淀粉样蛋白形成是一个错误的折叠过程,与年龄相关的疾病有关,包括阿尔茨海默氏症和亨廷顿症.了解细胞因子如何影响体内的这一过程对于实现控制这个阴险过程的梦想至关重要,这个过程剥夺了这么多人的人性。SERF(富含EDRK的小因子)最初被分离为在秀丽隐杆线虫模型中加速聚谷氨酰胺淀粉样蛋白形成的因子。SERF敲除抑制淀粉样蛋白的形成,包括亨廷顿蛋白,与亨廷顿综合征相关的α-突触核蛋白和β-淀粉样蛋白,帕金森病和阿尔茨海默病,分别,和纯化的SERF蛋白在体外加速它们的淀粉样蛋白形成。SERF蛋白是高度保守的,高度带电和构象动态的蛋白质,与淀粉样蛋白前体形成模糊复合物。它们似乎通过特异性加速淀粉样蛋白成核的主要步骤而起作用。脑特异性SERF敲除小鼠,虽然可行,似乎更容易沉积淀粉样蛋白,并显示出改性的原纤维形态。由于明显无关的发育问题,全身敲除在围生期是致命的。最近,发现SERF结合RNA并定位在富含核酸的无膜区室。通常发现SERF相关序列与锌指序列融合。这些结果指向核酸结合功能。目前尚不清楚这种功能如何与它们加速淀粉样蛋白形成的能力有关。在这次审查中,我们讨论了SERF家族蛋白在其结构模糊性的背景下可能的生物学功能,淀粉样蛋白途径的调节,核酸结合及其与折叠蛋白的融合。
Amyloid formation is a misfolding process that has been linked to age-related diseases, including Alzheimer\'s and Huntington\'s. Understanding how cellular factors affect this process in vivo is vital in realizing the dream of controlling this insidious process that robs so many people of their humanity.
SERF (small EDRK-rich factor) was initially isolated as a factor that accelerated polyglutamine amyloid formation in a C. elegans model.
SERF knockouts inhibit amyloid formation of a number of proteins that include huntingtin, α-synuclein and β-amyloid which are associated with Huntington\'s, Parkinson\'s and Alzheimer\'s disease, respectively, and purified SERF protein speeds their amyloid formation in vitro.
SERF proteins are highly conserved, highly charged and conformationally dynamic proteins that form a fuzzy complex with amyloid precursors. They appear to act by specifically accelerating the primary step of amyloid nucleation. Brain-specific
SERF knockout mice, though viable, appear to be more prone to deposition of amyloids, and show modified fibril morphology. Whole-body knockouts are perinatally lethal due to an apparently unrelated developmental issue. Recently, it was found that SERF binds RNA and is localized to nucleic acid-rich membraneless compartments.
SERF-related sequences are commonly found fused to zinc finger sequences. These results point towards a nucleic acid-binding function. How this function relates to their ability to accelerate amyloid formation is currently obscure. In this review, we discuss the possible biological functions of SERF family proteins in the context of their structural fuzziness, modulation of amyloid pathway, nucleic acid binding and their fusion to folded proteins.