Why does protein folding occur

The cell will grow slowly due to lack of energy if not enough of the protein is present in its functional state. The reason the cell gets sick, in these cases, is due to a lack of one specific, properly folded, functional protein. Cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, Marfan syndrome, and some forms of cancer are examples of diseases that result when one type of protein is not able to perform its job. Who knew that one type of protein among tens of thousands could be so important?

Proteins that fold improperly may also impact the health of the cell regardless of the function of the protein. When proteins fail to fold into their functional state, the resulting misfolded proteins can be contorted into shapes that are unfavorable to the crowded cellular environment. Misfolded proteins wear these inner parts on the outside, like a chocolate-covered candy that has been crushed to reveal a gooey caramel center.

One misfolded protein stands out among the rest to deserve special attention. This protein is not only irreversibly misfolded, but it converts other functional proteins into its twisted state.

Recent research shows that protein misfolding happens frequently inside of cells. Fortunately, cells are accustomed to coping with this problem and have several systems in place to refold or destroy aberrant protein formations.

Chaperones are one such system. Interestingly, chaperones are proteins themselves! There are many different types of chaperones. Some cater specifically to helping one type of protein fold, while others act more generally. Some chaperones are shaped like large hollow chambers and provide proteins with a safe space, isolated from other molecules, in which to fold. Another line of cell defense against misfolded proteins is called the proteasome. If misfolded proteins linger in the cell, they will be targeted for destruction by this machine, which chews up proteins and spits them out as small fragments of amino acids.

The proteasome is like a recycling center, allowing the cell to reuse amino acids to make more proteins. The proteasome itself is not one protein but many acting together. Proteins frequently interact to form larger structures with important cellular functions.

For example, the tail of a human sperm is a structure composed of many types of proteins that work together to form a complex rotary engine that propels the sperm forward. Why is it that some misfolded proteins are able to evade systems like chaperones and the proteasome? How can sticky misfolded proteins cause the neurodegenerative diseases listed above? Do some proteins misfold more often than others?

These questions are at the forefront of current research seeking to understand basic protein biology and the diseases that result when protein folding goes awry. The wide world of proteins, with its great assortment of shapes, bestows cells with capabilities that allow for life to exist and allow for its diversity e.

Dear Dr. Kerry, Just to remind you that the induced fit hypothesis is currently the accepted one not lock and key, thank you. How do newly formed protein fold so fast knowing that if we rely on all forces govern the process of the n amino acids in any protein will not be possible even at speed of light.

Thanks so much, great article, I just have one question. I believe that this is because of protective mechanisms that the body has against misfolded proteins. For example, the protease, a complex that destroys proteins can destroy prions. If a chaperone protein were to be converted into a prion, other proteins could ship it to the protease to be destroyed. In addition, another cellular mechanism that could explain this is apoptosis. This is the process in which cells will kill themselves for certain reasons.

One of the biggest reasons for this is if DNA becomes damaged to the point of no repair, in which the cell will commit apoptosis to prevent any bad dna from replicating, which could lead to cancer. Perhaps if there is a prion present in the cell, the cell will commit apoptosis in order to stop the prion from mis-folding other proteins.

Bugs can be tasty. So why is it that we don't we eat more of them? There are plenty of reasons to do so: insects are easy to raise and consume fewer resources than cows, sheep or pigs. Water bugs, scorpions, cockroaches - on a stick or fried to accompany beer: these are delicacies in Asia, and healthy ones at that.

Insects, especially larvae, are an energy and protein bomb. One hundred grams of termites, for example, have calories - more than chocolate! Add to that 38 grams of protein and 46 grams of fat. The organization wants to increase the popularity of insect recipes around the world. In many countries around the world, insects have long been a popular treat, especially in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Mopane caterpillars, like the ones shown here, are a delicacy in southern Africa.

They're typically boiled, roasted or grilled. Even international fine cuisine features insects. And in Mexican restaurants, worms with guacamole are a popular snack. Meanwhile, new restaurants in Germany are starting to pop up that offer grasshoppers, meal worms and caterpillars to foodies with a taste for adventure. But is there a good reason for that response? Fine food specialists Terre Exotique Exotic Earth offer a grilled grasshopper snack. The French company currently sells the crunchy critters online via special order.

There are about 1, edible insect varieties in the world. Bees are one of them. They're a sustainable source of nutrition, full of protein and vitamins - and tasty for the most part. In , researchers used ecological criteria to monitor mealworm production at an insect farm in the Netherlands. The result? For the production of one kilogram of edible protein, worm farms use less energy and much less space than dairy or beef farms. Even in Germany, insects used to be eaten in abundance.

May beetle soup was popular until the mids. The taste has been described as reminiscent of crab soup. In addition, beetles were sugared or candied, then sold in pastry shops. French start-up Ynsect is cooking up plans to offer ground up mealworms as a cost-effective feed for animals like fish, chicken and pigs. This could benefit the European market, where 70 percent of animal feed is imported. Visit the new DW website Take a look at the beta version of dw. Go to the new dw. BCM Bioinformatics.

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