1
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Lee KH, Camacho-Hernandez GA, Newman AH, Shi L. The Structural Basis of the Activity Cliff in Modafinil-Based Dopamine Transporter Inhibitors. Biomolecules 2024; 14:713. [PMID: 38927116 PMCID: PMC11202288 DOI: 10.3390/biom14060713] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Modafinil analogs with either a sulfoxide or sulfide moiety have improved binding affinities at the human dopamine transporter (hDAT) compared to modafinil, with lead sulfoxide-substituted analogs showing characteristics of atypical inhibition (e.g., JJC8-091). Interestingly, the only distinction between sulfoxide and sulfide substitution is the presence of one additional oxygen atom. To elucidate why such a subtle difference in ligand structure can result in different typical or atypical profiles, we investigated two pairs of analogs. Our quantum mechanical calculations revealed a more negatively charged distribution of the electrostatic potential surface of the sulfoxide substitution. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrated that sulfoxide-substituted modafinil analogs have a propensity to attract more water into the binding pocket. They also exhibited a tendency to dissociate from Asp79 and form a new interaction with Asp421, consequently promoting an inward-facing conformation of hDAT. In contrast, sulfide-substituted analogs did not display these effects. These findings elucidate the structural basis of the activity cliff observed with modafinil analogs and also enhance our understanding of the functionally relevant conformational spectrum of hDAT.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lei Shi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse–Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; (K.-H.L.); (G.A.C.-H.); (A.H.N.)
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2
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Zantza I, Pyrris Y, Raniolo S, Papadaki GF, Lambrinidis G, Limongelli V, Diallinas G, Mikros E. Uracil/H + Symport by FurE Refines Aspects of the Rocking-bundle Mechanism of APC-type Transporters. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168226. [PMID: 37544358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Transporters mediate the uptake of solutes, metabolites and drugs across the cell membrane. The eukaryotic FurE nucleobase/H+ symporter of Aspergillus nidulans has been used as a model protein to address structure-function relationships in the APC transporter superfamily, members of which are characterized by the LeuT-fold and seem to operate by the so-called 'rocking-bundle' mechanism. In this study, we reveal the binding mode, translocation and release pathway of uracil/H+ by FurE using path collective variable, funnel metadynamics and rational mutational analysis. Our study reveals a stepwise, induced-fit, mechanism of ordered sequential transport of proton and uracil, which in turn suggests that FurE, functions as a multi-step gated pore, rather than employing 'rocking' of compact domains, as often proposed for APC transporters. Finally, our work supports that specific residues of the cytoplasmic N-tail are involved in substrate translocation, in line with their essentiality for FurE function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana Zantza
- Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15771, Greece.
| | - Yiannis Pyrris
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15781, Greece.
| | - Stefano Raniolo
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Euler Institute, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano 6900, Switzerland.
| | - Georgia F Papadaki
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15781, Greece
| | - George Lambrinidis
- Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15771, Greece.
| | - Vittorio Limongelli
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Euler Institute, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano 6900, Switzerland; Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples 80131, Italy.
| | - George Diallinas
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15781, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion 70013, Greece.
| | - Emmanuel Mikros
- Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15771, Greece; Athena Research and Innovation Center in Information Communication & Knowledge Technologies, Marousi 15125, Greece.
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3
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Khelashvili G, Kots E, Cheng X, Levine MV, Weinstein H. The allosteric mechanism leading to an open-groove lipid conductive state of the TMEM16F scramblase. Commun Biol 2022; 5:990. [PMID: 36123525 PMCID: PMC9484709 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
TMEM16F is a Ca2+-activated phospholipid scramblase in the TMEM16 family of membrane proteins. Unlike other TMEM16s exhibiting a membrane-exposed hydrophilic groove that serves as a translocation pathway for lipids, the experimentally determined structures of TMEM16F shows the groove in a closed conformation even under conditions of maximal scramblase activity. It is currently unknown if/how TMEM16F groove can open for lipid scrambling. Here we describe the analysis of ~400 µs all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the TMEM16F revealing an allosteric mechanism leading to an open-groove, lipid scrambling competent state of the protein. The groove opens into a continuous hydrophilic conduit that is highly similar in structure to that seen in other activated scramblases. The allosteric pathway connects this opening to an observed destabilization of the Ca2+ ion bound at the distal site near the dimer interface, to the dynamics of specific protein regions that produces the open-groove state to scramble phospholipids. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the allosteric mechanism leading to an open, lipid scrambling competent state of a mammalian TMEM16F.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA. .,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Ekaterina Kots
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Xiaolu Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Michael V Levine
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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4
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Cholesterol occupies the lipid translocation pathway to block phospholipid scrambling by a G protein-coupled receptor. Structure 2022; 30:1208-1217.e2. [PMID: 35660161 PMCID: PMC9356978 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Class A (rhodopsin-like) G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are constitutive phospholipid scramblases as evinced after their reconstitution into liposomes. Yet phospholipid scrambling is not detectable in the resting plasma membrane of mammalian cells that is replete with GPCRs. We considered whether cholesterol, a prominent component of the plasma membrane, limits the ability of GPCRs to scramble lipids. Our previous Markov State Model (MSM) analysis of molecular dynamics simulations of membrane-embedded opsin indicated that phospholipid headgroups traverse a dynamically revealed hydrophilic groove between transmembrane helices (TM) 6 and 7 while their tails remain in the bilayer. Here, we present comparative MSM analyses of 150-μs simulations of opsin in cholesterol-free and cholesterol-rich membranes. Our analyses reveal that cholesterol inhibits phospholipid scrambling by occupying the TM6/7 interface and stabilizing the closed groove conformation while itself undergoing flip-flop. This mechanism may explain the inability of GPCRs to scramble lipids at the plasma membrane.
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5
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Chan MC, Selvam B, Young HJ, Procko E, Shukla D. The substrate import mechanism of the human serotonin transporter. Biophys J 2022; 121:715-730. [PMID: 35114149 PMCID: PMC8943754 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) initiates the reuptake of extracellular serotonin in the synapse to terminate neurotransmission. The cryogenic electron microscopy structures of SERT bound to ibogaine and the physiological substrate serotonin resolved in different states have provided a glimpse of the functional conformations at atomistic resolution. However, the conformational dynamics and structural transitions to intermediate states are not fully understood. Furthermore, the molecular basis of how serotonin is recognized and transported remains unclear. In this study, we performed unbiased microsecond-long simulations of the human SERT to investigate the structural dynamics to various intermediate states and elucidated the complete substrate import pathway. Using Markov state models, we characterized a sequential order of conformational-driven ion-coupled substrate binding and transport events and calculated the free energy barriers of conformation transitions associated with the import mechanism. We find that the transition from the occluded to inward-facing state is the rate-limiting step for substrate import and that the substrate decreases the free energy barriers to achieve the inward-facing state. Our study provides insights on the molecular basis of dynamics-driven ion-substrate recognition and transport of SERT that can serve as a model for other closely related neurotransmitter transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Balaji Selvam
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Heather J Young
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
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6
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Xu L, Chen LY. Effects of the N-terminal dynamics on the conformational states of human dopamine transporter. Biophys Chem 2022; 283:106765. [PMID: 35101818 PMCID: PMC8898274 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine transporter mediates the neurotransmitter dopamine homeostasis in a sodium-dependent manner. The transport process involves an alternating access of a substrate to the extracellular and intracellular spaces, which is associated with different conformational states of the transporter. However, the underlying mechanism of modulation of the state transition remains elusive. Here we present a computational simulation study of human dopamine transporter to explore its two end states (outward-facing open and inward-facing open) that have not been determined experimentally. We show that the full-length transporter may tend to adopt the inward-facing open state in its free state. The binding of an amphetamine may not trap the transporter in the outward-facing open state with increasing length of the N-terminal. Furthermore, we identify distinct patterns in the interaction networks between the N-terminal and the intracellular region that could stabilize the state of the transporter, independent of substrate binding and phosphorylation. Our results reveal the essential role of the N-terminal dynamics in modulating the functional states of the dopamine transporter, providing molecular insights into the coupling of conformational transition and substrate passage in neurotransmitter transporters.
