Signal peptide region of SAA1: misfolding propensity in different animal species
Abstract
In AA amyloidosis, fibrils are formed from the misfolding of
fragmented serum amyloid A (SAA) protein. These fibrils
aggregate in tissues, causing diseases such as Alzheimer’s,
inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. It has
been hypothesized that certain regions of the protein have a
higher propensity to misfold, and this study particularly
focuses on the signal peptide region of SAA. A library of
peptides from both domestic and wild animals was used to
study aggregation propensity via in silico analysis and in
vitro assays. It was found that each peptide aggregated in the
given conditions of the experiment. This suggests that further
research in the signal peptide region may provide future
therapeutic strategies for amyloidosis.