Extended structure of rat islet amyloid polypeptide in solution

The process of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) formation and the prefibrillar oligomers are supposed to be one of the pathogenic agents causing pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. The human IAPP (hIAPP) aggregates easily and therefore, it is difficult to characterize its structural features by standard bio-physical tools. The rat version of IAPP (rIAPP) that differs by six amino acids when compared with hIAPP, is not prone to aggregation and does not form amyloid fibrils. Similar to hIAPP it also demonstrates random-coiled nature in solution. The structural propensity of rIAPP has been studied as a hIAPP mimic in recent works. However, the overall shape of it in solution still remains elusive. Using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and molecular dynamics simulations (MD) the solution structure of rIAPP was studied. An unambiguously extended structural model with a radius of gyration of 1.83 nm was determined from SAXS data. Consistent with previous studies, an overall random-coiled feature with residual helical propensity in the N-terminus was confirmed. Combined efforts are necessary to unambiguously resolve the structural features of intrinsic disordered proteins.