αCGRP, another amyloidogenic member of the CGRP family

Publication date: Available online 1 March 2018 Source:Journal of Structural Biology Author(s): Paraskevi L. Tsiolaki, Georgia I. Nasi, Fotis A. Baltoumas, Nikolaos N. Louros, Vassiliki Magafa, Stavros J. Hamodrakas, Vassiliki A. Iconomidou The Calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) family is a group of peptide hormones, which consists of IAPP, calcitonin, adrenomedullin, intermedin, αCGRP and βCGRP. IAPP and calcitonin have been extensively associated with the formation of amyloid fibrils, causing Type 2 Diabetes and Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma, respectively. In contrast, the potential amyloidogenic properties of αCGRP still remain unexplored, although experimental trials have indicated its presence in deposits, associated with the aforementioned disorders. Therefore, in this work, we investigated the amyloidogenic profile of αCGRP, a 37-residue-long peptide hormone, utilizing both biophysical experimental techniques and Molecular Dynamics simulations. These efforts unravel a novel amyloidogenic member of the CGRP family and provide insights into the mechanism underlying the αCGRP polymerization.
Source: Journal of Structural Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research