Università della Svizzera italiana

Conformational dynamics and stability of U-shaped and S-shaped amyloid β assemblies

Grasso, Gianvito ; Rebella, Martina ; Muscat, Stefano ; Morbiducci, Umberto ; Tuszynski, Jack ; Danani, Andrea ; Deriu, Marco A.

In: International journal of molecular sciences, 2018, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 571

Alzheimer’s disease is the most fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the aggregation and deposition of Amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers in the brain of patients. Two principal variants of Aβ exist in humans: Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42. The former is the most abundant in the plaques, while the latter is the most toxic species and forms fibrils more rapidly. Interestingly, fibrils of...

Università della Svizzera italiana

Protein environment : a crucial triggering factor in Josephin domain aggregation : the role of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol

Visentin, Cristina ; Navarro, Susanna ; Grasso, Gianvito ; Regonesi, Maria Elena ; Deriu, Marco Agostino ; Tortora, Paolo ; Ventura, Salvador

In: International journal of molecular sciences, 2018, vol. 19, no. 8, p. 2151

The protein ataxin-3 contains a polyglutamine stretch that triggers amyloid aggregation when it is expanded beyond a critical threshold. This results in the onset of the spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. The protein consists of the globular N-terminal Josephin domain and a disordered C-terminal tail where the polyglutamine stretch is located. Expanded ataxin-3 aggregates via a two-stage...