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McKinstry-Wu AR, Wasilczuk AZ, Dailey WP, Eckenhoff RG, Kelz MB. In Vivo Photoadduction of Anesthetic Ligands in Mouse Brain Markedly Extends Sedation and Hypnosis. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2338-2348. [PMID: 36849414 PMCID: PMC10072292 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1884-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoaffinity ligands are best known as tools used to identify the specific binding sites of drugs to their molecular targets. However, photoaffinity ligands have the potential to further define critical neuroanatomic targets of drug action. In the brains of WT male mice, we demonstrate the feasibility of using photoaffinity ligands in vivo to prolong anesthesia via targeted yet spatially restricted photoadduction of azi-m-propofol (aziPm), a photoreactive analog of the general anesthetic propofol. Systemic administration of aziPm with bilateral near-ultraviolet photoadduction in the rostral pons, at the border of the parabrachial nucleus and locus coeruleus, produced a 20-fold increase in the duration of sedative and hypnotic effects compared with control mice without UV illumination. Photoadduction that missed the parabrachial-coerulean complex also failed to extend the sedative or hypnotic actions of aziPm and was indistinguishable from nonadducted controls. Paralleling the prolonged behavioral and EEG consequences of on target in vivo photoadduction, we conducted electrophysiologic recordings in rostral pontine brain slices. Using neurons within the locus coeruleus to further highlight the cellular consequences of irreversible aziPm binding, we demonstrate transient slowing of spontaneous action potentials with a brief bath application of aziPm that becomes irreversible on photoadduction. Together, these findings suggest that photochemistry-based strategies are a viable new approach for probing CNS physiology and pathophysiology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Photoaffinity ligands are drugs capable of light-induced irreversible binding, which have unexploited potential to identify the neuroanatomic sites of drug action. We systemically administer a centrally acting anesthetic photoaffinity ligand in mice, conduct localized photoillumination within the brain to covalently adduct the drug at its in vivo sites of action, and successfully enrich irreversible drug binding within a restricted 250 µm radius. When photoadduction encompassed the pontine parabrachial-coerulean complex, anesthetic sedation and hypnosis was prolonged 20-fold, thus illustrating the power of in vivo photochemistry to help unravel neuronal mechanisms of drug action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R McKinstry-Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
- Neuroscience of Unconsciousness and Reanimation Research Alliance, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
| | - Andrzej Z Wasilczuk
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
- Neuroscience of Unconsciousness and Reanimation Research Alliance, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
| | - William P Dailey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Roderic G Eckenhoff
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
| | - Max B Kelz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
- Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
- Neuroscience of Unconsciousness and Reanimation Research Alliance, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104
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2
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Kent DE, Savechenkov PY, Bruzik KS, Miller KW. Binding site location on GABA A receptors determines whether mixtures of intravenous general anaesthetics interact synergistically or additively in vivo. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:4760-4772. [PMID: 31454409 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE General anaesthetics can act on synaptic GABAA receptors by binding to one of three classes of general anaesthetic sites. Canonical drugs that bind selectively to only one class of site are etomidate, alphaxalone, and the mephobarbital derivative, R-mTFD-MPAB. We tested the hypothesis that the general anaesthetic potencies of mixtures of such site-selective agents binding to the same or to different sites would combine additively or synergistically respectively. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The potency of general anaesthetics individually or in combinations to cause loss of righting reflexes in tadpoles was determined, and the results were analysed using isobolographic methods. KEY RESULTS The potencies of combinations of two or three site-selective anaesthetics that all acted on a single class of site were strictly additive, regardless of which single site was involved. Combinations of two or three site-selective anaesthetics that all bound selectively to different sites always interacted synergistically. The strength of the synergy increased with the number of separate sites involved such that the percentage of each agent's EC50 required to cause anaesthesia was just 35% and 14% for two or three sites respectively. Propofol, which binds non-selectively to the etomidate and R-mTFD-MPAB sites, interacted synergistically with each of these agents. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The established pharmacology of the three anaesthetic binding sites on synaptic GABAA receptors was sufficient to predict whether a mixture of anaesthetics interacted additively or synergistically to cause loss of righting reflexes in vivo. The principles established here have implications for clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Kent
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Karol S Bruzik
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Keith W Miller
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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3
