In the current study both structural alteration and fibrillation of insulin were studied in the presence of homocysteine thiolactone (HCTL). The spectroscopic studies revealed that HCTL increases rate of insulin unfolding, giving rise to the appearance of solvent-exposed hydrophobic regions and induces a transition from α-helix into predominantly β-sheet structures. Thioflavin-T fluorescence studies revealed that HCTL markedly enhanced the quantity of insulin fibril formation in both agitating and non-agitating systems. Also gel electrophoresis results suggest that HCTL accelerates the process of formation of high molecular weight insulin aggregates. Moreover, insulin fibrils obtained in the presence of HCTL and those collected earlier in the pathway of insulin fibrillation displayed improved cytotoxicity against cancer cells. The enhancement of insulin fibril formation with elevated cytotoxic properties as occurred in the presence of HCTL, may suggest this homocysteine derivative as a possible contributing factor in the pathology of insulin fibrils.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2012.05.021 | DOI Listing |
bioRxiv
January 2025
Ben-May Institute for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
Insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) is a dimeric 110 kDa M16A zinc metalloprotease that degrades amyloidogenic peptides diverse in shape and sequence, including insulin, amylin, and amyloid-β, to prevent toxic amyloid fibril formation. IDE has a hollow catalytic chamber formed by four homologous subdomains organized into two ~55 kDa N- and C- domains (IDE-N and IDE-C, respectively), in which peptides bind, unfold, and are repositioned for proteolysis. IDE is known to transition between a closed state, poised for catalysis, and an open state, able to release cleavage products and bind new substrate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis
December 2024
Cardiometabolic Medicine Center, Department of Cardiology, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, 167, Beilishi Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100037, China. Electronic address:
Background And Aims: The relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains insufficiently explored. This investigation aims to elucidate the association between the TyG index and the long-term risk of developing AF.
Methods And Results: This cohort study analyzed data from 409,705 participants sourced from the UK Biobank database.
Int J Mol Sci
December 2024
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are bacterial mediators of neuroinflammation that have been detected in close association with pathological protein aggregations of Alzheimer's disease. LPS induce the release of cytokines by microglia and mediate the upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-a mechanism also associated with amyloidosis. Curcumin is a recognized natural medicine but has extremely low bioavailability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLife Sci
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 157 Xiwu Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, China. Electronic address:
Aims: Glucosamine, a widely used dietary supplement, has been linked to potential cardiovascular risks, including atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term glucosamine supplementation on AF susceptibility and the underlying mechanisms.
Materials And Methods: C57BL/6 J mice were treated with low-dose (15 mg/kg/day) or high-dose (250 mg/kg/day) glucosamine via drinking water for 6 weeks.
J Colloid Interface Sci
December 2024
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Biopharmaceuticals and Biobarriers in Drug Delivery, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address:
Ion-protein interactions regulate biological processes and are the basis of key strategies of modulating protein phase diagrams and stability in drug development. Here, we report the mechanisms by which H-bonds and electrostatic interactions in ion-protein systems determine phase separation and amyloid formation. Using microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, circular dichroism and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we found that anions specifically interacting with insulin induced phase separation by neutralising the protein charge and forming H-bond bridges between insulin molecules.
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