Misfolding of membrane proteins in health and disease: the lady or the tiger?

Protein misfolding is increasingly recognized as a factor in many diseases, including cystic fibrosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and atherosclerosis. M any proteins involved in misfolding-based pathologies are membrane-associat ed, such that the bilayer may play roles in normal and aberrant folding. It can be argued that the in vivo partitioning of eukaryotic membrane protein s between folding and misfolding pathways is under kinetic control. Moreove r, the balance between these pathways can be surprisingly delicate.