Research in Group: Peroni, Sbardella & Grasso
Meeting coordinated by Elisa Peroni from BioCis research center with the invited scholars Giuseppe Grasso (University of Catania) and Diego Sbardella (IRCCS).
Stay spread between May and September 2025.
During neurodegenerative processes, accumulation of amyloidogenic proteins/peptides overwhelms the proteolytic capacity of degradative machineries deputed to their removal, such as the proteasome (i.e., a multi-enzymatic catalytic complex).
In a pilot study, proteasome digestion of Aβ1-40, a main component of Alzheimer’s plaques, was reported to release fragments that behaved as inhibitor of the proteasome and seeds for aggregation of free Aβ1-40, suggesting a new mechanisms of amyloid aggregates formation.
Based on this, this project aims at exploring this potentially novel pathogenic process combining the technologies and skills for the:
a) Synthesis of amyloidogenic peptides of human neurodegenerative diseases, such as optineurin and β-amyloid (Aβ1-42). (BioCIS CYU)
b) Digestion of peptides by the proteasome and proteomic identification of fragments released (IRCCS Italy)
c) Studies of aggregation propensities of digestion fragments (Catania Italy)
d) Atomic Force Microscopy characterization of aggregates(Microscopy and Analysis CY platform)
Stay spread between May and September 2025.
During neurodegenerative processes, accumulation of amyloidogenic proteins/peptides overwhelms the proteolytic capacity of degradative machineries deputed to their removal, such as the proteasome (i.e., a multi-enzymatic catalytic complex).
In a pilot study, proteasome digestion of Aβ1-40, a main component of Alzheimer’s plaques, was reported to release fragments that behaved as inhibitor of the proteasome and seeds for aggregation of free Aβ1-40, suggesting a new mechanisms of amyloid aggregates formation.
Based on this, this project aims at exploring this potentially novel pathogenic process combining the technologies and skills for the:
a) Synthesis of amyloidogenic peptides of human neurodegenerative diseases, such as optineurin and β-amyloid (Aβ1-42). (BioCIS CYU)
b) Digestion of peptides by the proteasome and proteomic identification of fragments released (IRCCS Italy)
c) Studies of aggregation propensities of digestion fragments (Catania Italy)
d) Atomic Force Microscopy characterization of aggregates(Microscopy and Analysis CY platform)