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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 …
Investigation Of Early Complex Formation Of Huntingtin Protein With And Without Lipids, Alyssa R. Stonebraker
Investigation Of Early Complex Formation Of Huntingtin Protein With And Without Lipids, Alyssa R. Stonebraker
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) domain of the huntingtin protein (htt). The expansion of the polyQ domain beyond a threshold of approximately 35 repeats triggers complex toxic aggregation mechanisms and results in altered interactions between htt and lipid membranes. Many factors modulate these processes. One such modulator includes sequences flanking the polyQ domain, most notably the first 17 amino acids at the N-terminus of the protein (Nt17), and environmental factors including the presence of membranous structures. Nt17 has the propensity to form an amphipathic a-helix in the presence of …
Factors Influencing Huntingtin Aggregation At Surfaces: Implications For Huntington’S Disease, Sharon E. Groover
Factors Influencing Huntingtin Aggregation At Surfaces: Implications For Huntington’S Disease, Sharon E. Groover
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disease characterized by an abnormal polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin protein (htt). The polyQ domain facilitates aggregation and initiates the formation of a diverse collection of aggregate species, including fibrils, oligomers and annular aggregates. The first 17 amino acids of htt (Nt17) directly flank the polyQ domain and is a key factor in htt’s association to membranous structures. In addition to Nt17 being an amphipathic αhelix, it also promotes aggregation through self-association and contains numerous posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that can modulate toxicity and subcellular localization. For in depth …
The Effects Of Membrane Physicochemical Properties On Huntingtin Membrane Association And Downstream Aggregation, Maryssa Beasley
The Effects Of Membrane Physicochemical Properties On Huntingtin Membrane Association And Downstream Aggregation, Maryssa Beasley
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded glutamine repeat region (polyQ) within the huntingtin protein (htt). As a result of the expanded polyQ domain, htt associates into a variety of toxic aggregate species. The polyQ domain of htt is flanked at the N-terminal end by 17 amino acids (Nt17) that adopt an amphipathic α-helical structure in the presence of binding partners such as lipid membranes. In addition to comprising a lipid binding domain, the Nt17 amphipathic α -helix has been directly implicated in htt aggregation initiation via self-association with other Nt17 α -helices. Due to …