Work

Atomic structures of medin and Aβ fibrils reveal polymorphic remodeling in mixed amyloid systems

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Amyloid assembly in vivo occurs in complex environments where multiple aggregation-prone species coexist. Aβ and medin are prevalent amyloids in ageing humans that co-localize in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), yet their structural interactions remain poorly understood. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we determine high-resolution fibril structures from in vitro mixtures of Aβ40 and medin. From the same reaction, we resolve three distinct fibril populations: (i) a previously characterized Aβ40 polymorph that also forms in isolation, (ii) a Aβ40 polymorph with Aβ42-like features, including ordered N- and C-terminal regions, and (iii) the atomic structure of full-length medin fibrils. Biochemical and immunogold analyses demonstrate Aβ–medin association within mixed assemblies, though medin is not resolved within the ordered Aβ core. These findings support two non-exclusive mechanisms: transient heterotypic interactions redirecting Aβ folding, or partial medin incorporation into fibril architecture. Our data reveal how coexisting amyloids remodel each other’s polymorphic landscapes. Authors solve structures of in vitro Aβ40:medin mixtures to show three fibril populations and association within co-assemblies. Results support two non-exclusive mechanisms: transient interactions redirecting Aβ folding or partial medin incorporation into fibril assembly.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72515-4