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7
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Abstract
Rapid flip-flop of phospholipids across the two leaflets of biological membranes is crucial for many aspects of cellular life. The transport proteins that facilitate this process are classified as pump-like flippases and floppases and channel-like scramblases. Unexpectedly, Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large class of signaling proteins exemplified by the visual receptor rhodopsin and its apoprotein opsin, are constitutively active as scramblases in vitro. In liposomes, opsin scrambles lipids at a unitary rate of >100,000 per second. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of opsin in a lipid membrane reveal conformational transitions that expose a polar groove between transmembrane helices 6 and 7. This groove enables transbilayer lipid movement, conceptualized as the swiping of a credit card (lipid) through a card reader (GPCR). Conformational changes that facilitate scrambling are distinct from those associated with GPCR signaling. In this review, we discuss the physiological significance of GPCR scramblase activity and the modes of its regulation in cells. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA; .,Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA;
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8
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Cater RJ, Chua GL, Erramilli SK, Keener JE, Choy BC, Tokarz P, Chin CF, Quek DQY, Kloss B, Pepe JG, Parisi G, Wong BH, Clarke OB, Marty MT, Kossiakoff AA, Khelashvili G, Silver DL, Mancia F. Structural basis of omega-3 fatty acid transport across the blood-brain barrier. Nature 2021; 595:315-319. [PMID: 34135507 PMCID: PMC8266758 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03650-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for neurological development and function, and it is supplied to the brain and eyes predominantly from dietary sources1-6. This nutrient is transported across the blood-brain and blood-retina barriers in the form of lysophosphatidylcholine by major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2A (MFSD2A) in a Na+-dependent manner7,8. Here we present the structure of MFSD2A determined using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, which reveals twelve transmembrane helices that are separated into two pseudosymmetric domains. The transporter is in an inward-facing conformation and features a large amphipathic cavity that contains the Na+-binding site and a bound lysolipid substrate, which we confirmed using native mass spectrometry. Together with our functional analyses and molecular dynamics simulations, this structure reveals details of how MFSD2A interacts with substrates and how Na+-dependent conformational changes allow for the release of these substrates into the membrane through a lateral gate. Our work provides insights into the molecular mechanism by which this atypical major facility superfamily transporter mediates the uptake of lysolipids into the brain, and has the potential to aid in the delivery of neurotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary J Cater
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Geok Lin Chua
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Satchal K Erramilli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James E Keener
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Brendon C Choy
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Piotr Tokarz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cheen Fei Chin
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Debra Q Y Quek
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brian Kloss
- Center on Membrane Protein Production and Analysis, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph G Pepe
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giacomo Parisi
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bernice H Wong
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Oliver B Clarke
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael T Marty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Anthony A Kossiakoff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - David L Silver
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Bhat S, Niello M, Schicker K, Pifl C, Sitte HH, Freissmuth M, Sandtner W. Handling of intracellular K + determines voltage dependence of plasmalemmal monoamine transporter function. eLife 2021; 10:67996. [PMID: 34061030 PMCID: PMC8192120 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The concentrative power of the transporters for dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET), and serotonin (SERT) is thought to be fueled by the transmembrane Na+ gradient, but it is conceivable that they can also tap other energy sources, for example, membrane voltage and/or the transmembrane K+ gradient. We have addressed this by recording uptake of endogenous substrates or the fluorescent substrate APP+(4-(4-dimethylamino)phenyl-1-methylpyridinium) under voltage control in cells expressing DAT, NET, or SERT. We have shown that DAT and NET differ from SERT in intracellular handling of K+. In DAT and NET, substrate uptake was voltage-dependent due to the transient nature of intracellular K+ binding, which precluded K+ antiport. SERT, however, antiports K+ and achieves voltage-independent transport. Thus, there is a trade-off between maintaining constant uptake and harvesting membrane potential for concentrative power, which we conclude to occur due to subtle differences in the kinetics of co-substrate ion binding in closely related transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyas Bhat
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Niello
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klaus Schicker
- Division of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Centre for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Pifl
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Freissmuth
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Plante A, Weinstein H. Ligand-Dependent Conformational Transitions in Molecular Dynamics Trajectories of GPCRs Revealed by a New Machine Learning Rare Event Detection Protocol. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26103059. [PMID: 34065494 PMCID: PMC8161244 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26103059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Central among the tools and approaches used for ligand discovery and design are Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, which follow the dynamic changes in molecular structure in response to the environmental condition, interactions with other proteins, and the effects of ligand binding. The need for, and successes of, MD simulations in providing this type of essential information are well documented, but so are the challenges presented by the size of the resulting datasets encoding the desired information. The difficulty of extracting information on mechanistically important state-to-state transitions in response to ligand binding and other interactions is compounded by these being rare events in the MD trajectories of complex molecular machines, such as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). To address this problem, we have developed a protocol for the efficient detection of such events. We show that the novel Rare Event Detection (RED) protocol reveals functionally relevant and pharmacologically discriminating responses to the binding of different ligands to the 5-HT2AR orthosteric site in terms of clearly defined, structurally coherent, and temporally ordered conformational transitions. This information from the RED protocol offers new insights into specific ligand-determined functional mechanisms encoded in the MD trajectories, which opens a new and rigorously reproducible path to understanding drug activity with application in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambrose Plante
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA;
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-212-746-6358
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11
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Szöllősi D, Stockner T. Investigating the Mechanism of Sodium Binding to SERT Using Direct Simulations. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:673782. [PMID: 34040506 PMCID: PMC8141550 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.673782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) terminates neurotransmission by transporting serotonin from the synapse into the pre-synaptic nerve terminal. Altered SERT function leads to several neurological diseases including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). Accordingly SERT is the target for their pharmacological treatments, but also targeted by multiple drugs of abuse. Transport of serotonin by SERT is energized by the transmembrane electrochemical gradient of sodium. We used extensive molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the process of sodium binding to SERT, which is the first step in the transport cycle that leads to serotonin uptake. Comparing data from 51 independent simulations, we find a remarkably well-defined path for sodium entry and could identify two transient binding sites, while observing binding kinetics that are comparable to experimental data. Importantly, the structure and dynamics of the sodium binding sites indicate that sodium binding is accompanied by an induced-fit mechanism that leads to new conformations and reduces local dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dániel Szöllősi
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Stockner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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12
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Fairweather SJ, Shah N, Brӧer S. Heteromeric Solute Carriers: Function, Structure, Pathology and Pharmacology. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 21:13-127. [PMID: 33052588 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2020_584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Solute carriers form one of three major superfamilies of membrane transporters in humans, and include uniporters, exchangers and symporters. Following several decades of molecular characterisation, multiple solute carriers that form obligatory heteromers with unrelated subunits are emerging as a distinctive principle of membrane transporter assembly. Here we comprehensively review experimentally established heteromeric solute carriers: SLC3-SLC7 amino acid exchangers, SLC16 monocarboxylate/H+ symporters and basigin/embigin, SLC4A1 (AE1) and glycophorin A exchanger, SLC51 heteromer Ost α-Ost β uniporter, and SLC6 heteromeric symporters. The review covers the history of the heteromer discovery, transporter physiology, structure, disease associations and pharmacology - all with a focus on the heteromeric assembly. The cellular locations, requirements for complex formation, and the functional role of dimerization are extensively detailed, including analysis of the first complete heteromer structures, the SLC7-SLC3 family transporters LAT1-4F2hc, b0,+AT-rBAT and the SLC6 family heteromer B0AT1-ACE2. We present a systematic analysis of the structural and functional aspects of heteromeric solute carriers and conclude with common principles of their functional roles and structural architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Fairweather
