title: Human cystatin C monomer, dimer, oligomer, and amyloid structures are related to health and disease.
abstract: Human cystatin C (hCC) is a small protein belonging to the cystatin family of papain-like cysteine proteinase inhibitors. We review the recent literature concerning structural aspects of hCC related to disease. We focus on the mechanisms of hCC dimerization, oligomerization, and amyloid formation. Amyloid formation is associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases that affect the independence and quality of life of aging populations. hCC is one of the second-wave proteins that have been found to undergo amyloidosis associated with disease. For hCC, this includes cerebral amyloid angiopathy, as well as a disorder resulting in reduced male fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Przemyslaw
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jurczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Groves
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szymanska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodziewicz-Motowidlo
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055316:Cystatin C / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D004194:Disease; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D055503:Protein Multimerization
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D055316:Cystatin C
keywords: cystatin C; cysteine proteinases; domain swapping; neurodegenerative diseases; oligomeric state