Chapter Four Stability of Amyloid Oligomers

Publication date: 2014 Source:Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology, Volume 96 Author(s): Workalemahu M. Berhanu , Ulrich H.E. Hansmann Molecular simulations are now commonly used to complement experimental techniques in investigating amyloids and their role in human diseases. In this chapter, we will summarize techniques and approaches often used in amyloid simulations and will present recent success stories. Our examples will be focused on lessons learned from molecular dynamics simulations in aqueous environments that start from preformed aggregates. These studies explore the limitations that arise from the choice of force field, the role of mutations in the growth of amyloid aggregates, segmental polymorphism, and the importance of cross-seeding. Furthermore, they give evidence for potential toxicity mechanisms. We finally discuss the role of molecular simulations in the search for aggregation inhibitors.
Source: Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology - Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research