Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are prion protein misfolding diseases that involve the accumulation of an abnormal β-sheet-rich prion protein aggregated form (PrPsc) of the normal α- helix-rich prion protein (PrPc) within the central nervous system (CNS) and other organs. On account of its large size and insolubility properties, characterization of PrPc is quite difficult. A soluble intermediate, called PrPβ or βo, exhibiting many of the same features as PrPsc, can be generated using a combination of low pH and/or mild denaturing conditions. Here, we review the current knowledge on the following five issues relevant to the conversion mechanisms of PrPc to PrPsc : (1) How is the Stability of the Helical Structures in the Native PrPc Related to the Primary Structure of the PrPc (2) Why the Low pH Solution System is a Ideal Trigger of PrPc to PrPsc Conversion (3) How are the Structural and Dynamical Characteristics of the α-helixrich Intermediates Determined using NMR Data (4) How are the Premolten (PrPα4 and PrPαβ) and β-Oligomer (PrPβ) Intermediates Detected and Assayed, and (5) Can the Disordered N-terminal Domain be folded into the Structural Segment? Particularly, Chou’s wenxiang diagram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenxiang_diagram) was introduced for providing an intuitive picture. This review may help to further understand the prion protein misfolding mechanism.
Keywords: PrP, protein misfolding, NMR spectroscopy, CD, β-oligomer, premolten globule state, salt-bridge network, Chou’s wenxiang diagram.
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
From Biodiversity to Chemical Diversity: Focus of Flavonoids
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites arising from the essential aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (or more rarely from tyrosine) via the phenylpropanoid pathway. The flavan nucleus is the basic 15-carbon skeleton of flavonoids (C6-C3-C6), which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ...read more
Related Journals
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Current Bioactive Compounds
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews
Current Diabetes Reviews
Current Drug Safety
Current Drug Targets
Current Drug Therapy
Related Books
Drug Addiction Mechanisms in the Brain
The NLRP3 Inflammasome: An Attentive Arbiter of Inflammatory Response
Botanicals and Natural Bioactives: Prevention and Treatment of Diseases
Software and Programming Tools in Pharmaceutical Research
Objective Pharmaceutics: A Comprehensive Compilation of Questions and Answers for Pharmaceutics Exam Prep
Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs Affecting Cardiovascular and Endocrine Systems
Frontiers In Medicinal Chemistry
Advanced Pharmacy
Plant-derived Hepatoprotective Drugs
Frontiers in Natural Product Chemistry
16
