Structural highlights
Publication Abstract from PubMedAlzheimer disease is associated with deposition of the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta in the brain. Passive immunization using Abeta-specific antibodies has been demonstrated to reduce amyloid deposition both in vitro and in vivo Because N-terminally truncated pyroglutamate (pE)-modified Abeta species (AbetapE3) exhibit enhanced aggregation potential and propensity to form toxic oligomers, they represent particularly attractive targets for antibody therapy. Here we present three separate monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize AbetapE3 with affinities of 1-10 nm and inhibit AbetapE3 fibril formation in vitro. In vivo application of one of these resulted in improved memory in AbetapE3 oligomer-treated mice. Crystal structures of Fab-AbetapE3 complexes revealed two distinct binding modes for the peptide. Juxtaposition of pyroglutamate pE3 and the F4 side chain (the "pEF head") confers a pronounced bulky hydrophobic nature to the AbetapE3 N terminus that might explain the enhanced aggregation properties of the modified peptide. The deep burial of the pEF head by two of the antibodies explains their high target specificity and low cross-reactivity, making them promising candidates for the development of clinical antibodies. Structural and functional analyses of pyroglutamate-amyloid-beta-specific antibodies as a basis for Alzheimer immunotherapy.,Piechotta A, Parthier C, Kleinschmidt M, Gnoth K, Pillot T, Lues I, Demuth HU, Schilling S, Rahfeld JU, Stubbs MT J Biol Chem. 2017 Jul 28;292(30):12713-12724. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M117.777839. Epub , 2017 Jun 16. PMID:28623233[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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