Abstract

SEQUENCE AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF HELICASE SENATAXIN PROTEIN WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

*T. Shalini, J. Buenefa Shalom Trephosa, P. Shanthi and Dr. K. Shoba

ABSTRACT

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease is an incurable condition, characterized by progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in paralysis and death from respiratory failure in a median of 2–3 years. It is a syndrome of progressive deterioration involving the brainstem, corticospinal tract, and anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. ALS disease causing protein is helicase senataxin. The Function of helicase senataxinprotein is to involve in diverse aspects of RNA metabolism and genomic integrity. This protein also plays an important role in transcription regulation by its ability to modulate RNA polymerase II (Pol II) binding to chromatin and through its interaction with proteins involved in transcription. The nucleotide and protein sequence of helicase senataxin protein was retrieved from NCBI database in FASTA format. Sequence analyses of helicase senataxinwere carried out through BioEdit. Structural properties and their analysis were done through using helix turn helix and epitope finder. Motif regions of protein were modeled using PEP-FOLD server. The 2D structures of DNA were predicted using DNA curvature tool.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Spinal Cord, helicase senataxin, NCBI, BioEdit, Motif, PEP-FOLD Server, DNA Curvature.