Title:Protein Engineering Studies for C-C Chemokine Receptor Type 2 (CCR2)
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Author(s): Ramin E. Salmas, Mine Yurtsever and Serdar Durdagi
Affiliation:
Keywords:
C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), protein engineering, molecular docking, CCR2 inhibitors, virtual screening.
Abstract: C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) belongs to large GPCR family and it plays a critical
role in cognitive function. Inhibition of CCR2 is important for autoimmune diseases including
atherosclerosis, pain, and metabolic diseases. 3D structure of this receptor was not solved yet. In the
current study, 3D structure of the CCR2 is predicted using recently solved high resolution crystal
structure of C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) which shares a high amino acid sequence homology
with CCR2. Derived model firstly refined with molecular dynamics simulations and then validated
with Ramachandran plot as well as available validation tools such as PROCHECK (a program to
check the sterochemical quality of protein structures). Correctness of the topology of the binding cavity of the target structure
is externally tested with known CCR2 inhibitors using molecular docking simulations. In addition, in order to discover
novel CCR2 inhibitors through approved drugs, high throughput virtual screening of marketed drugs against derived
CCR2 model was performed.
