Structural defects and the diagnosis of amyloidogenic propensity.

ABSTRACT: Disease-related amyloidogenic propensity has been unexpectedly found in proteins driven to adopt a monomeric uncomplexed state at high concentrations under near-physiological conditions. This situation occasionally arises in new health treatments, such as kidney dialysis. Assuming that under such conditions a partial retention of native structure takes place, this work identifies a structural characteristic indicating amyloidogenic propensity: a high density of backbone hydrogen bonds exposed to water attack in monomeric structure. On this basis, we propose a diagnostic tool based on the identification of hydrogen bonds with a paucity of intramolecular dehydration or "wrapping." We use this predictor to identify potentially pathogenic mutations that foster amyloidogenic propensity in human

SUBMITTER: Fernandez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC164466 | biostudies-literature | 2003 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature