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Our proposal for the existence of natural, functional (in our case
protective) amyloids
5
was followed by a number of examples, which
undoubtedly confirmed the existence of several natural, functional
amyloids, performing various important functions (e.g., refs. 2-4
and references therein, as highlighted in this topic). We have recently
reviewed the evidence for natural protective amyloids.
19
To our knowledge, this is the first well-documented case where
amyloid-like fibrils are formed from peptides that have a sequence
so clearly folded in an antiparallel
β
-pleated sheet type of structure
of the “cross-
” type. Nature, after millions of years of molecular
evolution, has designed these amyloid-like chorion peptides to play
an important functional role: to protect the oocyte and the developing
embryo from a wide range of environmental hazards.
β
10,12
Chorion
proteins self-assemble extracellularly to form the chorion of silk
moths, a biological analogue of a cholesteric liquid crystal, far away
from the follicle cells that synthesize and secrete them.
10-12
Chorion
proteins and peptide-analogues provide a model system for the
study of amyloid formation, with the potential to extract medically
relevant information from the chorion destruction mechanisms
44
used by the embryo upon hatching.
Acknowledgements
We thank (in alphabetical order) Dr. B. Agianian, Dr. G. Chryssikos,
Prof. P. Cordopatis, Mr. P. Everitt, Dr. A. Galanis, Dr. V. Gionis, Mr. K.
Goldie, Prof. A. Hoenger, Dr. K. Leonard, Mr. C. Roome, Dr. L. Serrano,
Dr. P. Tucker, and Prof. G. Vriend for their help and friendship, all
these years. Special thanks to Prof. F.C. Kafatos for his unfailing
interest and help. We also thank the University of Athens, the Greek
Ministry of Research and Technology, the EMBL summer visitor's
program and EMBO for financial support.
References
1. Uversky, V. N., and Fink, A. L. (2004)
Biochim. Biophys. Acta
,
1698
, 131.
2. Chiti, F., and Dobson, C. M. (2006)
Annu. Rev. Biochem.
,
75
, 333.
3. Kelly, J. W., and Balch, W. E. (2002)
J. Cell Biol.
,
161(3)
, 461.
4. Stevens,
F. J. (2004)
J. Protein Folding Disor.
,
11
, 233.
5. Iconomidou, V. A., Vriend, G., and Hamodrakas, S. J. (2000)
FEBS Lett.
,
479
, 141.
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