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. .,Resarch School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Nishank Shah
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Stefan Brӧer
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
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13
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Newman AH, Ku T, Jordan CJ, Bonifazi A, Xi ZX. New Drugs, Old Targets: Tweaking the Dopamine System to Treat Psychostimulant Use Disorders. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2021; 61:609-628. [PMID: 33411583 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-030220-124205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The abuse of illicit psychostimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine continues to pose significant health and societal challenges. Despite considerable efforts to develop medications to treat psychostimulant use disorders, none have proven effective, leaving an underserved patient population and unanswered questions about what mechanism(s) of action should be targeted for developing pharmacotherapies. As both cocaine and methamphetamine rapidly increase dopamine (DA) levels in mesolimbic brain regions, leading to euphoria that in some can lead to addiction, targets in which this increased dopaminergic tone may be mitigated have been explored. Further, understanding and targeting mechanisms underlying relapse are fundamental to the success of discovering medications that reduce the reinforcing effects of the drug of abuse, decrease the negative reinforcement or withdrawal/negative affect that occurs during abstinence, or both. Atypical inhibitors of the DA transporter and partial agonists/antagonists at DA D3 receptors are described as two promising targets for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Hauck Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA;
| | - Therese Ku
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA;
| | - Chloe J Jordan
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA;
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA;
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA;
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14
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Rojas G, Orellana I, Rosales-Rojas R, García-Olivares J, Comer J, Vergara-Jaque A. Structural Determinants of the Dopamine Transporter Regulation Mediated by G Proteins. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3577-3586. [PMID: 32525311 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine clearance in the brain is controlled by the dopamine transporter (DAT), a protein residing in the plasma membrane, which drives reuptake of extracellular dopamine into presynaptic neurons. Studies have revealed that the βγ subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins modulate DAT function through a physical association with the C-terminal region of the transporter. Regulation of neurotransmitter transporters by Gβγ subunits is unprecedented in the literature; therefore, it is interesting to investigate the structural details of this particular protein-protein interaction. Here, we refined the crystal structure of the Drosophila melanogaster DAT (dDAT), modeling de novo the N- and C-terminal domains; subsequently, we used the full-length dDAT structure to generate a comparative model of human DAT (hDAT). Both proteins were assembled with Gβ1γ2 subunits employing protein-protein docking, and subsequent molecular dynamics simulations were run to identify the specific interactions governing the formation of the hDAT:Gβγ and dDAT:Gβγ complexes. A [L/F]R[Q/E]R sequence motif containing the residues R588 in hDAT and R587 in dDAT was found as key to bind the Gβγ subunits through electrostatic interactions with a cluster of negatively charged residues located at the top face of the Gβ subunit. Alterations of DAT function have been associated with multiple devastating neuropathological conditions; therefore, this work represents a step toward better understanding DAT regulation by signaling proteins, allowing us to predict therapeutic target regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genoveva Rojas
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulation, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile
| | - Ivana Orellana
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulation, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile
| | - Roberto Rosales-Rojas
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulation, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile
| | - Jennie García-Olivares
- Supernus Pharmaceuticals, 9715 Key West Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Jeffrey Comer
- Institute of Computational Comparative Medicine, Nanotechnology Innovation Center of Kansas State, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Ariela Vergara-Jaque
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulation, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Santiago, Chile
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15
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Khelashvili G, Cheng X, Falzone ME, Doktorova M, Accardi A, Weinstein H. Membrane lipids are both the substrates and a mechanistically responsive environment of TMEM16 scramblase proteins. J Comput Chem 2020; 41:538-551. [PMID: 31750558 PMCID: PMC7261202 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent discoveries about functional mechanisms of proteins in the TMEM16 family of phospholipid scramblases have illuminated the dual role of the membrane as both the substrate and a mechanistically responsive environment in the wide range of physiological processes and genetic disorders in which they are implicated. This is highlighted in the review of recent findings from our collaborative investigations of molecular mechanisms of TMEM16 scramblases that emerged from iterative functional, structural, and computational experimentation. In the context of this review, we present new MD simulations and trajectory analyses motivated by the fact that new structural information about the TMEM16 scramblases is emerging from cryo-EM determinations in lipid nanodiscs. Because the functional environment of these proteins in in vivo and in in vitro is closer to flat membranes, we studied comparatively the responses of the membrane to the TMEM16 proteins in flat membranes and nanodiscs. We find that bilayer shapes in the nanodiscs are very different from those observed in the flat membrane systems, but the function-related slanting of the membrane observed at the nhTMEM16 boundary with the protein is similar in the nanodiscs and in the flat bilayers. This changes, however, in the bilayer composed of longer-tail lipids, which is thicker near the phospholipid translocation pathway, which may reflect an enhanced tendency of the long tails to penetrate the pathway and create, as shown previously, a nonconductive environment. These findings support the correspondence between the mechanistic involvement of the lipid environment in the flat membranes, and the nanodiscs. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Xiaolu Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Maria E Falzone
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Milka Doktorova
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Alessio Accardi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
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16
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Jiang T, Wen PC, Trebesch N, Zhao Z, Pant S, Kapoor K, Shekhar M, Tajkhorshid E. Computational Dissection of Membrane Transport at a Microscopic Level. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 45:202-216. [PMID: 31813734 PMCID: PMC7024014 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Membrane transporters are key gatekeeper proteins at cellular membranes that closely control the traffic of materials. Their function relies on structural rearrangements of varying degrees that facilitate substrate translocation across the membrane. Characterizing these functionally important molecular events at a microscopic level is key to our understanding of membrane transport, yet challenging to achieve experimentally. Recent advances in simulation technology and computing power have rendered molecular dynamics (MD) simulation a powerful biophysical tool to investigate a wide range of dynamical events spanning multiple spatial and temporal scales. Here, we review recent studies of diverse membrane transporters using computational methods, with an emphasis on highlighting the technical challenges, key lessons learned, and new opportunities to illuminate transporter structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Po-Chao Wen
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Noah Trebesch
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Zhiyu Zhao
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Shashank Pant
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Karan Kapoor
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mrinal Shekhar
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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17
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X-ray structure of LeuT in an inward-facing occluded conformation reveals mechanism of substrate release. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1005. [PMID: 32081981 PMCID: PMC7035281 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14735-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSS) are conserved from bacteria to man and serve as targets for drugs, including antidepressants and psychostimulants. Here we report the X-ray structure of the prokaryotic NSS member, LeuT, in a Na+/substrate-bound, inward-facing occluded conformation. To obtain this structure, we were guided by findings from single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations indicating that L-Phe binding and mutation of the conserved N-terminal Trp8 to Ala both promote an inward-facing state. Compared to the outward-facing occluded conformation, our structure reveals a major tilting of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane segment (TM) 5, which, together with release of the N-terminus but without coupled movement of TM1, opens a wide cavity towards the second Na+ binding site. The structure of this key intermediate in the LeuT transport cycle, in the context of other NSS structures, leads to the proposal of an intracellular release mechanism of substrate and ions in NSS proteins.
