Functional amyloids in reproduction

Aveline Hewetson, Hoa Quynh Do, Caitlyn Myers, Archana Muthusubramanian, Roger Sutton, Benjamin Wylie, Gail A. Cornwall

Research output: Other contributionpeer-review

Abstract

© 2017 by the authors. Amyloids are traditionally considered pathological protein aggregates that play causative roles in neurodegenerative disease, diabetes and prionopathies. However, increasing evidence indicates that in many biological systems nonpathological amyloids are formed for functional purposes. In this review, we will specifically describe amyloids that carry out biological roles in sexual reproduction including the processes of gametogenesis, germline specification, sperm maturation and fertilization. Several of these functional amyloids are evolutionarily conserved across several taxa, including human, emphasizing the critical role amyloids perform in reproduction. Evidence will also be presented suggesting that, if altered, some functional amyloids may become pathological.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherBiomolecules
Volume7
StatePublished - Sep 1 2017

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