O-GlcNAc is a widespread posttranslational modificaiton of intracellular proteins. In animals, O-GlcNAc is required for development and is associated with cell survival in numerous situations, including protecting cells from protein aggregation. Here, I will present my lab's efforts to understand how O-GlcNAc may play a protective role in Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the toxic aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein. Specifically, I will describe the synthesis of site-specifically O-GlcNAcylated alpha-synuclein and the small heat shock protein Hsp27 and how O-GlcNAc affects both of these proteins to inhibit alpha-synuclein aggregation and toxicity.

Uncovering the roles of O-GlcNAc in neurodegeneration using synthetic protein chemistry

2019 Spring National Meeting

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