Computational design of a synthetic PD-1 agonist.

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Source:

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Volume 118, Issue 29 (2021)

Keywords:

Animals, Autoimmune Diseases, B7-H1 Antigen, Computational Biology, Drug Design, Humans, Lymphocyte Activation, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor, T-Lymphocytes

Abstract:

<p>Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) expressed on activated T cells inhibits T cell function and proliferation to prevent an excessive immune response, and disease can result if this delicate balance is shifted in either direction. Tumor cells often take advantage of this pathway by overexpressing the PD-1 ligand PD-L1 to evade destruction by the immune system. Alternatively, if there is a decrease in function of the PD-1 pathway, unchecked activation of the immune system and autoimmunity can result. Using a combination of computation and experiment, we designed a hyperstable 40-residue miniprotein, PD-MP1, that specifically binds murine and human PD-1 at the PD-L1 interface with a K of &sim;100 nM. The apo crystal structure shows that the binder folds as designed with a backbone RMSD of 1.3 Å to the design model. Trimerization of PD-MP1 resulted in a PD-1 agonist that strongly inhibits murine T cell activation. This small, hyperstable PD-1 binding protein was computationally designed with an all-beta interface, and the trimeric agonist could contribute to treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.</p>

PDB: 
6V67
Detector: 
PILATUS
Beamline: 
24-ID-C