%0 Journal Article
%T Enzyme-substrate interface targeting by imidazole-based γ-secretase modulators activates γ-secretase and stabilizes its interaction with APP.
%A Petit D
%A Hitzenberger M
%A Koch M
%A Lismont S
%A Zoltowska KM
%A Enzlein T
%A Hopf C
%A Zacharias M
%A Chávez-Gutiérrez L
%J EMBO J
%V 41
%N 21
%D 11 2022 2
%M 36121025
%F 14.012
%R 10.15252/embj.2022111084
%X Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis has been linked to the accumulation of longer, aggregation-prone amyloid β (Aβ) peptides in the brain. Γ-secretases generate Aβ peptides from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) promote the generation of shorter, less-amyloidogenic Aβs and have therapeutic potential. However, poorly defined drug-target interactions and mechanisms of action have hampered their therapeutic development. Here, we investigate the interactions between the imidazole-based GSM and its target γ-secretase-APP using experimental and in silico approaches. We map the GSM binding site to the enzyme-substrate interface, define a drug-binding mode that is consistent with functional and structural data, and provide molecular insights into the underlying mechanisms of action. In this respect, our analyses show that occupancy of a γ-secretase (sub)pocket, mediating binding of the modulator's imidazole moiety, is sufficient to trigger allosteric rearrangements in γ-secretase as well as stabilize enzyme-substrate interactions. Together, these findings may facilitate the rational design of new modulators of γ-secretase with improved pharmacological properties.