Ageing can be defined as a gradual decline in cellular and physical functions accompanied by an increased sensitivity to the environment and risk of death. The increased risk of mortality is causally connected to a gradual, intracellular accumulation of so-called ageing factors, of which damaged and aggregated proteins are believed to be one. Such aggregated proteins also contribute to several age-related neurodegenerative disorders e.g. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases, highlighting the importance of protein quality control (PQC) in ageing and its associated diseases. PQC consists of two interrelated systems: the temporal control system aimed at refolding, repairing, and/or removing aberrant proteins and their aggregates and the spatial control system aimed at harnessing the potential toxicity of aberrant proteins by sequestering them at specific cellular locations. The accumulation of toxic conformers of aberrant proteins during ageing is often declared to be a consequence of an incapacitated temporal PQC system—i.e. a gradual decline in the activity of chaperones and proteases. Here, we review the current knowledge on PQC in relation to ageing and highlight that the breakdown of both temporal and spatial PQC may contribute to ageing and thus comprise potential targets for therapeutic interventions of the ageing process.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
July 2017
Issue Editors
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
This issue explores the molecular and cellular mechanisms which underpin the process of ageing. Guest Edited by Professor Tom Kirkwood, CBE and Dr Viktor Korolchuk of the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing and Health, the issue includes reviews on mechanisms involved in ageing include genome instability and redox stress as well as insights from systems biology and approaches for extending the human healthspan. - PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
- PDF Icon PDF LinkEditorial Board
Review Article|
May 24 2017
How and why do toxic conformers of aberrant proteins accumulate during ageing?
Rebecca Josefson;
Rebecca Josefson
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Search for other works by this author on:
Rebecca Andersson;
Rebecca Andersson
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Search for other works by this author on:
Thomas Nyström
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Correspondence: Thomas Nyström (thomas.nystrom@cmb.gu.se)
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
February 10 2017
Revision Received:
April 04 2017
Accepted:
April 21 2017
Online ISSN: 1744-1358
Print ISSN: 0071-1365
© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2017
Essays Biochem (2017) 61 (3): 317–324.
Article history
Received:
February 10 2017
Revision Received:
April 04 2017
Accepted:
April 21 2017
Citation
Thomas B.L. Kirkwood, Viktor I. Korolchuk, Rebecca Josefson, Rebecca Andersson, Thomas Nyström; How and why do toxic conformers of aberrant proteins accumulate during ageing?. Essays Biochem 11 July 2017; 61 (3): 317–324. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/EBC20160085
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Captcha Validation Error. Please try again.