Protein Misfolding And Alzheimer s Disease - 1205 Words

Protein misfolding and Alzheimer’s disease Proteins are fundamental biological molecules that are involved in most cellular processes and perform a wide range of roles instructed by DNA. Polypeptide chains are coded for by DNA, whereby the genetic code is transcribed and translated into the correct sequence of amino acids connected by peptide bonds. However, polypeptides are not the same as the functional entities called proteins. Polypeptide chains must undergo sometimes complex folding and processing to become operative proteins with the correct three-dimensional conformation. (1) Correctly folded proteins have essential stability and selectivity. Thus, when the faithful folding mechanism fails and proteins misfold, they have a tendency to aggregate and cause an array of diseases including Alzheimer’s. (2) Stages of folding Protein folding is the mechanism by which a polypeptide chain assumes its native conformation. This structure is pre-assigned by the genetic code. The first stage of folding occurs when the particular sequence of amino acids called the primary structure begins to fold into a number of basic shapes called the secondary structure, the most stable and therefore most common of which being alpha helices and beta-pleated sheets. One polypeptide may contain more than one secondary structure. Secondary structure of proteins can be explained through the pattern of hydrogen bonding that takes place in the polypeptides.(3) In alpha helices hydrogen bonds formShow MoreRelatedA Brief History Of Alzheimer s Disease1675 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction 1.1 A brief overview of Alzheimer’s diseases The life expectancy is now doubled from the last century in the developed countries due to the revolution progress in medicine and health mainly to chronic diseases. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most well-known and familiar diseases in the modern societies AD was first reported by Alois Alzheimer in 1907.The AD is the most common type of dementia and a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the damage of nerve cells in theRead MorePharmacotherapy Treatment Of Alzheimer s1541 Words   |  7 Pages 604301973 Pharmacotherapy Treatment of Alzheimer’s: Donepezil A disease that sweeps across the nation and affects nearly 80% of the population ages 60 and up is known as Alzheimer’s. A misconception that many people believe about Alzheimer’s is that it is a part of getting older. It is not true. Alzheimer’s is an intricate neurodegenerative disorder associated with â€Å"protein misfolding and aggregation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial abnormalities and neuroinflammatory process at a molecular level†Read MoreThe Discovery That Double Stranded Rna Can Efficiently Silence Gene Expression2783 Words   |  12 Pagesto down-regulate pathological genes involved in disease. This Neuroscience Methods Review will outline the molecular basis of gene silencing using small interfering RNA (siRNA), and describe how it has contributed to our understanding of brain function using examples of neurodegenerative disease. Specifically, this review will explain how this technique was used to identify a number of previously unknown genes that contribute to Huntington’s disease, and consider what RNAi promises for the futureRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : A Complete Look At The Onset And Progression Essay2369 Words   |  10 PagesAlzheimer s Disease - A Complete Look at the Onset and Progression Alzheimer s disease is a condition that affects the cognitive status of many people around the world regardless of wealth, ethnicity, intelligence or any other factor. A specific case study that demonstrates the destructive nature of the disease can be seen in the case of Akram. Akram was an 80-year-old female with a past medical history of hypertension, diverticulitis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and diabetes. She had a historyRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease Is A Condition That Affects The Cognitive Status Essay2617 Words   |  11 Pages Alzheimer s disease is a condition that affects the cognitive status of many people around the world regardless of wealth, ethnicity, intelligence or any other factor. A specific case study that demonstrates the destructive nature of the disease can be seen in the case of Akram. Akram was an 80-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, diverticulitis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and diabetes. Her history did include a serious head injury at the age of 45 from an automobile