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Chen ZW, Bracamontes JR, Budelier MM, Germann AL, Shin DJ, Kathiresan K, Qian MX, Manion B, Cheng WWL, Reichert DE, Akk G, Covey DF, Evers AS. Multiple functional neurosteroid binding sites on GABAA receptors. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000157. [PMID: 30845142 PMCID: PMC6424464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are endogenous modulators of neuronal excitability and nervous system development and are being developed as anesthetic agents and treatments for psychiatric diseases. While gamma amino-butyric acid Type A (GABAA) receptors are the primary molecular targets of neurosteroid action, the structural details of neurosteroid binding to these proteins remain ill defined. We synthesized neurosteroid analogue photolabeling reagents in which the photolabeling groups were placed at three positions around the neurosteroid ring structure, enabling identification of binding sites and mapping of neurosteroid orientation within these sites. Using middle-down mass spectrometry (MS), we identified three clusters of photolabeled residues representing three distinct neurosteroid binding sites in the human α1β3 GABAA receptor. Novel intrasubunit binding sites were identified within the transmembrane helical bundles of both the α1 (labeled residues α1-N408, Y415) and β3 (labeled residue β3-Y442) subunits, adjacent to the extracellular domains (ECDs). An intersubunit site (labeled residues β3-L294 and G308) in the interface between the β3(+) and α1(−) subunits of the GABAA receptor pentamer was also identified. Computational docking studies of neurosteroid to the three sites predicted critical residues contributing to neurosteroid interaction with the GABAA receptors. Electrophysiological studies of receptors with mutations based on these predictions (α1-V227W, N408A/Y411F, and Q242L) indicate that both the α1 intrasubunit and β3-α1 intersubunit sites are critical for neurosteroid action. Novel neurosteroid analogue photolabeling reagents identify three specific neurosteroid binding sites on α1β3 GABAA receptors, showing that a site between the α and β subunits, as well as a site within the α-subunit, contribute to neurosteroid-mediated enhancement of GABAA currents. Neurosteroids are cholesterol metabolites produced by neurons and glial cells that participate in central nervous system (CNS) development, regulate neuronal excitability, and modulate complex behaviors such as mood. Exogenously administered neurosteroid analogues are effective sedative hypnotics and are being developed as antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Gamma amino-butyric acid Type A (GABAA) receptors, the principal ionotropic inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, are the primary functional target of neurosteroids. Understanding the molecular details of neurosteroid interactions with GABAA receptors is critical to understanding their mechanism of action and developing specific and effective therapeutic agents. In the current study, we developed a suite of neurosteroid analogue affinity labeling reagents, which we used to identify three distinct binding sites on GABAA receptors and to determine the orientation of neurosteroid binding in each site. Electrophysiological studies performed on receptors with mutations designed to disrupt the identified binding sites showed that two of the three sites contribute to neurosteroid modulation of GABAA currents. The distinct patterns of neurosteroid affinity, binding orientation, and effect provide the potential for the development of isoform-specific agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists with targeted therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Wei Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.,Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - John R Bracamontes
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Melissa M Budelier
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Allison L Germann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Daniel J Shin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Krishnan Kathiresan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Ming-Xing Qian
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Brad Manion
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Wayland W L Cheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - David E Reichert
- Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.,Department of Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Gustav Akk
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Douglas F Covey
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.,Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.,Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Alex S Evers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.,Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.,Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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4
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Chen DM, Ziolkowski L, Benz A, Qian M, Zorumski CF, Covey DF, Mennerick S. A Clickable Oxysterol Photolabel Retains NMDA Receptor Activity and Accumulates in Neurons. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:923. [PMID: 30574068 PMCID: PMC6291516 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxysterol analogs that modulate NMDA receptor function are candidates for therapeutic development to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the cellular actions of these compounds are still unclear. For instance, how these compounds are compartmentalized or trafficked in neurons is unknown. In this study, we utilized a chemical biology approach combining photolabeling and click chemistry. We introduce a biologically active oxysterol analog that contains: (1) a diazirine group, allowing for the permanent labeling of cellular targets, and (2) an alkyne group, allowing for subsequent in situ visualization using Cu2+ catalyzed cycloaddition of an azide-conjugated fluorophore. The physiological properties of this analog at NMDA receptors resemble those of other oxysterols, including occlusion with other oxysterol-like compounds. Fluorescent imaging reveals that the analog accumulates diffusely in the cytoplasm of neurons through an energy-independent mechanism. Overall, this work introduces a novel chemical biology approach to investigate oxysterol actions and introduces a tool useful for further cell biological and biochemical studies of oxysterols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Luke Ziolkowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ann Benz
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Mingxing Qian
