Understanding Huntingtin protein aggregation in cell mimicking environments

Protein aggregation plays a crucial role in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease. Understanding the factors influencing aggregation kinetics is essential for deciphering disease mechanisms. This research paper investigates the aggregation of a mutant Huntingtin protein (HD39Q) under various conditions, focusing on the impact of macromolecular crowding agents. The study employs multiple techniques, including fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and nanoparticle tracking analysis, to characterize the aggregation kinetics and morphology. The results demonstrate that crowding agents significantly accelerate aggregation, with different agents exhibiting varying effects depending on their physicochemical properties. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy provides insights into early-stage oligomerization. Confocal and scanning electron microscopy help visualize the resulting aggregates and fibrils. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how intracellular-like environments influence protein aggregation and provide valuable insights into the biophysical properties of aggregation-prone proteins.