Protein aggregation into highly structured amyloid fibrils is associated with various diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and type II diabetes. Amyloids can also have normal biological functions and, in the future, could be used as the basis for novel nanoscale materials. However, a full understanding of the physicochemical forces that drive protein aggregation is still lacking. Such understanding is crucial for the development of drugs that can effectively inhibit aberrant amyloid aggregation and for the directed design of functional amyloids. Atomistic simulations can help understand protein aggregation. In particular, atomistic simulations can be used to study the initial formation of toxic oligomers which are hard to characterize experimentally and to understand the difference in aggregation behavior between different amyloidogenic peptides. Here, we review the latest atomistic simulations of protein aggregation, concentrating on amyloidogenic protein fragments, and provide an outlook for the future in this field.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b00059 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
C-Terminal cyclic imides are posttranslational modifications that can arise from spontaneous intramolecular cleavage of asparagine or glutamine residues resulting in a form of irreversible protein damage. These protein damage events are recognized and removed by the E3 ligase substrate adapter cereblon (CRBN), indicating that these aging-related modifications may require cellular quality control mechanisms to prevent deleterious effects. However, the factors that determine protein or peptide susceptibility to C-terminal cyclic imide formation or their effect on protein stability have not been explored in detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Rep
January 2025
Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address:
The nuclear RNA-binding protein TDP43 is integrally involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Previous studies uncovered N-terminal TDP43 isoforms that are predominantly cytosolic in localization, prone to aggregation, and enriched in susceptible spinal motor neurons. In healthy cells, however, these shortened (s)TDP43 isoforms are difficult to detect in comparison to full-length (fl)TDP43, raising questions regarding their origin and selective regulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
Zwitterionic polymers have garnered significant attention for their distinctive properties, such as biocompatibility, antifouling capabilities, and resistance to protein adsorption, making them promising candidates for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery, oil production inhibitors, and water purification membranes. This study reports the synthesis and characterization of zwitterionic monomers and polymers through the modification of linear, vinyl, and aromatic heterocyclic functional groups via reaction with 1,3-propanesultone. Four zwitterionic polymers with varying molecular structures-ranging from linear to five and six membered ring systems-were synthesized: poly(sulfobetaine methacrylamide) (pSBMAm), poly(sulfobetaine-1-vinylimidazole) (pSB1VI), poly(sulfobetaine-2-vinylpyridine) (pSB2VP), and poly(sulfobetaine-4-vinylpyridine) (pSB4VP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Translational Genomics, GROW Research Institute for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Food-grade titanium dioxide (E171) is widely used in food, feed, and pharmaceuticals for its opacifying and coloring properties. This study investigates the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the aggregation behavior of E171 using the TNO Gastrointestinal (GI) model, which simulates the stomach and small intestine. E171 was characterized using multiple techniques, including electron spin resonance spectroscopy, single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCells
December 2024
Department of Herbal Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnamdae-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea.
The NLRP3 inflammasome, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by activating inflammatory cytokines such as IL1β and IL18. Targeting NLRP3 has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for RA. In this study, a multidisciplinary approach combining machine learning, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling, structure-activity landscape index (SALI), docking, molecular dynamics (MD), and molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area MM/PBSA assays was employed to identify novel NLRP3 inhibitors.
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