Structural Basis for the Dissociation of Alpha-Synuclein Fibrils Triggered by Pressure Perturbation of the Hydrophobic Core

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disease in which aggregated forms of the alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein are found. We used high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) coupled with NMR spectroscopy to study the structure and dynamics of alpha-syn monomeric species released from fibrils. Different dynamic properties in the non-amyloid-beta component (NAC), which constitutes the Greek-key hydrophobic core, and in the acidic C-terminal region of the protein were identified by HHP NMR spectroscopy. In addition, solid-state NMR revealed subtle differences in the HHP-disturbed fibril core, providing clues to how these species contribute to seeding alpha-syn aggregation. These findings show how pressure can populate so far undetected alpha-syn species, and they lay out a roadmap for fibril dissociation via pathways not previously observed using other approaches. Pressure perturbs the cavity-prone hydrophobic core of the fibrils by pushing water inward, thereby inducing the dissociation into monomers. Our study offers the molecular details of how hydrophobic interaction and the formation of water-excluded cavities jointly contribute to the assembly and stabilization of the fibrils. Understanding the molecular forces behind the formation of pathogenic fibrils uncovered by pressure perturbation will aid in the development of new therapeutics against Parkinson's disease.