Characterization of amyloid β fibril formation under microgravity conditions

Amyloid fibrils are self-assembled and ordered proteinaceous supramolecules structurally characterized by the cross-β spine. Amyloid formation is known to be related to various diseases typified by neurogenerative disorders and involved in a variety of functional roles. Whereas common mechanisms for amyloid formation have been postulated across diverse systems, the mesoscopic morphology of the fibrils is significantly affected by the type of solution condition in which it grows. Amyloid formation is also thought to share a phenomenological similarity with protein crystallization. Although many studies have demonstrated the effect of gravity on protein crystallization, its effect on amyloid formation has not been reported. In this study, we conducted an experiment at the International Space Station (ISS) to characterize fibril formation of 40-residue amyloid β (Aβ(1–40)) under microgravity conditions. Our comparative analyses revealed that the Aβ(1–40) fibrilization progresses much more slowly on the ISS than on the ground, similarly to protein crystallization. Furthermore, microgravity promoted the formation of distinct morphologies of Aβ(1–40) fibrils. Our findings demonstrate that the ISS provides an ideal experimental environment for detailed investigations of amyloid formation mechanisms by eliminating the conventionally uncontrollable factors derived from gravity.