Data for: EMBER multi-dimensional spectral microscopy enables quantitative determination of disease- and cell-specific amyloid strains

In neurodegenerative diseases, proteins fold into amyloid structures with
distinctconformations (strains) that are characteristic of different
diseases. However, thereis a need to rapidly identify amyloid
conformations in situ. Here, we use machinelearning on the full
information available in fluorescent excitation/emission spec-tra of
amyloid-binding dyes to identify six distinct different conformational
strainsin vitro, as well as amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in different
transgenic mouse models. OurEMBER (excitation multiplexed bright emission
recording) imaging method rapidlyidentifies conformational differences in
Aβ and tau deposits from Down syndrome,sporadic and familial Alzheimer’s
disease human brain slices. EMBER has in situidentified distinct
conformational strains of tau inclusions in astrocytes, oligoden-drocytes,
and neurons from Pick’s disease. In future studies, EMBER should
enablehigh-throughput measurements of the fidelity of strain transmission
in cellular andanimal neurodegenerative diseases models, time course of
amyloid strain propagation,and identification of pathogenic versus benign
strains.