Researchers at Universitat Aut-noma de Barcelona (UAB) and University of Stockholm have created a computer modelling of the structural malfunctioning of the ApoE4 protein when it enters into contact with the Amyloid beta molecule, the main cause of Alzheimer's disease. The research, published in PLoS Computational Biology, supports experimental evidence that links ApoE4 with this pathology and opens up new exploration possibilities in understanding and fighting against the disease.
The research proposes a three-dimensional model which simulates the interaction between the peptide Amyloid beta and the different forms of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and offers a first molecular base for the comprehension of this phenomenon. Three possible ApoE forms exist in humans: ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4. ApoE3 is the most common form, while ApoE4 is very closely linked to Alzheimer's disease.
The project was carried out by five researchers, including Jean-Didier Mar-chal and -lex Per-lvarez, lecturers at the UAB Departments of Chemistry and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Centre for Biophysics Studies). Given the difficulty in carrying out in vitro experiments with the peptide Amyloid beta, researchers decided to create a computer simulation to establish the first approximation of the molecular mechanisms which relate it to ApoE4.