Computational studies on prion proteins: effect of Ala(117)-->Val mutation
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae
Published on: August 8, 2017
Noriaki Okimoto1, Kazunori Yamanaka, Atsushi Suenaga
1Advanced Computing Center, Computational Science Division, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. okimoto@atlas.riken.go.jp
Abstract:
Molecular dynamics calculations demonstrated the conformational change in the prion protein due to Ala(117)-->Val mutation, which is related to Gerstmann-Sträussler-Sheinker disease, one of the familial prion diseases. Three kinds of model structures of human and mouse prion proteins were examined: (model 1) nuclear magnetic resonance structures of human prion protein HuPrP (125-228) and mouse prion protein MoPrP (124-224), each having a globular domain consisting of three alpha-helices and an antiparallel beta-sheet; (model 2) extra peptides including Ala(117) (109-124 in HuPrP and 109-123 in MoPrP) plus the nuclear magnetic resonance structures of model 1; and (model 3) extra peptides including Val(117) (109-124 in HuPrP and 109-123 in MoPrP) plus the nuclear magnetic resonance structures of model 1. The results of molecular dynamics calculations indicated that the globular domains of models 1 and 2 were stable and that the extra peptide in model 2 tended to form a new alpha-helix. On the other hand, the globular domain of model 3 was unstable, and the beta-sheet region increased especially in HuPrP.
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Mutations
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
Protein Organization
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence.
Allosteric Proteins-ATCase
Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the condensation of L-aspartate and carbamoyl phosphate to N-carbamoyl-L-aspartate. This reaction is the first step in pyrimidine biosynthesis. UTP and CTP, the end products of the pyrimidine synthesis pathway,...
Protein Folding

