response. You must post an initial response and a response to someone else's post to get full credit.
You are a Dr treating a patient showing early signs of Alzheimer's disease. The patient asks you about the cause of Alzheimer's and you explain
that it is associated with the accumulation of misfolded Tau proteins inside neurons, and of misfolded beta-amyloid proteins outside of the cells.
Normally, the tau protein is part of the cytoskeleton of nerve cell axons, but when it accumulates and misfolds, it forms dense tangles inside the
cell. The amyloid protein normally has a variety of functions, including serving as a receptor involved in cell signaling (using a G-protein, which
we'll talk about later), but when it accumulates it forms amyloid plaques on the outside of neurons. The accumulation of tau tangles and beta-
amyloid plaques causes neuronal cell death and dementia.
1. The patient then asks, "why do these misfolded proteins accumulate to excess levels in the first place?" What is a potential explanation for this
that you could tell the patient?
2. The patient then asks, "why do these proteins stick together?" How can you explain this?
3. Finally, the patient asks, "don't I have any defenses against protein misfolding?" How could you answer this question?
