Lead Exposure Accelerates Tau Fibrillization
Author Information
Author(s): Zhu Hai-Li, Meng Sheng-Rong, Fan Jun-Bao, Chen Jie, Liang Yi
Primary Institution: State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Hypothesis
Does lead (Pb2+) play a role in the pathology of Alzheimer disease through interaction with human Tau protein?
Conclusion
Lead exposure accelerates the fibrillization of human Tau protein, suggesting its involvement in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Lead exposure significantly accelerates the fibrillization of Tau protein.
- Fibrils formed in the presence of lead contain more β-sheet structure than those formed without lead.
- His-330 and His-362 are key residues for the interaction of lead with Tau protein.
Takeaway
When lead is present, it makes a protein called Tau clump together faster, which might be linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Methodology
The study used various biophysical methods including thioflavin T binding assays, circular dichroism, and isothermal titration calorimetry to investigate the effects of lead on Tau fibrillization.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on a specific fragment of Tau and did not explore the effects of lead on full-length Tau protein in detail.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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