| abstract |
The present invention provides methods of predicting protein aggregation and designing aggregation inhibitors. One such method for predicting potential protein aggregation inhibiting peptide sequences, includes the steps of: a) identifying a peptide sequence forming at least part of an aggregation region in a target protein; b) testing whether said peptide sequence forms part of a β-sheet; c) if a positive result is achieved in step b), extracting the adjacent strands of that sheet; d) identifying residues in the adjacent strands to said peptide sequence whose side chains interact with said peptide sequence, those residues forming a potential protein aggregation inhibiting peptide sequence. The present invention also provides methods of designing compounds using the residues identified in the above method; compounds produced by the methods and computer programs for carrying out the above methods. |