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SUPRAMOLECULAR
STRUCTURES AND ASSEMBLIES OF NEUROFILAMENTS
The purpose of this project is to find the supramolecular structure
of neurofilaments. Neurofilaments are a major component of the cytoskeleton
in neuronal cells and comprise a majority of the protein within
axons. Axons are the primary transmission lines of the nervous system.
When neurofilaments assemble incorrectly it is thought to cause
neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's
disease. First, neurofilaments were purified from bovine spinal
cord using several techniques including centrifuging through a sucrose
cushion and running through an ion-exchange column. Protein was
then tested for purity using gel electrophoresis. Simulating the
body's own mechanism for regulating protein interaction, we then
changed the phosphorylation of the protein and observed the results
using small angle x-ray diffraction.
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