Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Purification of Hsp104, a Protein Disaggregase
Published on: September 30, 2011
Interplays between covalent modifications in the endoplasmic reticulum increase conformational diversity in nascent
1Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy.
Abstract:
Prion protein (PrP), the causative agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it undergoes numerous covalent modifications. Here we investigate the interdependence and regulation of PrP oxidative folding, N-glycosylation and GPI addition in diverse ER conditions. Our results show that formation of the single disulphide bond is a pivotal event, essential for PrP transport, and can occur post-translationally. Retarding its formation enhances N-glycosylation and GPI-anchoring. In contrast, lowering ER Ca(2+) concentration inhibits N-glycosylation and GPI-anchoring. These data reveal tight interplays between the different ER covalent modifications, which collectively increase of PrP conformational diversity and may be important for its propagation.
More Related Videos
09:43Purification and Refolding to Amyloid Fibrils of (His)6-tagged Recombinant Shadoo Protein Expressed as Inclusion Bodies in E. coli
Published on: December 19, 2015
12:57Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans
Published on: January 8, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Protein Modifications in the RER
Broadly, these modifications can be categorized into four main categories — glycosylation, formation of disulfide bonds, assembly of protein subunits, and specific proteolytic cleavages like removal of signal sequences.
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Folding
Protein Folding
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...
Bacterial Protein Maturation