Graduate Student - Ph.D.

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Hyderabad, India)

Rao Ch. Mohan

Prion protein: Photo-Oxidation, Amyloidogenesis and Interaction with Small Heat Shock Proteins

Amyloid formation involves essentially three steps- structural perturbations, nucleation and fibrillation. Using UV-light, my work demonstrates the failure of de novo amyloid formation by inhibition of nucleation process. However, fibrillation was restored by seeds made from fibrils of unexposed prion protein. Similar results were obtained when other amyloid proteins such as α-synuclein and β2-microglobulin were exposed to UV-light. Based on the above results, I could establish that UV-exposure lead to loss of nucleation without interfering with fibrillation process. In addition, I have studied implication of copper binding on prion protein structure and on its aggregation. Results from my thesis work show changes in conformation of prion protein upon copper binding without any aggregation at 37 0C. Below room temperature, extensive aggregation was observed. Copper binding resulted in a novel interaction of N-terminal flexible loop to C-terminal region.

2008 Best Oral Presentation in National Symposium in Biophysics, India

2007 Young Scientist Bursary in Harden Conference, UK

2006-2009 Senior Research Fellowhip, CSIR

2004-2006 Junior Research Fellowship, CSIR