ETD

• biophysics
• neurodegeneration
• oligomerization
• Parkinson's disease
• protein folding
• protein misfolding
• protein oligomers
• swag

Alpha-synuclein is a protein involved in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases and widely studied both for its remarkable biophysical properties and its clinical relevance. The affinity of alpha-synuclein for curved membranes and the fact that it acquires an alpha-helical structure when interacting with lipid bilayers have long been known. Recently, a tetrameric alpha-helical form of alpha-synuclein was isolated and characterized. We propose a connection between the membrane-binding equilibrium and the formation of the tetramer in a physiological environment. The aim of this project is to establish a refolding protocol for tetrameric alpha-synuclein and investigate the effects of brain-related cofactors on the lipid binding and oligomerization behaviour of the protein.