title: Myelin basic protein: structural characterization of spherulites formation and preventive action of trehalose.
abstract: Myelin basic protein (MBP) is one of the main protein components of central nervous system that as shown in our work, under appropriate condition, forms spherulites. The structural and morphological features of these elements and the ability of trehalose to decrease or completely avoid their formation have been clarified with different but complementary techniques. The FTIR spectra provided compelling evidence for the presence of a small amount of elements organized in secondary structures such as helices and sheets. Polarized optical microscope observations show the presence of spherulites with an average size ranged from 41 to 61 μm, characterized by non-birifrangent core. The fluorescence data supply useful informations that are consistent with the presence of a molecular exclusion effect, following interaction of the disaccharide with protein that involves the environment around the single tryptophan residue. Moreover, study of protein conformational states by SDS-PAGE, let us to state that trehalose completely avoid autocatalytic cleavage properties of MBP up to 4 days of incubation at 37 °C and pH 7.4.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Salvo
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barreca
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: di Bella
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tellone
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ficarra
authors.forename: Ersilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bellocco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D008297:Male; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000737:chemistry*; D055550:Protein Stability; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D014199:Trehalose / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D014199:Trehalose