Issue December 2002

category image Volume 20
No. 3 (p 311-486)
December 2002
ISSN 0739-1102

Structural Analysis of the Inhibition of Cdk4 and Cdk6 by p16INK4a Through Molecular Dynamics Simulations (p. 347-358)

Cyclin-dependent kinases 4, 6 and 2 (Cdk4/6/2), are proteins that lead progression through the G1-S transition, a step strictly regulated in the process of cell proliferation. The p16INK4a tumor suppressor, whose expression is inhibited in a high number of cancers, binds to Cdk4/6 and inhibits phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein, forcing cells to remain in the G1 phase and therefore, arresting cell division. Accordingly, the design of small compounds mimicking the inhibition of p16INK4a appears to be a promising way to treat cancer. In order to get some insight into the key interactions governing recognition between different cyclin-dependent kinases and the p16INK4a tumor suppressor, the present work reports the results of molecular dynamics simulations of both, the Cdk6-p16INK4a complex and the Cdk4-p16INK4a complex, respectively at 300 K. Most of the key interactions observed, were already anticipated in the analysis of the crystal structure of Cdk6-p16INK4a. However, a few different features found out from the analysis of these calculations provide a better understanding of the role of the T-loop conformation, a fragment of Cdks, and the way the ATP binding-site is distorted upon binding of p16INK4a.

Óscar Villacañas1
Juan J. Pérez2
Jaime Rubio-Martínez1,*

1Department de Química Física
Universitat de Barcelona
Martí i Franquès, 1
08028 Barcelona, Spain
2Departament d'Enginyeria Química(UPC)
ETS d'Enginyeria Industrial
Av. Diagonal, 647
08028 Barcelona, Spain
*j.rubio@qf.ub.es

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