Impact of Membrane Fluidity on α-syn Fibril Structures and Neuronal Pathology

Conformational variations in α-syn fibrils are thought to underlie the distinct clinical features of synucleinopathies, including Lewy body dementia (LBD), Parkinsons’s disease (PD), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), suggesting that distinct fibril structures act as molecular fingerprints linked to disease phenotype. While the origins of these conformational variations remain unclear, increasing evidence points to membranes as key modulators of fibrils conformations. In this study, we investigated how age-related alterations in membrane composition and fluidity influence α-syn fibril formation and cellular outcomes. Using complex mixture membranes that mimic normal neuronal membranes and their age-related modifications in fatty acid chains, we found that α-syn fibrils grown with these membranes displayed distinct 2D ssNMR spectral patterns compared to lipid-free α-syn fibrils, reflecting differences in rigid fibril cores. Moreover, fibrils grown with aging-related membranes exhibited weaker membrane association than those grown with normal neuronal membranes. These membrane-associated fibrils induce stronger neuronal pathologies than lipid-free fibrils, though the severity differed in intraneuronal aggregation and inflammation responses. Overall, our findings provide new insights into how age-related changes in membrane composition shape α-syn fibril structure and pathogenicity, strengthening the link between membrane dynamics and amyloid-driven neurodegeneration.