HUNTINGTIN PROTEIN MODELING AND STRUCTURE ALIGNMENT STUDIES

Abstract

Huntington's disease results from genetically programmed degeneration of nerve cells, called neurons, in certain areas of the brain. This degeneration causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbance. The disease is caused due to the mutant huntingtin protein for which the function is unclear. This protein interrupts the other interacting proteins activity resulting in abnormal functioning of the nerve cells. To deduce the exact function of huntingtin protein, an attempt is made to determine the structure of Htt protein which is very large in length, through automated modelling server and phylogeny analysis as well structure alignment studies were performed using CLC Workbench & MVD software respectively for inferring the conservativity of the Htt protein as well its probable function. From this study, the CREBbinding protein & Multidrug transporter protein are found to be much similar in structural features & functional aspects of the Htt protein.