Methods and compositions for producing morphogen analogs

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein provides methods and compositions for the computer-assisted design of morphogen analogs. Practice of the invention is enabled by the use of at least a portion of the atomic co-ordinates defining the three-dimensional structure of human osteogenic protein-1 (hOP-1) as a starting point in the design of the morphogen analogs. In addition, the invention provides methods for producing morphogen analogs of interest, and methods for testing whether the resulting analogs mimic or agonize human OP-1-like biological activity. The invention also provides a family of morphogen analogs produced by such methods.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer system comprising: 
 (a) a memory having disposed therein atomic X-ray crystallographic co-ordinates defining at least a portion of human OP-1; and    (b) a processor in electrical communication with the memory; the processor comprising a process which generates a molecular model having a three-dimensional shape representative of at least a portion of human OP-1.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further comprises a process which generates the molecular model having a solvent accessible surface representative of at least a portion of human OP-1.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said co-ordinates are stored on a computer readable diskette.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the molecular model is representative of at least a portion of human OP-1 finger 1 region.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  or  4 , wherein the molecular model is representative of at least a portion of the human OP-1 heel region.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  or  4 , wherein the molecular model is representative of at least a portion of the human OP-1 finger 2 region.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the molecular model is representative of at least a portion of the human OP-1 heel region.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further identifies a morphogenic analog having a three-dimensional shape and a solvent accessible surface corresponding to at least a portion of the three-dimensional shape and the solvent accessible surface of human OP-1.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further identifies at least one candidate amino acid defined by the co-ordinates, which upon modification enhances water solubility or stability of human OP-1.  
     
     
         10 . A method of producing a morphogenic analog having osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) like biological activity, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a molecular model defining a three dimensional shape representative of at least a portion of human OP-1;    (b) identifying a candidate analog having a three dimensional shape corresponding to the three dimensional shape representative of at least a portion of human OP-1; and    (c) producing the candidate analog identified in step (b).    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of determining whether the compound produced in step (c) has an OP-1-like biological activity.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the molecular model provided in step (a) is representative of at least a portion of a finger 1 region of human OP-1.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  or  12 , wherein the molecular model provided in step (a) is representative of at least a portion of a heel region of human OP-1.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  or  12 , wherein the model provided in step (a) is representative of at least a portion of a finger 2 region of human OP-1.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the molecular model provided in step (a) is representative of at least a portion of a heel region of human OP-1.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the analog comprises a plurality of charged moieties spaced about the solvent accessible surface thereof and disposed in a spaced-apart relation corresponding to charged moieties spaced about a portion of the solvent accessible surface of human OP-1.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed by means of an electronic processor.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (a) comprises storing a representation of at least a portion of the atomic co-ordinates of human OP-1 in a computer memory.  
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a morphogen analog that modulates an osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) mediated biological effect, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing in a computer memory atomic X-ray crystallographic co-ordinates defining at least a portion of human OP-1;    (b) generating with a processor a molecular model having a three-dimensional shape and a solvent accessible surface representative of at least a portion of human OP-1,    (c) identifying a candidate morphogen analog having a three-dimensional structure shape and a solvent accessible surface corresponding to the three-dimensional shape and the solvent accessible surface of at least a portion of human OP-1;    (d) producing the candidate morphogen analog identified in step (c); and    (e) determining whether the candidate morphogen analog produced in step (d) modulates the OP-1 mediated biological effect.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  or  19 , further comprising the additional step of producing the compound in a commercially useful quantity.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11  or  19 , wherein said compound is a peptide.  
     
     
         22 . A compound that modulates an OP-1 mediated biological effect produced by the method of  claim 11  or  19 .  
     
     
         23 . The compound of  claim 22 , wherein said compound agonizes the biological activity of human OP-1.