Chemists determine structure of fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins
Phys.org • • science
Key Points:
- MIT chemists have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to decipher the structure of the "fuzzy coat," a disordered segment surrounding the rigid core of Tau protein fibrils linked to Alzheimer's disease.
- The fuzzy coat, which comprises about 80% of the Tau protein and was previously difficult to analyze due to its dynamic nature, plays a crucial role in how Tau interacts with other molecules and forms tangles in the brain.
- Their research revealed that the Tau fibril resembles a "burrito" with layers of the fuzzy coat wrapped around the rigid core and identified three categories of protein mobility within these segments, with the most dynamic regions rich in proline amino acids.
- Understanding the structure and dynamics of the fuzzy coat may
