Extreme amyloid polymorphism in Staphylococcus aureus virulent PSMα peptides

Abstract

The phenol-soluble modulin PSMα3 secreted by Staphylococcus aureus forms cross-α amyloid-like fibrils. Here the authors reveal the amyloid polymorphism of PSMs by presenting the cross-β amyloid fibril structures of the biofilm-associated PSMα1 and PSMα4 and showing that truncated PSMα3 antibacterial peptides form distinct out-of-register β-sheets and a polymorph with a hexameric architecture of β-sheets.