Metals, Metalloproteins and Disease
Wesleyan Blog
Copper is an important cofactor for the functioning of various cuproenzymes that are required for proper brain development and functioning. For example, in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), the binding of copper is necessary to break superoxide radicals that exhibit neurotoxicity. Many cuproenzymes have chaperones, such as copper chaperone for SOD1 (CCS), to facilitate binding of the … Read more
For an introduction to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and the role of metals, see “Atox1-Cu-𝛼Syn Complex Providing Answers about Possible Mechanisms of Aggregation of Lewy Bodies in Parkinson’s Disease” Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology wanted to see if treating C. Elegans with chelating agents would decrease the overproduction and aggregation of 𝛼Syn. Knowing … Read more
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease, affecting about 1-2 people 1000, including about 1% of people over 60. There are genetic markers in 5-10% of patients, but there is no direct connection as many patients develop symptoms without these markers. Symptoms of PD include difficulty walking and talking, … Read more
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting 5.8 million people in the United States, including about ½ of nursing home and hospice patients. AD causes cognitive decline, resulting in extreme memory loss, often to the point where patients may not be able to recognize their own children or spouse. Most patients are … Read more
Copper is an essential metal that we get from daily intake of foods and water. Without it, certain copper-dependent enzymes (“cuproenzymes”) cease to function which has negative consequences in energy production, brain and muscle development, and other biochemical/physiological processes in our bodies [1]. Menkes and Wilson are genetic conditions associated with deficient and toxic levels … Read more
Copper serves as a signaling and regulatory molecule as well as a cofactor of important enzymes in the brain, and is thus required for proper brain development and functioning. Irregularities in copper metabolism can lead to several disorders, including Menkes disease and Wilson’s disease. Menkes disease is the result of genetic mutations altering ATP7A, a … Read more
Wilson’s Disease (WD) is a liver disease caused by mutations in a protein responsible for copper excretion. That protein, ATPase7B (ATP7B), is a pump that helps move copper in liver cells, and mutations in it cause it to lose its ability to function. The impaired excretion of copper from the liver leads to the accumulation … Read more
Chromium allergy is a type of allergic contact dermatitis characterized by rashes, inflammation, and scaling. Our innate immune response drives this inflammatory reaction when the surface of our skin comes in contact with chromium (hence, the term, “allergic contact dermatitis.”) The primary cause of chromium allergy is constant exposure to chromium-containing chemicals or compounds. The … Read more
The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major challenge in the clinical setting. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging gram-negative bacterium that produces Metallo-b-lactamase (MBL) L1. Metallo-beta-Lactamases (MBLs) is a class B β-lactamases that hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics. The β-lactam antibiotics, which include antibiotics such as penicillin, inhibit bacterial transpeptidases involved in cell-wall biosynthesis. Bacteria produce MBLs … Read more
In general, mitochondrial myopathies are neuromuscular disorders caused by dysfunctional mitochondria. When mitochondria function incorrectly, ATP is not produced, and the cell suffers. With enough cells suffering, an organism can have widespread problems, resulting in systemic failures. Unfortunately, mitochondrial diseases are very promiscuous, and individual mutations in many different proteins can cause each classified disease. … Read more
