Protein Aggregation — Nucleation & Growth

Amyloid-like fibrils grow via primary nucleation, elongation, and secondary nucleation — sigmoidal kinetics with a lag phase.

Nucleation k₁: Elongation k₊: Secondary k₂:

M(t) = 0.000 | Fibrils: 0 | t = 0

Kinetics of amyloid formation (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's). The sigmoidal growth curve (lag → exponential → plateau) arises from autocatalytic secondary nucleation on fibril surfaces (Knowles et al. 2009).