Protein glycation and deglycation. A story of protein damage and repair.

ITQB-NOVA Alumni Seminar

Title: Protein glycation and deglycation. A story of protein damage and repair.

Speaker: Maria Veiga-da-Cunha

Affiliation: Groupe de Recherches Métaboliques de Duve Institute and Université Catholique de Louvain

Host: Alumni ITQB-NOVA

Abstract:

One of the complications of diabetes that is linked to hyperglycemia, is often associated with the formation of protein-bound fructosamines. This reaction, called glycation, results from the spontaneous reaction of glucose with amines from proteins. Until recently, fructosamine formation was though to be unavoidable. However in our laboratory, at the de Duve Institute, we identified an enzyme, fructosamine 3-kinase (FN3K) that repairs this type of modifications on intracellular proteins. Thus, although fructosamine formation cannot be prevented, mammals have FN3K (and other highly conserved enzymes) that enable them to repair this type of protein damage.