Inhibitor-Mediated Structural Transition in a Minimal Amyloid Model

Despite the fundamental clinical importance of amyloid fibril formation, its mechanism is still enigmatic. Crystallography of minimal amyloid models was a milestone in the understanding of the architecture and biological activities of amyloid fibers. However, the crystal structure of ultimate dipeptide-based amyloids is not yet reported. Herein, we present the crystal structure of a typical amyloid-forming minimal dipeptide, Ac-Phe-Phe-NH₂ (Ac-FF-NH₂), showing a canonical β-sheet structure at the atomic level. The simplicity of the structure helped in investigating amyloid-inhibition using crystallography, never previously reported for larger peptide models. Interestingly, in the presence of an inhibitor, the supramolecular packing of Ac-FF-NH₂ molecules rearranged into a supramolecular 2-fold helix (2₁ helix). This study promotes our understanding of the mechanism of amyloid formation and of the structural transitions that occur during the inhibition process in a most fundamental model.