Structural highlights
Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedAlzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Amyloid-beta (A beta) peptide, generated by proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein, is central to AD pathogenesis. Most pharmaceutical activity in AD research has focused on A beta, its generation and clearance from the brain. In particular, there is much interest in immunotherapy approaches with a number of anti-A beta antibodies in clinical trials. We have developed a monoclonal antibody, called WO2, which recognises the A beta peptide. To this end, we have determined the three-dimensional structure, to near atomic resolution, of both the antibody and the complex with its antigen, the A beta peptide. The structures reveal the molecular basis for WO2 recognition and binding of A beta. The A beta peptide adopts an extended, coil-like conformation across its major immunodominant B-cell epitope between residues 2 and 8. We have also studied the antibody-bound A beta peptide in the presence of metals known to affect its aggregation state and show that WO2 inhibits these interactions. Thus, antibodies that target the N-terminal region of A beta, such as WO2, hold promise for therapeutic development. Amyloid-beta-anti-amyloid-beta complex structure reveals an extended conformation in the immunodominant B-cell epitope.,Miles LA, Wun KS, Crespi GA, Fodero-Tavoletti MT, Galatis D, Bagley CJ, Beyreuther K, Masters CL, Cappai R, McKinstry WJ, Barnham KJ, Parker MW J Mol Biol. 2008 Mar 14;377(1):181-92. Epub 2008 Jan 30. PMID:18237744[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
| ||||||||||||||||||||
This page was last modified 08:46, 20 January 2015.