Detecting the Formation and Transformation of Oligomers during Insulin Fibrillation by a Dendrimer Conjugated with Aggregation-Induced Emission Molecule

The fibrillation of protein is harmful and impedes the use of protein drugs. It also relates to various debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s diseases. Thus, investigating the protein fibrillation process is necessary. In this study, poly(amido amine) dendrimers (PAMAM) of generation 3 (G3) and generation 4 (G4) were synthesized and conjugated with 4-aminobiphenyl, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moiety, at varied grafting ratios. Among them, one fluorescence probe named G3-biph-3 that was grafted average 3.25 4-aminobiphenyl to the G3, can detect the transformations both from native insulin to oligomers and from oligomers to fibrils. The size difference of native insulin, oligomers, and fibrils was proposed to be the main factor leading to the detection of the above transformations. Different molecular weights of sodium polyacrylate (PAAS) were also applied as a model to interact with G3-biph-3 to further reveal the mechanism. The results indicated that PAMAM with a certain generation and grafted with appropriate AIE groups can detect the oligomer formation and transformation during the insulin fibrillation process.