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Interactions with and Membrane Permeabilization of Brain Mitochondria by Amyloid Fibrils
15:04

Interactions with and Membrane Permeabilization of Brain Mitochondria by Amyloid Fibrils

Published on: September 28, 2019

Amyloids: friend or foe?

Neal D Hammer1, Xuan Wang, Bryan A McGuffie

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0620, USA.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|May 20, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Amyloidogenesis, the clumping of proteins into fibers, is linked to diseases like Alzheimer's. Studying functional amyloids offers insights into therapeutic development and natural protein roles.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Amyloidogenesis involves protein aggregation into stable, beta-sheet-rich fibers.
  • Amyloid formation is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and prion diseases.
  • Functional amyloids, utilized by diverse organisms for physiological tasks, present a contrasting model.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review amyloidogenesis, comparing disease-associated amyloid-beta with functional amyloids.
  • To explore the implications of studying functional amyloid formation.
  • To discuss strategies organisms use to mitigate toxic amyloid intermediates.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and comparative analysis of amyloidogenic proteins.
  • Examination of structural and functional properties of disease-associated and functional amyloids.
  • Discussion of evolutionary and cellular strategies in amyloid formation.

Main Results:

  • Amyloid fibers share conserved structural features (beta-sheet structure, protease resistance) across disease-associated and functional types.
  • Functional amyloids demonstrate nature's utilization of protein aggregation for beneficial purposes.
  • Organisms employ diverse mechanisms to control amyloid formation and prevent toxicity.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding both pathological and functional amyloidogenesis is crucial for developing targeted therapeutics.
  • Comparative studies illuminate the dual role of protein aggregation in disease and physiology.
  • Investigating functional amyloids provides insights into protein self-assembly and biological regulation.

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