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18
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Shiref H, Bergman S, Clivio S, Sahai MA. The fine art of preparing membrane transport proteins for biomolecular simulations: Concepts and practical considerations. Methods 2020; 185:3-14. [PMID: 32081744 PMCID: PMC10062712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have developed into an invaluable tool in bimolecular research, due to the capability of the method in capturing molecular events and structural transitions that describe the function as well as the physiochemical properties of biomolecular systems. Due to the progressive development of more efficient algorithms, expansion of the available computational resources, as well as the emergence of more advanced methodologies, the scope of computational studies has increased vastly over time. We now have access to a multitude of online databases, software packages, larger molecular systems and novel ligands due to the phenomenon of emerging novel psychoactive substances (NPS). With so many advances in the field, it is understandable that novices will no doubt find it challenging setting up a protein-ligand system even before they run their first MD simulation. These initial steps, such as homology modelling, ligand docking, parameterization, protein preparation and membrane setup have become a fundamental part of the drug discovery pipeline, and many areas of biomolecular sciences benefit from the applications provided by these technologies. However, there still remains no standard on their usage. Therefore, our aim within this review is to provide a clear overview of a variety of concepts and methodologies to consider, providing a workflow for a case study of a membrane transport protein, the full-length human dopamine transporter (hDAT) in complex with different stimulants, where MD simulations have recently been applied successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Shiref
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Shana Bergman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Michelle A Sahai
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK.
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19
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Li J, Zhao Z, Tajkhorshid E. Locking Two Rigid-body Bundles in an Outward-Facing Conformation: The Ion-coupling Mechanism in a LeuT-fold Transporter. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19479. [PMID: 31862903 PMCID: PMC6925253 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55722-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Secondary active transporters use electrochemical gradient of ions to fuel the "uphill" translocation of the substrate following the alternating-access model. The coupling of ions to conformational dynamics of the protein remains one of the least characterized aspects of the transporter function. We employ extended molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the Na+-binding effects on the structure and dynamics of a LeuT-fold, Na+-coupled secondary transporter (Mhp1) in its major conformational states, i.e., the outward-facing (OF) and inward-facing (IF) states, as well as on the OF ↔ IF state transition. Microsecond-long, unbiased MD simulations illustrate that Na+ stabilizes an OF conformation favorable for substrate association, by binding to a highly conserved site at the interface between the two helical bundles and restraining their relative position and motion. Furthermore, a special-protocol biased simulation for state transition suggests that Na+ binding hinders the OF ↔ IF transition. These synergistic Na+-binding effects allosterically couple the ion and substrate binding sites and modify the kinetics of state transition, collectively increasing the lifetime of an OF conformation with high substrate affinity, thereby facilitating substrate recruitment from a low-concentration environment. Based on the similarity between our findings for Mhp1 and experimental reports on LeuT, we propose that this model may represent a general Na+-coupling mechanism among LeuT-fold transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
| | - Zhiyu Zhao
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States.
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States.
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States.
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20
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Khelashvili G, Chauhan N, Pandey K, Eliezer D, Menon AK. Exchange of water for sterol underlies sterol egress from a StARkin domain. eLife 2019; 8:53444. [PMID: 31799930 PMCID: PMC6940019 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously we identified Lam/GramD1 proteins, a family of endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins with sterol-binding StARkin domains that are implicated in intracellular sterol homeostasis. Here, we show how these proteins exchange sterol molecules with membranes. An aperture at one end of the StARkin domain enables sterol to enter/exit the binding pocket. Strikingly, the wall of the pocket is longitudinally fractured, exposing bound sterol to solvent. Large-scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations reveal that sterol egress involves widening of the fracture, penetration of water into the cavity, and consequent destabilization of the bound sterol. The simulations identify polar residues along the fracture that are important for sterol release. Their replacement with alanine affects the ability of the StARkin domain to bind sterol, catalyze inter-vesicular sterol exchange and alleviate the nystatin-sensitivity of lam2Δ yeast cells. These data suggest an unprecedented, water-controlled mechanism of sterol discharge from a StARkin domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States.,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Neha Chauhan
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Kalpana Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - David Eliezer
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
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21
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Slack RD, Ku TC, Cao J, Giancola JB, Bonifazi A, Loland CJ, Gadiano A, Lam J, Rais R, Slusher BS, Coggiano M, Tanda G, Newman AH. Structure-Activity Relationships for a Series of (Bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl)sulfinyl Alkyl Alicyclic Amines at the Dopamine Transporter: Functionalizing the Terminal Nitrogen Affects Affinity, Selectivity, and Metabolic Stability. J Med Chem 2019; 63:2343-2357. [PMID: 31661268 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Atypical dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitors have shown therapeutic potential in preclinical models of psychostimulant abuse. In rats, 1-(4-(2-((bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl)sulfinyl)ethyl)-piperazin-1-yl)-propan-2-ol (3b) was effective in reducing the reinforcing effects of both cocaine and methamphetamine but did not exhibit psychostimulant behaviors itself. While further development of 3b is ongoing, diastereomeric separation, as well as improvements in potency and pharmacokinetics were desirable for discovering pipeline drug candidates. Thus, a series of bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl)sulfinyl)alkyl alicyclic amines, where the piperazine-2-propanol scaffold was modified, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for binding affinities at DAT, as well as the serotonin transporter and σ1 receptors. Within the series, 14a showed improved DAT affinity (Ki = 23 nM) over 3b (Ki = 230 nM), moderate metabolic stability in human liver microsomes, and a hERG/DAT affinity ratio = 28. While 14a increased locomotor activity relative to vehicle, it was significantly lower than activity produced by cocaine. These results support further investigation of 14a as a potential treatment for psychostimulant use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel D Slack
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Therese C Ku
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Jianjing Cao
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - JoLynn B Giancola
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Alessandro Bonifazi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Claus J Loland
- Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexandra Gadiano
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Jenny Lam
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Rana Rais
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Mark Coggiano
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Gianluigi Tanda
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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22
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Khelashvili G, Falzone ME, Cheng X, Lee BC, Accardi A, Weinstein H. Dynamic modulation of the lipid translocation groove generates a conductive ion channel in Ca 2+-bound nhTMEM16. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4972. [PMID: 31672969 PMCID: PMC6823365 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12865-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Both lipid and ion translocation by Ca2+-regulated TMEM16 transmembrane proteins utilizes a membrane-exposed hydrophilic groove. Several conformations of the groove are observed in TMEM16 protein structures, but how these conformations form, and what functions they support, remains unknown. From analyses of atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of Ca2+-bound nhTMEM16 we find that the mechanism of a conformational transition of the groove from membrane-exposed to occluded from the membrane involves the repositioning of transmembrane helix 4 (TM4) following its disengagement from a TM3/TM4 interaction interface. Residue L302 is a key element in the hydrophobic TM3/TM4 interaction patch that braces the open-groove conformation, which should be changed by an L302A mutation. The structure of the L302A mutant determined by cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) reveals a partially closed groove that could translocate ions, but not lipids. This is corroborated with functional assays showing severely impaired lipid scrambling, but robust channel activity by L302A. A membrane-exposed groove in Ca2+-gated TMEM16 scramblases forms the translocation pathway for ions and lipids. Here authors combine molecular dynamics with cryo-EM and functional assays to uncover the conformational transitions of the groove leading to a non-selective ion channel pore.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA. .,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Maria E Falzone
