Force spectroscopy reveals the presence of structurally modified dimers in transthyretin amyloid annular oligomers.

Toxicity in amyloidogenic protein misfolding disorders is thought to involve intermediate states of aggregation associated with the formation of amyloid fibrils. Despite their relevance, the heterogeneity and transience of these oligomers have placed great barriers in our understanding of their structural properties. Among amyloid intermediates annular oligomers or annular protofibrils have raised considerable interest because they offer a mechanism of cellular toxicity via membrane permeation.

Here we investigated, by using AFM force spectroscopy, the structural detail of amyloid annular oligomers from transthyretin (TTR), a protein involved in systemic and neurodegenerative amyloidogenic disorders. Manipulation was performed in situ, in the absence of molecular handles and using persistence length fit values to select relevant curves. Force curves reveal the presence of dimers in TTR annular oligomers that unfold via a series of structural intermediates. This is in contrast with the manipulation of native TTR, that was more often manipulated over length scales compatible with a TTR monomer and without unfolding intermediates. Imaging and force spectroscopy data suggest that dimers are formed by the assembly of monomers in a head-to-head orientation with a non-native interface along their β-strands. Furthermore, these dimers stack through non-native contacts that may enhance the stability of the misfolded structure.