Generation of rationally-designed nerve growth factor (NGF) variants with receptor specificity.

Abstract

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the prototypic member of the neurotrophin family and binds two receptors, TrkA and the 75 kDa neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), through which diverse and sometimes opposing effects are mediated. Using the FoldX protein design algorithm, we generated eight NGF variants with different point mutations predicted to have altered binding to TrkA or p75NTR. Of these, the I31R NGF variant exhibited specific binding to p75NTR. The generation of this NGF variant with selective affinity for p75NTR can be used to enhance understanding of neurotrophin receptor imbalance in diseases and identifies a key targetable residue for the development of small molecules to disrupt binding of NGF to TrkA with potential uses in chronic pain.

• Authors: Laura A Carleton, Reka Chakravarthy, Almer M van der Sloot, Katarzyna Mnich, Luis Serrano, Afshin Samali, Adrienne M Gorman
• Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (Biochem Biophys Res Commun) Vol. 495 Issue 1 Pg. 700-705 (01 01 2018) ISSN: 1090-2104 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 29108999 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor
• Nerve Growth Factor

Topics

• Animals
• Binding Sites
• Drug Design
• Mutagenesis, Site-Directed (methods)
• Nerve Growth Factor (biosynthesis, chemistry, genetics)
• PC12 Cells
• Protein Binding
• Protein Engineering (methods)
• Rats
• Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor (chemistry, metabolism)
• Structure-Activity Relationship