Intrinsically disordered proteins - FeigLab

While the majority of proteins spend most of their time folded in a stable three-dimensional structure, a particular class of proteins known as intrinsically disordered proteins lacks a stable fold. Several of these proteins have been found to be associated with disease, and they may be useful as well as models of the unfolded protein state, for investigating the first steps in the protein folding process. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to motor and cognitive impairment, generally diagnosed after the age of 60, for which there is currently no cure. The intrinsically-disordered protein α-synuclein is the primary component of protein aggregates known as Lewy bodies found in the neurons of Parkinson’s patients, and genetic mutations causing either a change in α-synuclein’s sequence or excessive production of the protein have been linked to disease, suggesting that α-synuclein plays a key role in disease development and that finding drugs to interfere with i

While the majority of proteins spend most of their time folded in a stable three-dimensional structure, a particular class of proteins known as intrinsically disordered proteins lacks a stable fold. Several of these proteins have been found to be associated with disease, and they may be useful as well as models of the unfolded protein state, for investigating the first steps in the protein folding process. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to motor and cognitive impairment, generally diagnosed after the age of 60, for which there is currently no cure. The intrinsic