This is a relatively undiscovered field of aging and research is still at birth-stage. Incorrect protein folding as an anti-aging theory focuses on the negative impacts of mis-folding of proteins. Mis-folding of proteins tend to increase with age producing pathologies as well as heightening of susceptibility towards diseases as mis-folded proteins are unable to execute their functions.
How Protein Folding is related to Aging
Proteins are programmed in different genes and are responsible for biological functioning. Proteins are the body tissues; they can be enzymes, antibodies, hormones, extracellular and intracellular signaling molecules. A protein can be large having 20, 000 amino acid units or even more.
Proteins begin through minuscule ribosomes present in the cell cytoplasm. It reads instruction coming from the cell nucleus via RNA messenger. Ribosomes link up amino acid through a linear chain (polypeptide) process that is known as translation. Every amino acid will either repel or attract to another amino acid. This highly complicated electrochemical process will cause protein to fold up in a natural way. This automatic origami folding process can take between a microsecond to a minute to finish.
This process forms new bonds of electrons that will influence the biological features of the protein. The folding process determines its shape and efficiency. Folded proteins can also be an element of macromolecular structures. Yet, many proteins have to unfold to perform their function. The folding and unfolding process affects various other functionalities of the protein. The folding and unfolding procedures are associated with aging such as stem cell differentiation, telomerase acting and apoptosis.
Danger of Protein Folding
The folding and unfolding process can have detrimental consequences if something goes wrong. Some possible disease of improper folding is cancer, neurological and degenerative disease like Parkinson and Huntington. Mis-folded proteins might cause Mad Cow (BSE) and Alzheimer’s disease.
Apparently, the mis-folding tends to accumulate with age. This makes protein mis-folding responsible for various aging disease. There is internal biological mechanism in cells responsible to rectify this problem of misfolded proteins. “Cahperone proteins” are generally in charge of the folding, unfolding and repair process. They have a fundamental role in supporting translocation of various proteins to organelles. This protein (chaperone) assures that the process of folding is well performed under pressures such as heat and oxidative stress. The thermodynamic stability plays another basic role for proteins to function well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaperone_proteins
Protein folding is an explorative field of molecular biology. It can reveal many secrets about intracellular transport, cell differentiation, signal transduction mechanisms, malignant transformation and various possible side effects of mis-folding. It is a growing research field for neurological disease as well as cancer and it has its association with aging.
As mentioned, oxidative stress and heat can mess up the folding of proteins. Even the unfolding processes can cause apoptosis as the proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Firewalls such as antioxidants can be used to increase the survival potential of these cells. Some of the “pro-apoptotic effects of resveratrol in association to colon cancer” is believed to be through the stress-expressed that interfere with protein folding.
Little is yet known of about the protein geometry as well as its folding and unfolding process. Technologies and approaches used to study protein folding are “pulse proteolysis” and “Atomic force Microscope”.
Rosette a predictive computer program identifies “protein molecule structured” by combing X-ray diffraction imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. The process is highly complex and computer modeling is a possible solution to progress research. At the actual state of technology not even the most powerful supercomputer can decrypt the geometrical configuration of protein molecules in the required time. A single protein could fold in a microsecond and it would take as much as 3 decades to replicate the process completely.
“Distributed computing projects” has been started so that one day it will be possible to study the folding and mis-folding of proteins. It focuses on creating a powerful computer by binding together millions of computers across the world. All PCs while being idle can help in finding solutions. To be in the program just download a program:http://folding.stanford.edu/
No Firewalls Available – YET –
Research in protein folding is expected to rise endlessly in the years to come. There isn’t any firewall against protein folding as published reports or approved mechanisms haven’t been identified. It is still a very new theory on aging and more finding will certainly emerge as research starts to pay-off.
Moreover, Protein Folding might be related to ‘accumulation of lipofuscin”.
Further Reading
Road Map to anti-aging Theories
Main Reference
1. Anti- aging firewalls the science and technology of longevity.
Mon, Dec 28, 2009
Anti Aging, Anti Aging Theories, Health And Aging