A recent study
conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and published online in the Journal of
Biological Chemistry has provided some interesting information
that, if replicated in humans, could shed helpful light on diseases such as
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These diseases have been linked to defective
proteins clumping together in the brain. Apparently, shape is everything when it comes to proteins. The correct
shape allows some proteins to carry atoms or molecules about a cell, others to
provide essential cellular scaffolding or identify invading bacteria for
attack. When proteins lose their shape due to high temperature or chemical
damage, they stop working and can clump together, a hallmark of Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's. The UW researchers discovered a stressor that decreases protein
stability and causes clumping: a shortage of zinc, an essential metal nutrient.
Apparently, zinc ions play a key role in creating and holding proteins in the
correct shape. This may be just one more example of how the brain malfunctions
when components get out of balance for some reason.
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