Plotkin group develops algorithm to predict protein misfolding mechanisms

Proteins are the main building blocks of our cells and are involved in many important cellular functions. So, What happens when proteins don’t behave? In certain cases, there are dire consequences: several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), are caused by the body’s own misfolded proteins recruiting healthy proteins to be converted into more incorrectly folded proteins. These misfolded proteins then clump up and disrupt the body’s nervous system, leading to illnesses.

“For Star Trek fans, this is like the Borg, [a fictional race of cyborgs that abduct and assimilate humans and other species],” says Steven Plotkin, a biophysicists at UBC Physics & Astronomy.

Using the energy equations of thermodynamics, Steven’s team has developed an algorithm that can help predict which regions of a protein get exposed when it is misfolded, and how the stability of these regions can be affected by mutations in the protein or external environmental factors. The algorithm can be applied to different disease-causing misfolded proteins, including those that cause other neurodegenerative diseases or certain cancers. Such valuable information can help researchers to develop diagnostic and therapeutic treatments in the future.

Recently Steven and his group used computer simulations to test the progressions of protein misfolding in a virtual environment. He presented his results, titled “Template-directed protein misfolding in silico and in the cell,” during the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting. This meeting was attended by over 6,000 research scientist and had more than 4,000 poster presentations, over 200 exhibits, and more than 20 symposia. The BPS Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world.