Protein cleavage and neurodegeneration. - (Oct/16/2010 )

Dear all, I would only like an opinion on this. I have expressed a protein in E-coli and it came out cleaved and aggregated. This same protein is studied excessively in neurite degeneration where it is cleaved and packed in the neuritic beads during degeneration. from this information is it possible to speculate that since the cleavage is almost in the same site in both cases (E-coli and in cultures) that this cleaved protein is aggregated in vivo and this aggragated form is actually what is causing beading or are the beads themselves? I just want an opinion on this: i mean can I deduce from what I see in E-coli to be also a case in neurites themselves? thank you a lot!

what is the idea behind your question? Do you intend to study cleavage and aggregation of your protein in E. coli? Bacteria as a cell model for a neuron? Although there seem to be some parallel in the process of cleavage and aggregation between bacteria and neuron you can not be sure the mechanisms are the same. F.i. in bacteria you have much less posttranslational modifications but may be important in dneurodegeneration.

So, I recommend to look for a better cell model than E. coli