The structure of heteromeric amyloid fibrils with signaling activity

该项目旨在确定参与新发现的细胞死亡途径（称为坏死性凋亡）的重要蛋白质复合物的组成，结构和性质。这种细胞死亡途径在发育或感染过程中清除不需要的或受损的细胞。这些坏死性凋亡蛋白复合物是不寻常的，因为它们具有纤维状淀粉样结构，在纤维中含有一种以上的蛋白质类型，并具有功能性信号作用。这项研究将确定这些纤维是如何形成的，以及这些结构如何赋予生物功能。它可以识别这些纤维中的特征，这些特征可以作为最终预防心脏病发作和中风后组织损伤的手段。

This project aims to determine the composition, structure and properties of important protein complexes involved in a newly identified cell death pathway known as necroptosis. This cell death pathway removes unwanted or damaged cells during development or infection. These necroptosis protein complexes are unusual because they have a fibrillar amyloid structure, contain more than one protein type in the fibrils and have a functional, signalling role. The research will determine how these fibrils form and how the structures confers biological function. It could identify features in these fibrils that can be targeted as a means of ultimately preventing tissue damage after heart attack and stroke.