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Published on: October 6, 2022
Amyloid fibril formation by the CAD domain of caspase-activated DNase
Koichi Uegaki1, Tsutomu Nakamura, Hitoshi Yamamoto
1National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-8-31 Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan. k-uegaki@aist.go.jp
Abstract:
Caspase-activated DNase (CAD) is a key protein in the process of apoptosis that degrades DNA through the action of caspases. Its N-terminal region, the CAD domain (CAD-CD), is highly conserved among CAD family proteins and is responsible for the interaction with its inhibitor. We report here that CAD-CD spontaneously aggregates to form amyloid fibrils, without a lag time, under the conditions of low pH (below 4) and the presence of anions. Interestingly, the secondary structure of CAD-CD in the fibril state comprised not only beta-sheet but also alpha-helix, as found in CD, FTIR, and x-ray fiber diffraction experiments. Aromatic side chains have a defined orientation and are in the hydrophobic environment occurring with the CAD-CD fibrillogenesis. These findings provide new insights into the architecture of amyloid fibrils.
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