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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
The Role Of Native Lens Α-Crystallin In Amyloid Suppression Using Β-Amyloid As A Model Amyloid Client, Leilani Lopes
The Role Of Native Lens Α-Crystallin In Amyloid Suppression Using Β-Amyloid As A Model Amyloid Client, Leilani Lopes
University Honors Theses
Cataracts are a result of age-related protein aggregate formation in the eye lens, and the leading cause of blindness worldwide. α-crystallin, a small heat shock protein, acts a molecular chaperone that serves as the primary defense mechanism against protein aggregate formation in the lens. Recent evidence suggest amyloid formation in the lens may contribute to cataract formation, and that β-amyloid is present in lens epithelia of age-related cataracts. Previous studies have shown that αB-crystallin in other parts of the body, such as the brain, is protective against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease that are associated with plaque deposits containing …
Functional Role Of The N-Terminal Domain In Connexin 46/50 By In Silico Mutagenesis And Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Umair Khan
University Honors Theses
Connexins form intercellular channels known as gap junctions that facilitate diverse physiological roles, from long-range electrical and chemical coupling to nutrient exchange. Recent structural studies on Cx46 and Cx50 have defined a novel and stable open state and implicated the amino-terminal (NT) domain as a major contributor to functional differences between connexin isoforms. This thesis presents two studies which use molecular dynamics simulations with these new structures to provide mechanistic insight into the function and behavior of the NTH in Cx46 and Cx50. In the first, residues in the NTH that differ between Cx46 and Cx50 are swapped between the …