Aggregation of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein into ordered amyloid fibrils is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. To unravel the role of Tyr residues in α-synuclein fibrillation, we prepared recombinant N-terminal (Y39A) and C-terminal (Y(125,133,136)A) mutants of α-synuclein and examined their fibrillation propensities by thioflavin T and 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) fluorescent probes, SDS-PAGE and atomic force microscopy. We demonstrate that in contrast to wild-type α-synuclein, both mutants show large, but comparable delays in the fibrillation process and exhibit enhanced hydrophobicity during fibril-like assembly. Both Tyr mutants form fibril-like structures after prolonged incubation periods, which are morphologically distinct from those of the wild-type protein. Our results suggest that the N-terminal and C-terminal Tyr residues of α-synuclein are important primarily for the initiation of the fibrillation process.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.17344/acsi.2014.882 | DOI Listing |
J Phys Chem B
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
The microbial aminotransferase enzyme DapC is vital for lysine biosynthesis in various Gram-positive bacteria, including . Characterization of the enzyme's conformational dynamics and identifying the key residues for ligand binding are crucial for the development of effective antimicrobials. This study employs atomistic simulations to explore and categorize the dynamics of DapC in comparison to other classes of aminotransferase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Pesticides, including fipronil, are used mainly in agriculture; however, in veterinary and animal husbandry, their potential use is to control the pests responsible for vector-borne diseases. Their residues in agriculture products and direct use on farms are responsible for potentially harming livestock and poultry. So, this study was designed to evaluate the toxico-pathological effects of fipronil on the immune system of poultry birds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Center for Medical Research and Innovation, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (RU069), Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai 201399, China.
Ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes oxidize 5-methylcytosine (mC) in DNA, contributing to the regulation of gene transcription. Diverse mutations of TET2 are frequently found in various blood cancers, yet the full scope of their functional consequences has been unexplored. Here, we report that a subset of TET2 mutations identified in leukemia patients alter the substrate specificity of TET2 from acting on mC to thymine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801.
Enzyme-enzyme interactions are fundamental to the function of cells. Their atomistic mechanisms remain elusive mainly due to limitations of in-cell measurements. We address this challenge by atomistically modeling, for a total of ≈80 μs, a slice of the human cell cytoplasm that includes three successive enzymes along the glycolytic pathway: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), and phosphoglycerate mutase (PGM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, CALS, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
The formation of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) filaments has been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although the disulfide bond formed between Cys57 and Cys146 in the active state has been well studied, the role of the reduced cysteine residues, Cys6 and Cys111, in SOD1 filament formation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of reduced cysteine residues by determining and comparing cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of wild-type (WT) and C6A/C111A SOD1 filaments under thiol-based reducing and metal-depriving conditions, starting with protein samples possessing enzymatic activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!