Mutation Based Structural Modelling and Dynamics Study of Alpha Fetoprotein: An Insight to Inhibitory Mechanism in Breast Cancer

Abstract

The incidence of breast cancer is amassed in the current era due to the advent in urbanization, increase in sophisticated vicissitude living, and espousal of western lifestyles. Alpha- fetoprotein, a serum glycoprotein produced during embryonic development tends to act as the curative mediator and has anti-estrotrophic properties to inhibit the growth of estrogen- dependent tumor’s in breast cancer and metastasis. This oncofetal protein exhibits pharmaceutical activity during en route cancer metastasis and pathways lead to tumor cell progression and proliferation. In this work, the maximal inhibitory action of the peptide derived from the active site segment, which was previously suggested in experimental works against mice xenografts (8-mer Peptide), was derived from the structural model generated by homology modelling that retains the inhibitory activity exhibited by the derived AFPep P489- P496 (EMTPVNPG). A comparable mutation study has been undertaken in the derived peptide region to maximize the inhibitory action of the above-said activities. Comparative molecular dynamics study of each mutation has been carried out to know the stability of the octapeptide 489-496 to ensure the curative perspective that is indulged in inhibiting the progression and proliferation of oncofetal proteins in breast cancer. Another modification to the derived peptide was done by addition of hydroxyproline group to the region selected that was previously suggested with the combined effect of tamoxifen and hydroxyproline associated peptide. Molecular docking studies have also been carried out for the octapeptide against Hsp70 which might help in stabilising the anti tumour associated peptide AFPep for better binding efficacy for maximal inhibitory action and treatment of breast cancer.