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Xiaolu Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Byoung-Cheol Lee
- Research Group for the Neurovascular Unit, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea.,Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Alessio Accardi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA. .,Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA. .,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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23
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LeVine MV, Terry DS, Khelashvili G, Siegel ZS, Quick M, Javitch JA, Blanchard SC, Weinstein H. The allosteric mechanism of substrate-specific transport in SLC6 is mediated by a volumetric sensor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:15947-15956. [PMID: 31324743 PMCID: PMC6689989 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903020116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) in the SLC6 family terminate neurotransmission by coupling the thermodynamically favorable transport of ions to the thermodynamically unfavorable transport of neurotransmitter back into presynaptic neurons. Results from many structural, functional, and computational studies on LeuT, a bacterial NSS homolog, have provided critical insight into the mechanism of sodium-coupled transport, but the mechanism underlying substrate-specific transport rates is still not understood. We present a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) imaging, and measurements of Na+ binding and substrate transport that reveals an allosteric substrate specificity mechanism. In this mechanism, residues F259 and I359 in the substrate binding pocket couple the binding of substrate to Na+ release from the Na2 site by allosterically modulating the stability of a partially open, inward-facing state. We propose a model for transport selectivity in which residues F259 and I359 act as a volumetric sensor that inhibits the transport of bulky amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V LeVine
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065;
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
| | - Daniel S Terry
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
| | - Zarek S Siegel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Pharmacology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
| | - Scott C Blanchard
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065;
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
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Newman AH, Cao J, Keighron JD, Jordan CJ, Bi GH, Liang Y, Abramyan AM, Avelar AJ, Tschumi CW, Beckstead MJ, Shi L, Tanda G, Xi ZX. Translating the atypical dopamine uptake inhibitor hypothesis toward therapeutics for treatment of psychostimulant use disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1435-1444. [PMID: 30858517 PMCID: PMC6785152 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0366-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Medication-assisted treatments are unavailable to patients with cocaine use disorders. Efforts to develop potential pharmacotherapies have led to the identification of a promising lead molecule, JJC8-091, that demonstrates a novel binding mode at the dopamine transporter (DAT). Here, JJC8-091 and a structural analogue, JJC8-088, were extensively and comparatively assessed to elucidate neurochemical correlates to their divergent behavioral profiles. Despite sharing significant structural similarity, JJC8-088 was more cocaine-like, increasing extracellular DA concentrations in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAS) efficaciously and more potently than JJC8-091. In contrast, JJC8-091 was not self-administered and was effective in blocking cocaine-induced reinstatement to drug seeking. Electrophysiology experiments confirmed that JJC8-091 was more effective than JJC8-088 at inhibiting cocaine-mediated enhancement of DA neurotransmission. Further, when VTA DA neurons in DAT-cre mice were optically stimulated, JJC8-088 produced a significant leftward shift in the stimulation-response curve, similar to cocaine, while JJC8-091 shifted the curve downward, suggesting attenuation of DA-mediated brain reward. Computational models predicted that JJC8-088 binds in an outward facing conformation of DAT, similar to cocaine. Conversely, JJC8-091 steers DAT towards a more occluded conformation. Collectively, these data reveal the underlying molecular mechanism at DAT that may be leveraged to rationally optimize leads for the treatment of cocaine use disorders, with JJC8-091 representing a compelling candidate for development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Hauck Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
| | - Jianjing Cao
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Jacqueline D. Keighron
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Chloe J. Jordan
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Guo-Hua Bi
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Ying Liang
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Ara M. Abramyan
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Alicia J. Avelar
- 0000 0001 0629 5880grid.267309.9Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX USA
| | - Christopher W. Tschumi
- 0000 0001 0629 5880grid.267309.9Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX USA ,0000 0000 8527 6890grid.274264.1Aging & Metabolism Research Group, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK USA
| | - Michael J. Beckstead
- 0000 0001 0629 5880grid.267309.9Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX USA ,0000 0000 8527 6890grid.274264.1Aging & Metabolism Research Group, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK USA
| | - Lei Shi
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Gianluigi Tanda
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- 0000 0004 1936 8075grid.48336.3aMolecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA
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25
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Nielsen AK, Möller IR, Wang Y, Rasmussen SGF, Lindorff-Larsen K, Rand KD, Loland CJ. Substrate-induced conformational dynamics of the dopamine transporter. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2714. [PMID: 31221956 PMCID: PMC6586795 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10449-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter is a member of the neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs), which are responsible for termination of neurotransmission through Na+-driven reuptake of neurotransmitter from the extracellular space. Experimental evidence elucidating the coordinated conformational rearrangements related to the transport mechanism has so far been limited. Here we probe the global Na+- and dopamine-induced conformational dynamics of the wild-type Drosophila melanogaster dopamine transporter using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. We identify Na+- and dopamine-induced changes in specific regions of the transporter, suggesting their involvement in protein conformational transitions. Furthermore, we detect ligand-dependent slow cooperative fluctuations of helical stretches in several domains of the transporter, which could be a molecular mechanism that assists in the transporter function. Our results provide a framework for understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the function of NSSs by revealing detailed insight into the state-dependent conformational changes associated with the alternating access model of the dopamine transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Kathrine Nielsen
- Laboratory for Membrane Protein Dynamics, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Protein Analysis Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Ingvar R Möller
- Laboratory for Membrane Protein Dynamics, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Protein Analysis Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Yong Wang
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Søren G F Rasmussen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kasper D Rand
- Protein Analysis Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Claus J Loland
- Laboratory for Membrane Protein Dynamics, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.
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26
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A Machine Learning Approach for the Discovery of Ligand-Specific Functional Mechanisms of GPCRs. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24112097. [PMID: 31159491 PMCID: PMC6600179 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24112097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a key role in many cellular signaling mechanisms, and must select among multiple coupling possibilities in a ligand-specific manner in order to carry out a myriad of functions in diverse cellular contexts. Much has been learned about the molecular mechanisms of ligand-GPCR complexes from Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. However, to explore ligand-specific differences in the response of a GPCR to diverse ligands, as is required to understand ligand bias and functional selectivity, necessitates creating very large amounts of data from the needed large-scale simulations. This becomes a Big Data problem for the high dimensionality analysis of the accumulated trajectories. Here we describe a new machine learning (ML) approach to the problem that is based on transforming the analysis of GPCR function-related, ligand-specific differences encoded in the MD simulation trajectories into a representation recognizable by state-of-the-art deep learning object recognition technology. We illustrate this method by applying it to recognize the pharmacological classification of ligands bound to the 5-HT2A and D2 subtypes of class-A GPCRs from the serotonin and dopamine families. The ML-based approach is shown to perform the classification task with high accuracy, and we identify the molecular determinants of the classifications in the context of GPCR structure and function. This study builds a framework for the efficient computational analysis of MD Big Data collected for the purpose of understanding ligand-specific GPCR activity.
