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Structure of the Malpha2-3 toxin alpha antibody-antigen complex: combination of modelling with functional mapping
C Tenette-Souaille1, J C Smith
1Section de Biophysique des Prot¿eines et des Membranes, DBCM, CEN-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Abstract:
Modelled structures of the acetylcholine receptor-mimicking antibody, Malpha2-3, both free and bound to its antigen, toxin alpha, are assessed in the light of new experimental mutational data from functional mapping of the paratopic region of Malpha2-3. The experimental results are consistent with the previously-predicted structure of the free antibody, and also demonstrate that structural particularities of the Malpha2-3 combining site that were identified in the models play a role in the protein association. The modelled conformations of the hypervariable loops are discussed in the context of recent new data and analyses. The new mutational data allow several previously-considered modelled structures of the complex to be rejected. Two quite similar models now remain.