title: Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase can form pore-like structures.
abstract: Mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) are associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS), a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the selective death of motor neurons. Despite the genetic association made between the protein and the disease, the mechanism by which the mutant SOD proteins become toxic is still a mystery. Using wild-type SOD and three pathogenic mutants (A4V, G37R, and G85R), we show that the copper-induced oxidation of metal-depleted SOD causes its in vitro aggregation into pore-like structures, as determined by atomic force microscopy. Because toxic pores have been recently implicated in the pathogenic mechanism of other neurodegenerative diseases, these results raise the possibility that the aberrant self-assembly of oxidatively damaged SOD mutants into toxic oligomers or pores may have a pathological role in FALS.
authors.affiliation: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Chemistry, 110 8th street, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
authors.forename: Jinhyuk
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hoichang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Mitchel D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: de Beus
authors.forename: Chang Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Kilwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Wilfredo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Colón
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D019281:Dimerization; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009154:Mutation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016062:Porosity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014867:Water; D003300:Copper; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase