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Updated: Jul 29, 2025

Evaluation of the Impact of Protein Aggregation on Cellular Oxidative Stress in Yeast
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Cellular Protein Aggregates: Formation, Biological Effects, and Ways of Elimination

Jun-Hao Wen1, Xiang-Hong He1, Ze-Sen Feng1

  • 1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Autophagy and Major Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases, Institute of Nephrology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524001, China.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|May 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Protein aggregates drive neurodegenerative diseases and aging by disrupting cellular balance. This review covers their causes, roles, and clearance mechanisms, exploring therapeutic strategies for treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Protein aggregate accumulation is a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Imbalances in protein homeostasis (proteostasis) lead to aggregate formation, creating a detrimental cycle.
  • This cycle exacerbates aging and neurodegenerative disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the composition and causes of protein aggregation in mammalian cells.
  • To summarize the role of protein aggregates in organisms.
  • To highlight protein aggregate clearance mechanisms and discuss therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of protein aggregation.
  • Analysis of cellular proteostasis mechanisms.
  • Exploration of therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.

Main Results:

  • Protein aggregates disrupt cellular functions and deplete essential proteostasis factors.
  • Eukaryotic cells possess evolved mechanisms for managing aggregated proteins.
  • Targeting protein aggregates offers potential therapeutic avenues.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding protein aggregate formation and clearance is crucial for combating aging and neurodegeneration.
  • Therapeutic strategies focused on protein aggregates hold promise for treating age-related diseases.
  • Further research into clearance mechanisms can yield novel treatment approaches.
Keywords:
age-related neurodegenerative diseasesagingautophagyprotein aggregatesproteostasisubiquitin-proteasome system

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