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Q&A: repeat-containing proteins

Polyglutamine (polyGln) expansions induce protein misfolding and aggregation into fibrillar deposits, which are believed to underlie forms of neurodegeneration through a mechanism involving gain of toxic function. Polyalalanine expansions are now shown to differ from polyGln in kinetics of aggregation, morphology of aggregates and mechanism of toxicity.

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Figure 1: Mechanisms of aggregation of repeat-containing proteins.

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Correspondence to Regina M Murphy.

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Murphy, R. Q&A: repeat-containing proteins. Nat Struct Mol Biol 22, 943–945 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.3135

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