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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

Diversity, biogenesis and function of microbial amyloids

Luz P Blanco1, Margery L Evans, Daniel R Smith

  • 1Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Trends in Microbiology
|December 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Functional amyloids, found in microbes, are assembled through directed pathways for beneficial cellular roles. Studying these functional amyloids offers new insights into disease-associated amyloid formation.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Amyloids, protein structures with beta-sheet folds, are linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
  • Traditionally viewed as products of protein misfolding, amyloids are now recognized as integral to normal cellular functions.
  • Microbial functional amyloids exemplify productive roles of amyloid structures in cellular life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review functional microbial amyloids, focusing on curli fibers.
  • To highlight the directed assembly and physiological functions of microbial amyloids.
  • To explore how microbial amyloid pathways inform our understanding of disease-associated amyloidogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on functional microbial amyloids.
  • Emphasis on curli fibers as a model system.
  • Analysis of amyloid assembly and disassembly pathways in microbes.

Main Results:

  • Functional amyloids are assembled via dedicated, directed pathways in microbes.
  • Microbial amyloids perform essential physiological functions, aiding in biofilm formation and community behaviors.
  • Microbial amyloid biogenesis pathways offer insights into productive amyloid assembly.

Conclusions:

  • Functional amyloids are widespread in cellular biology and crucial for microbial life.
  • Understanding microbial amyloid formation provides a novel perspective on disease-associated amyloidogenesis.
  • Curli fibers serve as a key example of functional microbial amyloids with significant roles.

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