Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploration Of Non-Specific Peptide Inhibitors Of Amylin Aggregation In Type-2 Diabetes, Hector Figueroa

Senior Honors Theses and Projects - Chemistry

Polypeptide aggregation is seen in a variety of diseases (termed amyloidoses) but remains poorly understood. This study uses the polypeptide amylin to investigate how nonspecific interactions between peptides can inhibit aggregation. A set of 5 heptapeptides was assessed for its ability to impact amylin-induced membrane damage and aggregation. Solvent effects precluded accurate assessment of the impact on membrane damage; however a method of subtracting out the solvent effect is offered. The two most hydrophobic compounds showed the ability to substantially slow amylin aggregation, while those compounds carrying charged side chains tended to increase the rate of aggregation. Only one compound …