Protein Misfolding & Aggregation

Protein aggregation is observed in a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. In PD, misfolded alpha-synuclein is found in aggregates. These protein aggregates are a characteristic clinical feature of PD, though it remains unclear whether protein aggregation is a protective measure or pathogenic mechanism. Dysfunction of molecular chaperones, which ordinarily function to prevent newly synthesized proteins from misfolding and aggregating, has also been hypothesized to play a role in PD.