Polypeptides, aggregate formation

The formation of fibrillar deposits (also termed amyloids) due to the mis-folding and subsequent aggregation of polypeptides has been of recent inter-... 

Fig. 5. Protein folding. The unfolded polypeptide chain coUapses and assembles to form simple stmctural motifs such as -sheets and a-hehces by nucleation-condensation mechanisms involving the formation of hydrogen bonds and van der Waal s interactions. Small proteins (eg, chymotrypsin inhibitor 2) attain their final (tertiary) stmcture in this way. Larger proteins and multiple protein assembhes aggregate by recognition and docking of multiple domains (eg, -barrels, a-helix bundles), often displaying positive cooperativity. Many noncovalent interactions, including hydrogen bonding, van der Waal s and electrostatic interactions, and the hydrophobic effect are exploited to create the final, compact protein assembly. Further stmctural...

The extreme stability of amyloid and amyloid-like fibrils is difficult to understand in terms of the three classes of fibril models. For the Refolding models, it has been suggested that the amyloid conformation is a default conformation for a polypeptide chain (Dobson, 1999). However, these models do not give a clear indication of what types of interactions differ in the amyloid conformation versus the native conformation, and so it is unclear why the amyloid conformation should be more stable. Also, it seems that the elevated protein concentrations associated with fibril formation might disproportionately favor nonspecific aggregation of the destabilized intermediate over amyloid fibril formation. 

Enzymatic modification of proteins applicable to foods is reviewed by Whitaker ( ). Described briefly are present uses of proteolytic enzymes for modifying proteins through partial hydrolysis. Major emphasis is placed on those enzymes which bring about aggregation of proteins, cross-link formation, and side chain modification through post-translational changes in the polypeptide chain. 

The introduction at the C- or N-terminal position of a crown ether unit has been used as a strategy to control the aggregation of poly(benzyl glutamate) derivatives 19 The incorporation of the crown unit at the C-terminal position is performed using (benzo-15-crown-5)-4-amine as initiator of the polymerization of l-G1u(OBz1)-NCA. Physical properties of such crown derivatives can be modulated by the formation of sandwich 2 1 complexes driven by the addition of specific alkali metal ions. In the reported case, the formation of K+ sandwich complex between two C-terminal benzo-15-crown-5 modified helical polypeptides induced aggregation. In a similar approach,f20 addition of Cs+ to 18-crown-6 terminated helical peptides results in the formation of supramolecular assemblies having membrane ion conductivity activities. 

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