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Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Computational Investigations Into Binding Dynamics Of Tau Protein Antibodies: Using Machine Learning And Biophysical Models To Build A Better Reality, Katherine Lee
University Scholar Projects
Misregulation of post-translational modifications of microtubule-associated protein tau is implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Hyperphosphorylation of tau promotes aggregation of tau monomers into filaments which are common in tau-associated pathologies. Therefore, tau is a promising target for therapeutics and diagnostics. Recently, high-affinity, high-specificity single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against pThr-231 tau were generated and the most promising variant (scFv 3.24) displayed 20-fold increased binding affinity to pThr-231 tau compared to the wild-type. The scFv 3.24 variant contained five point mutations, and intriguingly none were in the tau binding site. The increased affinity was hypothesized to occur due …
Stability Of Norwalk Virus Capsid Protein Interfaces Evaluated By In Silico Nanoindentation, Prakhar Bansal
Stability Of Norwalk Virus Capsid Protein Interfaces Evaluated By In Silico Nanoindentation, Prakhar Bansal
University Scholar Projects
Studying the mechanical properties of viral capsids can give several insights into not only the lifecycle of the virus, but also into potential drug targets to thwart the progression of viral infection. Nanoindentation using an atomic force microscope is a useful technique for determining structural properties of small molecules and particles, and is commonly used to study viral capsids. This technique utilizes the probe of the microscope to push down on the capsid and record the forces along the indentation path. We ran this experiment in silico where we simulated the nanoindentation of Norwalk virus capsids using molecular dynamics. Running …
Computational Investigations Into The Molecular Underpinnings Of Eyesight Signaling Pathways, Shaan Kamal
Computational Investigations Into The Molecular Underpinnings Of Eyesight Signaling Pathways, Shaan Kamal
University Scholar Projects
Phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) is a critical enzyme in the eyesight-signaling pathway. When activated, PDE6 hydrolyzes cGMP to GMP, which deactivates cGMP- gated ion channels, causing hyperpolarization of the cell and activating the sensory neurons responsible for vision. Within the PDE family, PDE6 is the only enzyme known to have an inhibitory subunit (PDE6-γ), which allows for the regulation of cGMP levels. When PDE6-γ is bound to PDE6, the enzyme is turned “off” and cannot catalyze cGMP. The α subunit of the G-protein transducin removes PDE6-γ and activates PDE6. PDE6 has proven problematic to isolate, making it difficult to study experimentally …