title: Modelling of full-length human alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor by fragmental approach and analysis of its binding modes.
abstract: The objective of the study was to generate a full-length model for the heteropentameric structure of human alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor. The monomers structure was derived using a fragmental approach and the pentamer was assembled by protein-protein docking. The reliability of the model was assessed docking a representative set of known nicotinic ligands. Docking results unveiled that the ligand affinity depends on key interactions that the ligand's charged moiety realizes with conserved apolar residues of alpha4 monomer, whereas the H-bond acceptor group interacts with a less conserved and more heterogeneous subpocket, involving polar residues of beta2 subunit. The consistency of docking results and the agreement with the experimental data afford an encouraging validation for the proposed model and emphasize the soundness of such a fragmental approach to model any transmembrane protein.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica Farmaceutica e Tossicologica "Pietro Pratesi", Università di Milano, Via Mangiagalli, 25 I-20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedretti
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolchi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallavicini
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valoti
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vistoli
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009538:Nicotine / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C403531:nicotinic receptor alpha4beta2; D009538:Nicotine