Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Rapid Generation of Amyloid from Native Proteins In vitro
05:48

Rapid Generation of Amyloid from Native Proteins In vitro

Published on: December 5, 2013

Functional amyloid--from bacteria to humans

Douglas M Fowler1, Atanas V Koulov, William E Balch

  • 1Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|April 7, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Amyloid proteins, once thought only harmful, are now known to have essential functions across many species. Understanding these functional amyloids offers new therapeutic strategies for amyloid-related diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Amyloid proteins were historically associated with detrimental effects in human diseases.
  • Recent research reveals functional roles for amyloid structures in diverse organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the diverse physiological functions of amyloid structures.
  • To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of functional amyloidogenesis.
  • To re-evaluate the therapeutic potential of amyloid research.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on functional amyloids.
  • Analysis of specific examples like human Pmel17 and factor XII.
  • Comparative analysis of amyloid structures across different species.

Main Results:

  • Identified functional amyloid fibers in bacteria, fungi, insects, invertebrates, and humans.
  • Highlighted roles in melanin biosynthesis (Pmel17) and hemostasis (factor XII).
  • Emphasized the necessity of tight regulation to prevent toxicity in functional amyloidogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Functional amyloids represent a significant departure from their previously understood pathological roles.
  • Understanding the physiological applications of amyloid folds can inform new therapeutic approaches.
  • Further research into functional amyloidogenesis is crucial for treating amyloid diseases.

More Related Videos

A Caenorhabditis elegans Model System for Amylopathy Study10:33

A Caenorhabditis elegans Model System for Amylopathy Study

Published on: May 17, 2013

Methods for Detecting Cytotoxic Amyloids Following Infection of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells by Pseudomonas aeruginosa07:27

Methods for Detecting Cytotoxic Amyloids Following Infection of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Published on: July 12, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called 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...
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called 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...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Inhalation Anthrax01:25

Inhalation Anthrax

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium. It primarily affects herbivorous animals but can be transmitted to humans through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation of spores.Cutaneous anthrax, the most common form, typically results from direct contact with bacterial spores through skin abrasions and is generally less severe. Gastrointestinal anthrax results from eating undercooked or contaminated meat. It affects the mouth, throat, or...
What is Monogastric Digestion?01:50

What is Monogastric Digestion?

The human body contains a monogastric digestive system. In a monogastric digestive system, the stomach only contains one chamber in which it digests food. Several other animal species also have monogastric digestive systems, including pigs, horses, dogs, and birds. This chapter, however, focuses on the human digestive system.