Is toxic amyloid formation triggered by protein lipidation

Abstract

In living tissues, amyloid fibrils are usually deposited alongside other components, including lipids, carbohydrates, metal ions and even whole organelles in some cases. Many challenges remain in understanding the link between fibrillogenesis and biological outcomes as it is frequently difficult to relate the in vitro behaviour to the in vivo toxicity. However, it is generally recognised that lipid membranes play a direct role in promoting amyloid formation. It is hypothesised that lipidation of peptides such as Aβ by direct acyl transfer from membrane lipids provides a route for driving their nucleation (doi: 10.1002/bies.201900147).