Changeable proteins cause nerve disease
An incorrectly folded protein is one of the reasons behind the nerve disease ALS, according to new research. But the protein does not have structural errors all the time and only certain types contribute to the harmful protein accumulations that cause the ALS disease.
The protein superoxide dismutase switches between two forms and one them is harmful. During a brief moment the protein structure alters to the harmful kind that exposes its sticky parts, making the protein to adhere. The researchers now hope that their description of how this incorrectly folded protein looks like will provide opportunities to develop drugs to treat or prevent ALS.