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27
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Scherer MK, Husic BE, Hoffmann M, Paul F, Wu H, Noé F. Variational selection of features for molecular kinetics. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:194108. [PMID: 31117766 DOI: 10.1063/1.5083040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The modeling of atomistic biomolecular simulations using kinetic models such as Markov state models (MSMs) has had many notable algorithmic advances in recent years. The variational principle has opened the door for a nearly fully automated toolkit for selecting models that predict the long time-scale kinetics from molecular dynamics simulations. However, one yet-unoptimized step of the pipeline involves choosing the features, or collective variables, from which the model should be constructed. In order to build intuitive models, these collective variables are often sought to be interpretable and familiar features, such as torsional angles or contact distances in a protein structure. However, previous approaches for evaluating the chosen features rely on constructing a full MSM, which in turn requires additional hyperparameters to be chosen, and hence leads to a computationally expensive framework. Here, we present a method to optimize the feature choice directly, without requiring the construction of the final kinetic model. We demonstrate our rigorous preprocessing algorithm on a canonical set of 12 fast-folding protein simulations and show that our procedure leads to more efficient model selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin K Scherer
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Brooke E Husic
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz Hoffmann
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabian Paul
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Frank Noé
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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28
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Corradi V, Sejdiu BI, Mesa-Galloso H, Abdizadeh H, Noskov SY, Marrink SJ, Tieleman DP. Emerging Diversity in Lipid-Protein Interactions. Chem Rev 2019; 119:5775-5848. [PMID: 30758191 PMCID: PMC6509647 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Membrane lipids interact with proteins in a variety of ways, ranging from providing a stable membrane environment for proteins to being embedded in to detailed roles in complicated and well-regulated protein functions. Experimental and computational advances are converging in a rapidly expanding research area of lipid-protein interactions. Experimentally, the database of high-resolution membrane protein structures is growing, as are capabilities to identify the complex lipid composition of different membranes, to probe the challenging time and length scales of lipid-protein interactions, and to link lipid-protein interactions to protein function in a variety of proteins. Computationally, more accurate membrane models and more powerful computers now enable a detailed look at lipid-protein interactions and increasing overlap with experimental observations for validation and joint interpretation of simulation and experiment. Here we review papers that use computational approaches to study detailed lipid-protein interactions, together with brief experimental and physiological contexts, aiming at comprehensive coverage of simulation papers in the last five years. Overall, a complex picture of lipid-protein interactions emerges, through a range of mechanisms including modulation of the physical properties of the lipid environment, detailed chemical interactions between lipids and proteins, and key functional roles of very specific lipids binding to well-defined binding sites on proteins. Computationally, despite important limitations, molecular dynamics simulations with current computer power and theoretical models are now in an excellent position to answer detailed questions about lipid-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Corradi
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Besian I. Sejdiu
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Haydee Mesa-Galloso
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Haleh Abdizadeh
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sergei Yu. Noskov
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - D. Peter Tieleman
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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29
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Ladefoged LK, Zeppelin T, Schiøtt B. Molecular modeling of neurological membrane proteins − from binding sites to synapses. Neurosci Lett 2019; 700:38-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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30
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Schumann-Gillett A, Blyth MT, O’Mara ML. Is protein structure enough? A review of the role of lipids in SLC6 transporter function. Neurosci Lett 2019; 700:64-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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31
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Dämgen MA, Biggin PC. Computational methods to examine conformational changes and ligand-binding properties: Examples in neurobiology. Neurosci Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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32
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Structural, functional, and behavioral insights of dopamine dysfunction revealed by a deletion in SLC6A3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3853-3862. [PMID: 30755521 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816247116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT) mediates clearance of DA. Genetic variants in hDAT have been associated with DA dysfunction, a complication associated with several brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated the structural and behavioral bases of an ASD-associated in-frame deletion in hDAT at N336 (∆N336). We uncovered that the deletion promoted a previously unobserved conformation of the intracellular gate of the transporter, likely representing the rate-limiting step of the transport process. It is defined by a "half-open and inward-facing" state (HOIF) of the intracellular gate that is stabilized by a network of interactions conserved phylogenetically, as we demonstrated in hDAT by Rosetta molecular modeling and fine-grained simulations, as well as in its bacterial homolog leucine transporter by electron paramagnetic resonance analysis and X-ray crystallography. The stabilization of the HOIF state is associated both with DA dysfunctions demonstrated in isolated brains of Drosophila melanogaster expressing hDAT ∆N336 and with abnormal behaviors observed at high-time resolution. These flies display increased fear, impaired social interactions, and locomotion traits we associate with DA dysfunction and the HOIF state. Together, our results describe how a genetic variation causes DA dysfunction and abnormal behaviors by stabilizing a HOIF state of the transporter.
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Hasenhuetl PS, Bhat S, Freissmuth M, Sandtner W. Functional Selectivity and Partial Efficacy at the Monoamine Transporters: A Unified Model of Allosteric Modulation and Amphetamine-Induced Substrate Release. Mol Pharmacol 2018; 95:303-312. [PMID: 30567955 DOI: 10.1124/mol.118.114793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
All clinically approved drugs targeting the plasmalemmal transporters for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin act either as competitive uptake inhibitors or as amphetamine-like releasers. Monoamine transporter (MAT) ligands that allosterically affect MAT-mediated substrate uptake, release, or both were recently discovered. Their modes of action have not yet been explained in a unified framework. Here, we go beyond competitive inhibitors and classic amphetamines and introduce concepts for partial efficacy at and allosteric modulation of MATs. After we elaborate on a kinetic account for amphetamine action, we provide an explanation for partial release (i.e., the observation that some amphetamines are less efficacious than others in inducing monoamine efflux). We then elucidate mechanisms of allosteric inhibition and stimulation of MATs, which can be functionally selective for either substrate uptake or amphetamine-induced release. These concepts are integrated into a parsimonious kinetic framework, which relies exclusively on physiologic transport modes (without any deviation from an alternating access mechanism). The model posits cooperative substrate and Na+ binding and functional selectivity by conformational selection (i.e., preference of the allosteric modulators for the substrate-loaded or substrate-free states of the transporter). Thus, current knowledge about the kinetics of monoamine transport is sufficiently detailed to provide a quantitative description of the releasing action of amphetamines, of substrate uptake, and of selective modulation thereof by allosteric modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S Hasenhuetl
- Institute of Pharmacology, Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shreyas Bhat
- Institute of Pharmacology, Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Freissmuth
- Institute of Pharmacology, Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Gating mechanism of the extracellular entry to the lipid pathway in a TMEM16 scramblase. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3251. [PMID: 30108217 PMCID: PMC6092359 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the TMEM16/ANO family of membrane proteins are Ca2+-activated phospholipid scramblases and/or Cl− channels. A membrane-exposed hydrophilic groove in these proteins serves as a shared translocation pathway for ions and lipids. However, the mechanism by which lipids gain access to and permeate through the groove remains poorly understood. Here, we combine quantitative scrambling assays and molecular dynamic simulations to identify the key steps regulating lipid movement through the groove. Lipid scrambling is limited by two constrictions defined by evolutionarily conserved charged and polar residues, one extracellular and the other near the membrane mid-point. The region between these constrictions is inaccessible to lipids and water molecules, suggesting that the groove is in a non-conductive conformation. A sequence of lipid-triggered reorganizations of interactions between these residues and the permeating lipids propagates from the extracellular entryway to the central constriction, allowing the groove to open and coordinate the headgroups of transiting lipids. Some TMEM16 family members are Ca2+-dependent phospholipid scramblases, which also mediate non-selective ion transport; however, the mechanism how lipids permeate through the TMEM16 remains poorly understood. Here, the authors combine biochemical assays and simulations to identify the key steps regulating lipid movement through the membrane-exposed groove.