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University, St. Louis MO, United States
| | - Charles F Zorumski
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Douglas F Covey
- Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University, St. Louis MO, United States
| | - Steven Mennerick
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, St. Louis, MO, United States
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5
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Cheng WWL, Chen ZW, Bracamontes JR, Budelier MM, Krishnan K, Shin DJ, Wang C, Jiang X, Covey DF, Akk G, Evers AS. Mapping two neurosteroid-modulatory sites in the prototypic pentameric ligand-gated ion channel GLIC. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:3013-3027. [PMID: 29301936 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are endogenous sterols that potentiate or inhibit pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) and can be effective anesthetics, analgesics, or anti-epileptic drugs. The complex effects of neurosteroids on pLGICs suggest the presence of multiple binding sites in these receptors. Here, using a series of novel neurosteroid-photolabeling reagents combined with top-down and middle-down mass spectrometry, we have determined the stoichiometry, sites, and orientation of binding for 3α,5α-pregnane neurosteroids in the Gloeobacter ligand-gated ion channel (GLIC), a prototypic pLGIC. The neurosteroid-based reagents photolabeled two sites per GLIC subunit, both within the transmembrane domain; one site was an intrasubunit site, and the other was located in the interface between subunits. By using reagents with photoreactive groups positioned throughout the neurosteroid backbone, we precisely map the orientation of neurosteroid binding within each site. Amino acid substitutions introduced at either site altered neurosteroid modulation of GLIC channel activity, demonstrating the functional role of both sites. These results provide a detailed molecular model of multisite neurosteroid modulation of GLIC, which may be applicable to other mammalian pLGICs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zi-Wei Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Douglas F Covey
- Department of Anesthesiology; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Department of Developmental Biology; Department of Psychiatry
| | - Gustav Akk
- Department of Anesthesiology; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Alex S Evers
- Department of Anesthesiology; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110; Department of Developmental Biology.
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6
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Functional properties and mechanism of action of PPTQ, an allosteric agonist and low nanomolar positive allosteric modulator at GABAA receptors. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 147:153-169. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Savechenkov PY, Chiara DC, Desai R, Stern AT, Zhou X, Ziemba AM, Szabo AL, Zhang Y, Cohen JB, Forman SA, Miller KW, Bruzik KS. Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of neurosteroid photoaffinity ligands. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 136:334-347. [PMID: 28505538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.04.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Neuroactive steroids are potent positive allosteric modulators of GABAA receptors (GABAAR), but the locations of their GABAAR binding sites remain poorly defined. To discover these sites, we synthesized two photoreactive analogs of alphaxalone, an anesthetic neurosteroid targeting GABAAR, 11β-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoyloxy)allopregnanolone, (F4N3Bzoxy-AP) and 11-aziallopregnanolone (11-AziAP). Both photoprobes acted with equal or higher potency than alphaxalone as general anesthetics and potentiators of GABAAR responses, left-shifting the GABA concentration - response curve for human α1β3γ2 GABAARs expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and enhancing [3H]muscimol binding to α1β3γ2 GABAARs expressed in HEK293 cells. With EC50 of 110 nM, 11-AziAP is one the most potent general anesthetics reported. [3H]F4N3Bzoxy-AP and [3H]11-AziAP, at anesthetic concentrations, photoincorporated into α- and β-subunits of purified α1β3γ2 GABAARs, but labeling at the subunit level was not inhibited by alphaxalone (30 μM). The enhancement of photolabeling by 3H-azietomidate and 3H-mTFD-MPAB in the presence of either of the two steroid photoprobes indicates the neurosteroid binding site is different from, but allosterically related to, the etomidate and barbiturate sites. Our observations are consistent with two hypotheses. First, F4N3Bzoxy-AP and 11-aziAP bind to a high affinity site in such a pose that the 11-photoactivatable moiety, that is rigidly attached to the steroid backbone, points away from the protein. Second, F4N3Bzoxy-AP, 11-aziAP and other steroid anesthetics, which are present at very high concentration at the lipid-protein interface due to their high lipophilicity, act via low affinity sites, as proposed by Akk et al. (Psychoneuroendocrinology2009, 34S1, S59-S66).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Y Savechenkov
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street (M/C 781), Chicago, IL 60612-7231, USA
| | - David C Chiara
- Department of Neurobiology, 220 Longwood Avenue, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rooma Desai
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alexander T Stern
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Xiaojuan Zhou
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alexis M Ziemba
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Andrea L Szabo
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Yinghui Zhang
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jonathan B Cohen
- Department of Neurobiology, 220 Longwood Avenue, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stuart A Forman
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Keith W Miller
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, 220 Longwood Avenue, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karol S Bruzik
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street (M/C 781), Chicago, IL 60612-7231, USA.
