Question

23. What role does aberrant protein folding play in the development of a disease such as Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 1

Alzheimer’s disease is also known as protein misfolding disease. It is caused due to accumulation of amyloid beta proteins and tau proteins in the brain. Amyloid beta are fragments of larger aamyloid precursor protein (APP). APP is a transmembrane protein that penetrates through neuron membrane. It is required for survival and growth of neuron. It also plays a major role in repair of neurons after any injury.

In patients with this disease, secretase enzymes act on APP to cleave it into small fragments generating amyloid beta fibrils. These abnormally folded beta fibrils are non-functional and get accumulated outside neurons.

How this accumulation leads to Alzheimer’s disease is still unknown.