Nanoscale mechanical behavior of Tau oligomers in liquid media

Abstract

In this work, we characterize the mechanical properties of Tau oligomers, key protein structures involved in Alzheimer’s disease. To extract these properties, in liquid media and at the nanoscale, we extend flicker spectroscopy to this regime using liquid-phase TEM. This imaging method captures thermally driven contour fluctuations of the oligomer interface, from which we compute the fluctuation spectrum via Fourier-mode decomposition. We then fit the spectrum using the Helfrich Elastic Theory of soft interfaces, obtaining interfacial tension and bending rigidity values. The extracted values are comparable to those reported for other soft nanoscale interfaces, supporting the relevance of the approach and opening a clear path for future statistical analyses