Susan Lindquist, director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, has devoted her professional life to better understanding how and why proteins misfold. On Thursday, her lab published its latest findings, detailing how in yeast a particular protein can dismantle amyloid fibers -- plaquelike proteins with a structure similar to those that muddy the brains of Alzheimer's victims.
Amyloid fibers are devilishly resilient, and this is the first demonstration of a biological mechanism that easily dissolves them. Given that so many processes in yeast are reproduced in humans, Lindquist said she is hopeful that this new finding will elucidate our understanding of protein diseases, like Alzheimer's, and lead to possible treatments.
"Given their resilient structure, the fact that a protein can take apart these amyloids is remarkable," she stated in a release issued by the Whitehead. "It has huge implications for our understanding of the protein folding process in amyloid-related conditions."
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/05/25/misfolded_proteins_behind_many_diseases/
Protein origami is her passion
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/05/25/protein_origami_is_her_passion/
Amyloid fibers are devilishly resilient, and this is the first demonstration of a biological mechanism that easily dissolves them. Given that so many processes in yeast are reproduced in humans, Lindquist said she is hopeful that this new finding will elucidate our understanding of protein diseases, like Alzheimer's, and lead to possible treatments.
"Given their resilient structure, the fact that a protein can take apart these amyloids is remarkable," she stated in a release issued by the Whitehead. "It has huge implications for our understanding of the protein folding process in amyloid-related conditions."
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/05/25/misfolded_proteins_behind_many_diseases/
Protein origami is her passion
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/05/25/protein_origami_is_her_passion/