Definition
The nerve growth factor (NGF) is a member of a family of neurotrophin proteins, essential for the development and maintenance of nervous systems. Deficit in NGF activity is related to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Such activity derives, in part, from its binding to the tropomyosin- related kinase A (TrkA) receptor. Understanding the molecular basis of NGF/TrkA molecular recognition might therefore provide important insights for drug design and protein inhibitors (Chao 2003). In this respect, the determination of structural determinants of the NGF/TrkA complex (Wehrman et al. 2007) has been a real breakthrough. Molecular simulation studies based on the available structural information point out that the N-terminus of NGF is a critical region for TrkA binding. Intriguingly, the conformational properties of such region are affected by Zn2+ and Cu2+ion binding, which are known in turn to inhibit...
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© 2013 European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA)
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Pietropaolo, A., Carloni, P. (2013). Molecular Simulations of NGF Protein. In: Roberts, G.C.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16712-6_792
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16712-6_792
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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