CHED 570 |
| Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the depletion of dopamine linked to the presence of Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra. These fibrillar cytoplasmic inclusions are composed primarily of α-synuclein. The function of natively unfolded α-synuclein is currently unknown, but α-synuclein aggregation has been linked to the etiology of PD. The project goals are to identify key fragments of α-synuclein and key lysine residues that influence aggregation behavior. The project strategy includes: synthesizing fragments of α-synuclein and testing for inhibition of protein aggregation, replacing lysine residues with alanine residues in active fragments, and incorporating lysine residues modified with a small molecule into active fragments. In phase one, peptides with 20 amino acid residues were synthesized using solid-phase peptide synthesis. As the aggregation behavior in the presence and absence of the fragments is compared, we hope to increase the understanding of α-synuclein aggregation behavior in the progression of PD. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Organic Chemistry
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, March 26, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |