Past Event: Molecular BioPhysics Seminar Series

Unraveling the Mechanisms of Amyloid Beta Synthesis Through Computational Approaches

Laura Dominguez, Departamento de Fisicoquímica Facultad de Química, UNAM

Abstract

An elevated Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. This ratio is influenced by the activity of gamma-secretase (GS), a transmembrane protease that cleaves amyloid precursor protein (APP) to produce amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides. Our understanding of the mechanisms of APP processing by GS is a crucial step toward developing effective therapies to halt disease progression.

In this talk, I will present our work using metadynamics and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the substrate entry and sequential cleavage mechanisms of APP by GS, which lead to the release of Aβ peptides.

Biography

Laura Domínguez is a professor in the Physical Chemistry Department at the School of Chemistry, UNAM. Her research focuses on classical molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules and soft matter. She earned her Chemistry degree from UNAM and completed her PhD in Biochemistry, with research stays at UCSF and Boston University.

She received the Schlumberger Foundation’s Faculty for the Future award, supporting her postdoctoral research at Boston University. Since 2014, Laura has been a professor at UNAM and is currently a Fulbright Fellow at UT-Austin, working in Dr. Dave Thirumalai's lab.