Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

07:55
Imaging the Intracellular Trafficking of APP with Photoactivatable GFP
Published on: October 17, 2015
12.5K
Structural biology of presenilin 1 complexes
Yi Li, Christopher Bohm, Roger Dodd
1Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust MRC Building, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK. p.hyslop@utoronto.ca.
Molecular Neurodegeneration
|December 20, 2014
Summary
Presenilin proteins form the gamma-secretase complex, crucial for Alzheimer's disease. Structural insights reveal allosteric gating mechanisms controlling substrate access and cleavage, aiding drug development.
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Structural biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Presenilin genes are linked to familial Alzheimer's disease.
- Presenilin proteins are catalytic subunits of the gamma-secretase complex.
- This complex cleaves transmembrane domains of Type I proteins within membranes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular and structural biology of the presenilin complex.
- To elucidate the structural basis of gamma-secretase function.
- To understand allosteric regulation for potential therapeutic targeting.
Main Methods:
- Structural analysis of the presenilin complex.
- Investigation of substrate binding and inhibitor interactions.
- Allosteric interaction studies.
Main Results:
- The presenilin complex has a bilobed structure with distinct head and base domains.
- A lateral cleft in the base domain likely mediates substrate access.
- Reciprocal allosteric interactions govern substrate binding and inhibitor efficacy.
- Compound E binding induces conformational changes affecting substrate docking.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the presenilin complex structure is key to designing specific modulators.
- Allosteric gating mechanisms are central to enzyme function.
- Structural insights facilitate rational drug design for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Complex Assembly
17.3K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
17.3K
Amyloid Fibrils
13.2K
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,...
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
13.2K
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
7.2K
Multiprotein signaling complexes are formed in a dynamic process involving protein-protein interactions at the cytoplasmic domain of transmembrane receptors or enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins associated with the receptor. These complexes ensure the activation and propagation of intracellular signals that regulate cell functions.
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
7.2K
Protein and Protein Structure
93.8K
Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
93.8K
Protein Folding
12.8K
Proteins are chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. Upon synthesis, a protein folds into a three-dimensional conformation, critical to its biological function. Interactions between its constituent amino acids guide protein folding, and hence the protein structure is primarily dependent on its amino acid sequence.
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
12.8K
Protein Folding
131.5K
Overview
131.5K

