学术报告

Title: Protein aggregation: its involvement with disease and its mitigation via molecular chaperones

Speaker: Professor John A. Carver

Research School of Chemistry

College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences

Time：2015年4月14日（星期二），14:30-15:30

Place：生命学院311会议室

Host：昌增益教授

Abstract

In vivo, protein aggregation and precipitation are often a consequence of the unfolding or incorrect folding of proteins. These processes have been categorised by the term ‘protein misfolding’. A diversity of diseases result from protein misfolding including cataract, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases and haemodialysis-related amyloidosis. Different proteins are associated with each of these diseases. There are a variety of cellular mechanisms that minimise protein aggregation. Arguably, the most important of these is the expression of molecular chaperone proteins which interact with partially folded proteins to prevent their aggregation.

In this talk, our work investigating the structure and function of molecular chaperone proteins, and their interactions with aggregating proteins, will be described. The research involves the use of a variety of biophysical, spectroscopic, protein chemical and cell biological techniques, e.g. NMR, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy, and provides insights into the mechanism of chaperone action in addition to potential avenues for the application of molecular chaperones in the treatment of protein misfolding diseases.

欢迎各位老师同学积极参加！