Mechanistic insight into α-synuclein aggregation processes in neurodegenerative disease

Seminar Details

Host: Dr. Dmitry Kurouski

Time: 4:00-5:00 pm

Location: BCBP Rm 108

Seminar Abstract

More than 50 human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, involve protein misfolding and the formation of amyloid fibrils. Amyloid fibril seeding has been increasingly implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative disease, however the molecular mechanism is not well characterized. In the fibril seeding process of α-synuclein (αS) involved in Parkinson’s disease, pre-formed fibrils can act as templates for endogenous monomer resulting in further fibril formation and disease development. In this talk, we describe the use of NMR spectroscopy and other biophysical techniques to delineate a molecular mechanism for fibril formation and seeding. Furthermore, we highlight the role of chaperones as inhibitors of αS aggregation and as a possible therapeutic approach against disease progression.