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35
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Abstract
Background Much of the structure-based mechanistic understandings of the function of SLC6A neurotransmitter transporters emerged from the study of their bacterial LeuT-fold homologs. It has become evident, however, that structural differences such as the long N- and C-termini of the eukaryotic neurotransmitter transporters are involved in an expanded set of functional properties to the eukaryotic transporters. These functional properties are not shared by the bacterial homologs, which lack the structural elements that appeared later in evolution. However, mechanistic insights into some of the measured functional properties of the eukaryotic transporters that have been suggested to involve these structural elements are sparse or merely descriptive. Results To learn how the structural elements added in evolution enable mechanisms of the eukaryotic transporters in ways not shared with their bacterial LeuT-like homologs, we focused on the human dopamine transporter (hDAT) as a prototype. We present the results of a study employing large-scale molecular dynamics simulations and comparative Markov state model analysis of experimentally determined properties of the wild-type and mutant hDAT constructs. These offer a quantitative outline of mechanisms in which a rich spectrum of interactions of the hDAT N-terminus and C-terminus contribute to the regulation of transporter function (e.g., by phosphorylation) and/or to entirely new phenotypes (e.g., reverse uptake (efflux)) that were added in evolution. Conclusions The findings are consistent with the proposal that the size of eukaryotic neurotransmitter transporter termini increased during evolution to enable more functions (e.g., efflux) not shared with the bacterial homologs. The mechanistic explanations for the experimental findings about the modulation of function in DAT, the serotonin transporter, and other eukaryotic transporters reveal separate roles for the distal and proximal segments of the much larger N-terminus in eukaryotic transporters compared to the bacterial ones. The involvement of the proximal and distal segments — such as the role of the proximal segment in sustaining transport in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-depleted membranes and of the distal segment in modulating efflux — may represent an evolutionary adaptation required for the function of eukaryotic transporters expressed in various cell types of the same organism that differ in the lipid composition and protein complement of their membrane environment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0495-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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36
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Mittal S, Shukla D. Recruiting machine learning methods for molecular simulations of proteins. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2018.1448976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shriyaa Mittal
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
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37
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Hasenhuetl PS, Bhat S, Mayer FP, Sitte HH, Freissmuth M, Sandtner W. A kinetic account for amphetamine-induced monoamine release. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:431-451. [PMID: 29439119 PMCID: PMC5839721 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
This study on serotonin transporters shows that amphetamine-induced monoamine release requires cooperative substrate and cosubstrate binding. A kinetic model is presented that can account qualitatively and quantitatively for the releasing action of amphetamines. The plasmalemmal monoamine transporters for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin (SERT) are targets for amphetamines. In vivo, amphetamines elicit most, if not all, of their actions by triggering monoamine efflux. This is thought to be accomplished by an amphetamine-induced switch from the forward-transport to the substrate-exchange mode. The mechanism underlying this switch has remained elusive; available kinetic models posit that substrates and cosubstrate Na+ ions bind either in a random or in a sequential order. Neither can account for all reported experimental observations. We used electrophysiological recordings to interrogate crucial conformational transitions associated with the binding of five different substrates (serotonin, para-chloroamphetamine, and the high-affinity naphthyl-propan-amines PAL-287, PAL-1045, and PAL-1046) to human SERT expressed in HEK293 cells; specifically, we determined the relaxation kinetics of SERT from a substrate-loaded to a substrate-free state at various intracellular and extracellular Na+ concentrations. These rates and their dependence on intracellular and extracellular Na+ concentrations differed considerably between substrates. We also examined the effect of K+ on substrate affinity and found that K+ enhanced substrate dissociation. A kinetic model was developed, which allowed for random, but cooperative, binding of substrate and Na+ (or K+). The synthetic data generated by this model recapitulated the experimental observations. More importantly, the cooperative binding model accounted for the releasing action of amphetamines without any digression from alternating access. To the best of our knowledge, this model is the first to provide a mechanistic framework for amphetamine-induced monoamine release and to account for the findings that some substrates are less efficacious than others in promoting the substrate-exchange mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S Hasenhuetl
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shreyas Bhat
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix P Mayer
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Freissmuth
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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38
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Heterogeneities in Axonal Structure and Transporter Distribution Lower Dopamine Reuptake Efficiency. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0298-17. [PMID: 29430519 PMCID: PMC5804147 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0298-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient clearance of dopamine (DA) from the synapse is key to regulating dopaminergic signaling. This role is fulfilled by DA transporters (DATs). Recent advances in the structural characterization of DAT from Drosophila (dDAT) and in high-resolution imaging of DA neurons and the distribution of DATs in living cells now permit us to gain a mechanistic understanding of DA reuptake events in silico. Using electron microscopy images and immunofluorescence of transgenic knock-in mouse brains that express hemagglutinin-tagged DAT in DA neurons, we reconstructed a realistic environment for MCell simulations of DA reuptake, wherein the identity, population and kinetics of homology-modeled human DAT (hDAT) substates were derived from molecular simulations. The complex morphology of axon terminals near active zones was observed to give rise to large variations in DA reuptake efficiency, and thereby in extracellular DA density. Comparison of the effect of different firing patterns showed that phasic firing would increase the probability of reaching local DA levels sufficiently high to activate low-affinity DA receptors, mainly owing to high DA levels transiently attained during the burst phase. The experimentally observed nonuniform surface distribution of DATs emerged as a major modulator of DA signaling: reuptake was slower, and the peaks/width of transient DA levels were sharper/wider under nonuniform distribution of DATs, compared with uniform. Overall, the study highlights the importance of accurate descriptions of extrasynaptic morphology, DAT distribution, and conformational kinetics for quantitative evaluation of dopaminergic transmission and for providing deeper understanding of the mechanisms that regulate DA transmission.
