Structural Biology

Biography

Biography: He Jianwei

Abstract

Polyphenols, especially natural flavonols, have received considerable public attention in China due to the positive association between food and traditional herbal consumption and beneficial health effects. Flavonoids has been demonstrated to be active inhibitors of fibrillation by amyloidogenic protein. We recently reported the inhibitory activity of Myricetin against HEWL fibril formation, in which Myricetin exhibited a stronger inhibition than the well-characterized polyphenol Quercetin. In contrast to our previous studies using other polyphenols, we find the generation of irregular structural aggregates formed by the binding of Morin to HEWL, which support a novel and distinctive model for how this small molecule inhibits amyloid formation. Moreover, we also demonstrated that EGCG was a potent inhibitor of amyloidogenic cystatin amyloid fibril formation in vitro. Through combining experimental and computational data, we were able to propose a mechanism by which EGCG inhibited the fibrillation of cystatin: EGCG appears to be a generic inhibitor of amyloid-fibril formation, although the mechanism by which it achieves such inhibition may be specific to the target fibril-forming polypeptide. In conclusion, our findings implicate the importance of diet and drink habits as playing a major role in guarding against amyloid fibril formation and promoting healthy aging.

References:

1. Chong Xiaoying, Sun Luchen, Sun Yonghui, Chang Lin, Chang K Alan, Lu Xian, Zhou Xuejie, Liu Junqing, Zhang Bing, Jones W Gary, He Jianwei(*). Insights into the mechanism of how Morin suppresses amyloid fibrillation of hen egg white lysozyme. Int J Biol Macromol. 2017, 101: 321-325.
2. Wang Na., He Jianwei(*), Chang Alan K., Wang Yu, Xu Linan, Chong Xiaoying, Lu Xian, Sun Yonghui, Xia Xichun, Li Hui, Zhang Bing, Song Youtao, Kato Akio, Jones Gary W.*. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Inhibits Fibrillogenesis of Chicken Cystatin. J Agric Food Chem. 2015, 63(5): 1347-51.
3. He Jianwei(*)，Wang Yu，Chang Alan K.，Xu Linan，Wang Na，Chong Xiaoying，Li Hui，Zhang Bing，Jones GaryW.(*)，Song Youtao(*)，Myricetin Prevents Fibrillogenesis of Hen Egg White Lysozyme，J Agric Food Chem. 2014, 62(39): 9442-9449
4. Chong Xiaoying, Lu Xian, Wang Yu, Chang Alan K., Xu Linan, Wang Nan, Sun Yonghui, Jones Gary W., Song Youtao, Song Yong-Bo, He Jianwei(*).Distinct structural changes in wild-type and amyloidogenic chicken cystatin caused by disruption of C95-C115 disulfide bond. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2016, 5:1-9.
5. He Jianwei，Xu Linan，Zou Zhiyuan，Ueyama N.，Li Hui，Kato Akio，Jones GW.，Song Youtao(*)，Moleculardynamics simulation to investigate the impact of disulfide bond formation on conformational stability ofchicken cystatin I66Q mutant.，J Biomol Struct Dyn.，2013，31（10）：1101-111