Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Exogenous Factors That Impact Huntingtin Aggregation, Adam Skeens
Exogenous Factors That Impact Huntingtin Aggregation, Adam Skeens
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
While expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) domain is the immediate cause of huntingtin (htt) aggregation associated with Huntington’s Disease (HD), other cellular factors modify aggregation. These include interactions with cellular membranes, protein biding partners, molecular crowding, and proteinaceous seeds. Here, two important factors are biophysically characterized: 1) the interaction of htt with endomembranes and 2) proteinaceous seeds obtained from a variety of htt-derived peptides. In the first project, the aggregation of htt at bilayer interfaces and in the presence of divalent cations was investigated. A major cellular factor implicated in altered htt aggregation is the binding of lipids. Furthermore, the …