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8
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Hammer H, Bader BM, Ehnert C, Bundgaard C, Bunch L, Hoestgaard-Jensen K, Schroeder OHU, Bastlund JF, Gramowski-Voß A, Jensen AA. A Multifaceted GABAA Receptor Modulator: Functional Properties and Mechanism of Action of the Sedative-Hypnotic and Recreational Drug Methaqualone (Quaalude). Mol Pharmacol 2015; 88:401-20. [PMID: 26056160 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.099291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we have elucidated the functional characteristics and mechanism of action of methaqualone (2-methyl-3-o-tolyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone, Quaalude), an infamous sedative-hypnotic and recreational drug from the 1960s-1970s. Methaqualone was demonstrated to be a positive allosteric modulator at human α1,2,3,5β2,3γ2S GABAA receptors (GABAARs) expressed in Xenopus oocytes, whereas it displayed highly diverse functionalities at the α4,6β1,2,3δ GABAAR subtypes, ranging from inactivity (α4β1δ), through negative (α6β1δ) or positive allosteric modulation (α4β2δ, α6β2,3δ), to superagonism (α4β3δ). Methaqualone did not interact with the benzodiazepine, barbiturate, or neurosteroid binding sites in the GABAAR. Instead, the compound is proposed to act through the transmembrane β((+))/α((-)) subunit interface of the receptor, possibly targeting a site overlapping with that of the general anesthetic etomidate. The negligible activities displayed by methaqualone at numerous neurotransmitter receptors and transporters in an elaborate screening for additional putative central nervous system (CNS) targets suggest that it is a selective GABAAR modulator. The mode of action of methaqualone was further investigated in multichannel recordings from primary frontal cortex networks, where the overall activity changes induced by the compound at 1-100 μM concentrations were quite similar to those mediated by other CNS depressants. Finally, the free methaqualone concentrations in the mouse brain arising from doses producing significant in vivo effects in assays for locomotion and anticonvulsant activity correlated fairly well with its potencies as a modulator at the recombinant GABAARs. Hence, we propose that the multifaceted functional properties exhibited by methaqualone at GABAARs give rise to its effects as a therapeutic and recreational drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Hammer
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Benjamin M Bader
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Corina Ehnert
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Christoffer Bundgaard
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Lennart Bunch
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Kirsten Hoestgaard-Jensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Olaf H-U Schroeder
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Jesper F Bastlund
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Alexandra Gramowski-Voß
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
| | - Anders A Jensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (H.H., L.B., K.H.-J., A.A.J.); NeuroProof, Rostock, Germany (B.M.B., C.E., O.H.-U.S., A.G.-V.); and H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark (C.B., J.F.B.)
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9
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Mortensen M, Iqbal F, Pandurangan AP, Hannan S, Huckvale R, Topf M, Baker JR, Smart TG. Photo-antagonism of the GABAA receptor. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4454. [PMID: 25072879 PMCID: PMC4124873 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter receptor trafficking is fundamentally important for synaptic transmission and neural network activity. GABAA receptors and inhibitory synapses are vital components of brain function, yet much of our knowledge regarding receptor mobility and function at inhibitory synapses is derived indirectly from using recombinant receptors, antibody-tagged native receptors and pharmacological treatments. Here we describe the use of a set of research tools that can irreversibly bind to and affect the function of recombinant and neuronal GABAA receptors following ultraviolet photoactivation. These compounds are based on the competitive antagonist gabazine and incorporate a variety of photoactive groups. By using site-directed mutagenesis and ligand-docking studies, they reveal new areas of the GABA binding site at the interface between receptor β and α subunits. These compounds enable the selected inactivation of native GABAA receptor populations providing new insight into the function of inhibitory synapses and extrasynaptic receptors in controlling neuronal excitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Mortensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Favaad Iqbal
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Arun P. Pandurangan
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Crystallography/Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Saad Hannan
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rosemary Huckvale
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Maya Topf
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Crystallography/Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - James R. Baker
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Trevor G. Smart
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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