Repository logo
 

Identification of small-molecule binding pockets in the soluble monomeric form of the Aβ42 peptide.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Zhu, M 
De Simone, A 
Schenk, D 
Toth, G 
Dobson, CM 

Abstract

The aggregation of intrinsically disordered peptides and proteins is associated with a wide range of highly debilitating neurological and systemic disorders. In this work we explored the potential of a structure-based drug discovery procedure to target one such system, the soluble monomeric form of the Aβ42 peptide. We utilised for this purpose a set of structures of the Aβ42 peptide selected from clusters of conformations within an ensemble generated by molecular dynamics simulations. Using these structures we carried out fragment mapping calculations to identify binding "hot spots" on the monomeric form of the Aβ42 peptide. This procedure provided a set of hot spots with ligand efficiencies comparable to those observed for structured proteins, and clustered into binding pockets. Such binding pockets exhibited a propensity to bind small molecules known to interact with the Aβ42 peptide. Taken together these results provide an initial indication that fragment-based drug discovery may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with the aggregation of intrinsically disordered proteins.

Description

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Binding Sites, Drug Design, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Molecular Sequence Data, Peptide Fragments, Protein Binding, Protein Structure, Secondary, Solubility

Journal Title

The Journal of Chemical Physics

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0021-9606
1089-7690

Volume Title

139

Publisher

AIP
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/H003843/1)
Medical Research Council (MC_G1000734)
Wellcome Trust (089703/Z/09/Z)
This work was supported by grants from Alzheimer’s Research UK (M.Z.) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (C.M.D. and M.V.). We are grateful to Tobin Sosnick and his group for providing the SCM structures of the Aβ42 peptide.