In patients with dialysis-related amyloidosis, ?(2)-macroglobulin (?2M), an extracellular chaperone, forms a complex with ?(2)-microglobulin (?2-m), a major component of amyloid fibrils, but the molecular mechanisms and biological implications of the complex formation remain unclear. Here, we found that ?2M substoichiometrically inhibited the ?2-m fibril formation at a neutral pH in the presence of SDS, a model for anionic lipids. Binding analysis showed that the binding affinity between ?2M and ?2-m in the presence of SDS was higher than that in the absence of SDS. Importantly, SDS dissociated tetrameric ?2M into dimers with increased surface hydrophobicity. Western blot analysis revealed that both tetrameric and dimeric ?2M interacted with SDS-denatured ?2-m. At a physiologically relevant acidic pH and in the presence of heparin, ?2M was also dissociated into dimers, and both tetrameric and dimeric ?2M interacted with ?2-m, resulting in the inhibition of fibril growth reaction. These results suggest that under conditions where native ?2-m is denatured, tetrameric ?2M is also converted to dimeric form with exposed hydrophobic surfaces to favor the hydrophobic interaction with denatured ?2-m, thus dimeric ?2M as well as tetrameric ?2M may play an important role in controlling ?2-m amyloid fibril formation.

SUBMITTER: Ozawa D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3059021 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature