Kumar Priyanka, Sarkar Nandini
Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.
Protein Pept Lett. 2025 May 7. doi: 10.2174/0109298665368109250419175111.
Amyloid refers to a specific quaternary structure characterized by fibrillar arrangements of proteins or peptides forming cross β-sheet architectures. Initially associated with diseases like Alzheimer's, amyloid was seen predominantly as pathological. However, recent research has revealed that amyloid also plays functional roles across various biological systems, from bacteria to mammals. The cross β-sheet structure of amyloid enables the transformation of soluble proteins into insoluble fibrils, providing high stability and a robust prion-like copying mechanism. However, recent research has revealed that amyloid also plays functional roles in various biological systems, such as biofilm formation in bacteria, aiding melanin biosynthesis in humans, and supporting the formation of fungal hyphae. Understanding the dual nature of amyloid-a pathological and functional entity-offers insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Recognizing the distinction between pathological and functional amyloids is crucial for advancing diagnostics and treatments. This review highlights the importance of functional amyloids (FAs), particularly in disease detection, underscoring their significant biological roles and potential applications.
淀粉样蛋白是指一种特定的四级结构，其特征在于蛋白质或肽的纤维状排列形成交叉β-折叠结构。淀粉样蛋白最初与阿尔茨海默病等疾病相关，主要被视为病理性的。然而，最近的研究表明，淀粉样蛋白在从细菌到哺乳动物的各种生物系统中也发挥着功能性作用。淀粉样蛋白的交叉β-折叠结构能够使可溶性蛋白质转变为不溶性纤维，提供高稳定性和强大的朊病毒样复制机制。然而，最近的研究表明，淀粉样蛋白在各种生物系统中也发挥着功能性作用，如细菌中的生物膜形成、促进人类黑色素生物合成以及支持真菌菌丝的形成。了解淀粉样蛋白的双重性质——病理性和功能性实体——有助于深入了解疾病机制和治疗策略。认识到病理性淀粉样蛋白和功能性淀粉样蛋白之间的区别对于推进诊断和治疗至关重要。本综述强调了功能性淀粉样蛋白（FAs）的重要性，特别是在疾病检测方面，强调了它们重要的生物学作用和潜在应用。
