Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Purification and Aggregation of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Intracellular Domain
Published on: August 28, 2012
The thermal structural transition of α-crystallin inhibits the heat induced self-aggregation
Giuseppe Maulucci1, Massimiliano Papi, Giuseppe Arcovito
1Istituto di Fisica, Universitá Cattolica S. Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Abstract:
α-crystallin, the major constituent of human lens, is a member of the heat-shock proteins family and it is known to have a quaternary structural transition at . The presence of calcium ions and/or temperature changes induce supramolecular self-aggregation, a process of relevance in the cataractogenesis. Here we investigate the potential effect of the bovine α-crystallin's structural transition on the self-aggregation process. Along all the temperatures investigated, aggregation proceeds by forming intermediate molecular assemblies that successively aggregate in clusters. The final morphology of the aggregates, above and below Tc, is similar, but the aggregation kinetics are completely different. The size of the intermediate molecular assemblies, and their repulsive energy barrier show a marked increase while crossing . Our results highlight the key role of heat modified form of α-crystallin in protecting from aggregation and preserving the transparency of the lens under hyperthermic conditions.
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...
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
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
