Data from cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) leads to this predicted model of binding between DnaJC7, a molecular chaperone (grayscale), and a fragment of tau protein (yellow).
A major part of our work concerns molecular chaperones – proteins that bind to proteins and alter their conformation. Dysfunction of chaperones or their substrate proteins is associated with many human diseases, so understanding how proteins and their chaperones recognize and interact with each other is fundamental in discerning the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.
We are particularly interested in chaperones’ interactions with tau and other proteins that form amyloid fibrils. Our ultimate goal is controlling protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases.
We employ a variety of analytic techniques to uncover the kinetics, structure, and biochemistry of how chaperones bind to amyloidogenic proteins and regulate their ability to assemble.