A zinc shortage in cells decreases protein stability, leading proteins to lose their shape, stop working and clump together - and may play a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied the impact of excess and lack of zinc in single-celled organisms, and when the cells lacked zinc, proteins clumped together and increased toxicity.
Researchers have not yet explored the effect of zinc shortages in human, but believe if a similar clumping behaviour occurs it could explain diseases associated with “junked” protein.
Read more at University of Wisconsin-Madison