Fig. 2. Intra- and inter-chain interactions stabilising the RML prion fibril.

a Schematic depiction of the alternating polar and non-polar lateral contacts that stabilise a single PrP monomer in the fibril. Transparent surface representation is coloured by hydrophobicity (hydrophobic, yellow; hydrophilic, teal). Protein backbone is shown with cartoon (licorice) representation and amino acid side chains as white sticks coloured by heteroatom (O, red; N, blue; S, yellow). b Butterfly view of the top and bottom surface of each rung, coloured as in a. Dotted lines indicate longitudinally connecting regions in the assembly. c Butterfly view of charge distribution in the assembly. Dotted lines as in b. d Ribbon representation of 3 amyloid rungs, with indicated β-sheets and inter-chain hydrogen bonds (dotted lines).