Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and the spinal cord. The immune system attacks the insulating covering of the neuron called myelin, disrupting nerve impulses and causing neurological symptoms. Motivated by this pathology, we atomistically investigate the binding specificity of Polypyrimidine Tract Binding Protein 1 (PTB1), an RNA-binding protein upregulated in MS-affected cells. PTB1 plays a competitive role in RNA splicing through its four RNA Recognition Motifs (RRMs), which interact with various RNA sequences. To gain deeper insight into the splicing mechanism, we screen PTB1 against a range of RNA sequences to assess the binding affinities of its RRMs and explore the potential implications of its dysregulation in Multiple Sclerosis.
