A combined NMR and molecular dynamics simulation study to determine the conformational properties of rat/mouse 35-55 myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein epitope implicated in the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Imperative role of glycosylation in human MOG-HLA interaction: molecular insights of MOG-Ab associated demyelination

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is a transmembrane protein found on the outer lamella of the myelin sheath. The autoimmune attack on the MOG leads to demyelination which differs from normal multiple sclerosis. MOG has three epitope regions MOG_1-22, MOG_35-55, and MOG_92-106 in the extracellular region, and the crucial MOG_35-55 epitope and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) interaction is the initial step for autoantibody generation. To study the effective role of glycosylation in MOG-HLA interaction, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the complex where HLA interacts with three MOG epitopes both in the absence and presence of glycan. The results projected that the epitope MOG_1-22 is decisive for the HLA interaction in the absence of glycan and HLA interacts with the epitope MOG_35-55 irrespective of glycan existence. The residues Arg9, Arg46, and Arg66 were found to interact strongly with HLA even in the presence of glycan. The glycan increased the flexibility of hMOG and enhanced the interaction of MOG with water molecules.

A Journey to the Conformational Analysis of T-Cell Epitope Peptides Involved in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious central nervous system (CNS) disease responsible for disability problems and deterioration of the quality of life. Several approaches have been applied to medications entering the market to treat this disease. However, no effective therapy currently exists, and the available drugs simply ameliorate the destructive disability effects of the disease. In this review article, we report on the efforts that have been conducted towards establishing the conformational properties of wild-type myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin proteolipid protein (PLP), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) epitopes or altered peptide ligands (ALPs). These efforts have led to the aim of discovering some non-peptide mimetics possessing considerable activity against the disease. These efforts have contributed also to unveiling the molecular basis of the molecular interactions implicated in the trimolecular complex, T-cell receptor (TCR)–peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or human leucocyte antigen (HLA).

In Silico Drug Design: Non-peptide Mimetics for the Immunotherapy of Multiple Sclerosis

Advances in theoretical chemistry have led to the development of various robust computational techniques employed in drug design. Pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been extensively applied, separately or in combination, in the design of potent molecules. The techniques involve the identification of a potential drug target (e.g., protein) and its subsequent characterization. The next step in the process comprises the development of a map describing the interaction patterns between the target molecule and its natural substrate. Once these key features are identified, it is possible to explore the map and screen large databases of molecules to identify potential drug candidates for further refinement.Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the myelin sheath of nerve cells. The process involves the activation of encephalitogenic T cells via the formation of the trimolecular complex between the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), an immunodominant epitope of myelin proteins, and the T-cell receptor (TCR). Herein, the process for rational design and development of altered peptide ligands (APLs) and non-peptide mimetics against MS is described through the utilization of computational methods.