Protein aggregation in crowded environments

RJ Ellis, AP Minton - 2006 - degruyter.com
RJ Ellis, AP Minton
2006degruyter.com
The generic tendency of proteins to aggregate into non-functional, and sometimes cytotoxic,
structures poses a universal problem for all types of cell. This tendency is greatly
exacerbated by the high total concentration of macromolecules found within most
intracellular compartments, a phenomenon referred to as macromolecular crowding. This
review discusses the quantitative effects of crowding on protein aggregation and the role of
molecular chaperones in combating this problem.
Abstract
The generic tendency of proteins to aggregate into non-functional, and sometimes cytotoxic, structures poses a universal problem for all types of cell. This tendency is greatly exacerbated by the high total concentration of macromolecules found within most intracellular compartments, a phenomenon referred to as macromolecular crowding. This review discusses the quantitative effects of crowding on protein aggregation and the role of molecular chaperones in combating this problem.
De Gruyter