Protein Conformation and the Concept of Misfolding For many proteins, the most prominent structural motif of the functional protein in its native conformation is known as the alpha helix, a right ...

First synthetic 'mini prion' shows how protein misfolding multiplies Model enables study of fundamental interactions underlying neurodegenerative disease Date: April 30, 2025 Source: Northwestern ...

Proteins do much of the work to keep cells and bodies working. Trouble with these building blocks can spell disease; protein misfolding, for instance, links many brain diseases.

The good news: Coles is pairing with renowned protein-misfolding expert Susan Lindquist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Whitehead Institute to tackle a meaty problem that affects ...

The first synthetic fragment of tau protein has been created, revealing more about the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers at Northwestern University (IL, USA) and the ...

The program told him nothing about what happens when proteins misfold. Over the past several decades, scientists have connected a range of neurodegenerative conditions to protein misfolding, including ...

A similar cycle of neuronal protein misfolding and clumping is observed in other neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. “Our study establishes a direct link, at ...

Protein misfolding and the subsequent aggregation have been associated with neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease, as well as non ...

In this work, the researchers showed how water molecules near a protein surface can influence misfolding. A mutation that is related to tauopathies has a subtle effect on water's dynamic structure in ...

Misfolded, prion-like proteins drive the progression of tauopathies (resulting in neurodegenerative diseases) characterized by the abnormal accumulation of misfolded tau protein in the brain.

While developing the synthetic protein, the scientists also uncovered new insights into the role of water around the protein surface that guides the misfolding process. A mutation commonly used to ...