#misfolding

New computer simulations that model every atom of a protein as it folds into its final three-dimensional form support the existence of a recently identified type of protein misfolding. Proteins must fold into precise three-dimensional shapes – called their native state – to carry out their biological functions. When proteins misfold, they can lose function and, in some cases, contribute to…

Nanodiscs catch misfolding proteins red-handed — ScienceDaily

When proteins misfold, accumulate and clump around insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, they kill cells. Now, researchers, including University of Michigan biophysicists, have obtained a structural snapshot of these proteins when they are most toxic, detailing them down to the atomic level.

The researchers hope this kind of detail can help in the search for drugs to target the incorrectly…

Researchers make discovery mapping misfolding pathways down to the molecular level — ScienceDaily

Scientists at the University of Alberta may have found possible targets for therapeutic interventions in the fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Biophysicist Michael Woodside and his research team conducted the first single-molecule study of folding in the protein superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), an antioxidant whose misfolding is linked to the neurodegenerative disease ALS. They found that it…

Cystic Fibrosis -