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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Neurosci. 2019 Sep 5;42(10):693–708. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.08.005

Figure 3: Hypotheses relating MLOs and aggregate formation in neurodegenerative disease.

Figure 3:

A number of hypotheses exist to explain the connection between MLOs and protein inclusions/aggregates found in disease. Increased toxic oligomer/aggregate formation: The high protein concentration in a granule may increase the likelihood that mutant proteins will aggregate and not be dissociated with the rest of the granule. Solidification: What was once a liquid phase may persist and solidify. Accumulation of misfolded proteins: Misfolded or aggregated proteins may accumulate in MLOs. The high concentration inside MLOs may increase the formation of toxic oligomers stochastically, so they are not dissolved when the fluid parts of the granule dissociate.