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Terry DS, Kolster RA, Quick M, LeVine MV, Khelashvili G, Zhou Z, Weinstein H, Javitch JA, Blanchard SC. A partially-open inward-facing intermediate conformation of LeuT is associated with Na + release and substrate transport. Nat Commun 2018; 9:230. [PMID: 29335402 PMCID: PMC5768729 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02202-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSS), targets of antidepressants and psychostimulants, clear neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft through sodium (Na+)-coupled transport. Substrate and Na+ are thought to be transported from the extracellular to intracellular space through an alternating access mechanism by coordinated conformational rearrangements in the symporter that alternately expose the binding sites to each side of the membrane. However, the mechanism by which the binding of ligands coordinates conformational changes occurring on opposite sides of the membrane is not well understood. Here, we report the use of single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) techniques to image transitions between distinct conformational states on both the extracellular and intracellular sides of the prokaryotic NSS LeuT, including partially open intermediates associated with transport activity. The nature and functional context of these hitherto unidentified intermediate states shed new light on the allosteric mechanism that couples substrate and Na+ symport by the NSS family through conformational dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Terry
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Rachel A Kolster
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Michael V LeVine
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Zhou Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Scott C Blanchard
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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40
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Zeppelin T, Ladefoged LK, Sinning S, Periole X, Schiøtt B. A direct interaction of cholesterol with the dopamine transporter prevents its out-to-inward transition. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005907. [PMID: 29329285 PMCID: PMC5811071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoamine transporters (MATs) carry out neurotransmitter reuptake from the synaptic cleft, a key step in neurotransmission, which is targeted in the treatment of neurological disorders. Cholesterol (CHOL), a major component of the synaptic plasma membrane, has been shown to exhibit a modulatory effect on MATs. Recent crystal structures of the dopamine transporter (DAT) revealed the presence of two conserved CHOL-like molecules, suggesting a functional protein-CHOL direct interaction. Here, we present extensive atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of DAT in an outward-facing conformation. In the absence of bound CHOL, DAT undergoes structural changes reflecting early events of dopamine transport: transition to an inward-facing conformation. In contrast, in the presence of bound CHOL, these conformational changes are inhibited, seemingly by an immobilization of the intracellular interface of transmembrane helix 1a and 5 by CHOL. We also provide evidence, from coarse grain MD simulations that the CHOL sites observed in the DAT crystal structures are preserved in all human monoamine transporters (dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine), suggesting that our findings might extend to the entire family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Zeppelin
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lucy Kate Ladefoged
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Steffen Sinning
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Xavier Periole
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Birgit Schiøtt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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41
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Mechanisms of Lipid Scrambling by the G Protein-Coupled Receptor Opsin. Structure 2017; 26:356-367.e3. [PMID: 29290486 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2017.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Several class-A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) proteins act as constitutive phospholipid scramblases catalyzing the transbilayer translocation of >10,000 phospholipids per second when reconstituted into synthetic vesicles. To address the molecular mechanism by which these proteins facilitate rapid lipid scrambling, we carried out large-scale ensemble atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of the opsin GPCR. We report that, in the process of scrambling, lipid head groups traverse a dynamically revealed hydrophilic pathway in the region between transmembrane helices 6 and 7 of the protein while their hydrophobic tails remain in the bilayer environment. We present quantitative kinetic models of the translocation process based on Markov State Model analysis. As key residues on the lipid translocation pathway are conserved within the class-A GPCR family, our results illuminate unique aspects of GPCR structure and dynamics while providing a rigorous basis for the design of variants of these proteins with defined scramblase activity.
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Cheng MH, Kaya C, Bahar I. Quantitative Assessment of the Energetics of Dopamine Translocation by Human Dopamine Transporter. J Phys Chem B 2017; 122:5336-5346. [PMID: 29232131 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b10340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Computational evaluation of the energetics of substrate binding, transport, and release events of neurotransmitter transporters at the molecular level is a challenge, as the structural transitions of these membrane proteins involve coupled global and local changes that span time scales of several orders of magnitude, from nanoseconds to seconds. Here, we provide a quantitative assessment of the energetics of dopamine (DA) translocation through the human DA transporter (hDAT), using a combination of molecular modeling, simulation, and analysis tools. DA-binding and -unbinding events, which generally involve local configurational changes, are evaluated using free-energy perturbation or adaptive biasing force methods. The global transitions between the outward-facing state and the inward-facing state, on the other hand, require a dual-boost accelerated molecular dynamics simulation. We present results on DA-binding/unbinding energetics under different conditions, as well as the conformational energy landscape of hDAT in both DA-bound and -unbound states. The study provides a tractable method of approach for quantitative evaluation of substrate-binding energetics and efficient estimation of conformational energy landscape, in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Hongying Cheng
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States
| | - Cihan Kaya
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States
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43
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Howard RJ, Carnevale V, Delemotte L, Hellmich UA, Rothberg BS. Permeating disciplines: Overcoming barriers between molecular simulations and classical structure-function approaches in biological ion transport. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1860:927-942. [PMID: 29258839 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Ion translocation across biological barriers is a fundamental requirement for life. In many cases, controlling this process-for example with neuroactive drugs-demands an understanding of rapid and reversible structural changes in membrane-embedded proteins, including ion channels and transporters. Classical approaches to electrophysiology and structural biology have provided valuable insights into several such proteins over macroscopic, often discontinuous scales of space and time. Integrating these observations into meaningful mechanistic models now relies increasingly on computational methods, particularly molecular dynamics simulations, while surfacing important challenges in data management and conceptual alignment. Here, we seek to provide contemporary context, concrete examples, and a look to the future for bridging disciplinary gaps in biological ion transport. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Beyond the Structure-Function Horizon of Membrane Proteins edited by Ute Hellmich, Rupak Doshi and Benjamin McIlwain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Howard
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Box 1031, 17121 Solna, Sweden.
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Theoretical Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Box 1031, 17121 Solna, Sweden.
| | - Ute A Hellmich
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Institute for Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30, 55128 Mainz, Germany; Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Brad S Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
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44
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Thermodynamic Coupling Function Analysis of Allosteric Mechanisms in the Human Dopamine Transporter. Biophys J 2017; 114:10-14. [PMID: 29153319 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Allostery plays a crucial role in the mechanism of neurotransmitter-sodium symporters, such as the human dopamine transporter. To investigate the molecular mechanism that couples the transport-associated inward release of the Na+ ion from the Na2 site to intracellular gating, we applied a combination of the thermodynamic coupling function (TCF) formalism and Markov state model analysis to a 50-μs data set of molecular dynamics trajectories of the human dopamine transporter, in which multiple spontaneous Na+ release events were observed. Our TCF approach reveals a complex landscape of thermodynamic coupling between Na+ release and inward-opening, and identifies diverse, yet well-defined roles for different Na+-coordinating residues. In particular, we identify a prominent role in the allosteric coupling for the Na+-coordinating residue D421, where mutation has previously been associated with neurological disorders. Our results highlight the power of the TCF analysis to elucidate the molecular mechanism of complex allosteric processes in large biomolecular systems.
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45
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Conformational landscapes of membrane proteins delineated by enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1860:909-926. [PMID: 29113819 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The expansion of computational power, better parameterization of force fields, and the development of novel algorithms to enhance the sampling of the free energy landscapes of proteins have allowed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to become an indispensable tool to understand the function of biomolecules. The temporal and spatial resolution of MD simulations allows for the study of a vast number of processes of interest. Here, we review the computational efforts to uncover the conformational free energy landscapes of a subset of membrane proteins: ion channels, transporters and G-protein coupled receptors. We focus on the various enhanced sampling techniques used to study these questions, how the conclusions come together to build a coherent picture, and the relationship between simulation outcomes and experimental observables.
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46
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Membrane proteins structures: A review on computational modeling tools. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1859:2021-2039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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47
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Kapoor A, Martinez-Rosell G, Provasi D, de Fabritiis G, Filizola M. Dynamic and Kinetic Elements of µ-Opioid Receptor Functional Selectivity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11255. [PMID: 28900175 PMCID: PMC5595830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11483-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
While the therapeutic effect of opioids analgesics is mainly attributed to µ-opioid receptor (MOR) activation leading to G protein signaling, their side effects have mostly been linked to β-arrestin signaling. To shed light on the dynamic and kinetic elements underlying MOR functional selectivity, we carried out close to half millisecond high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations of MOR bound to a classical opioid drug (morphine) or a potent G protein-biased agonist (TRV-130). Statistical analyses of Markov state models built using this large simulation dataset combined with information theory enabled, for the first time: a) Identification of four distinct metastable regions along the activation pathway, b) Kinetic evidence of a different dynamic behavior of the receptor bound to a classical or G protein-biased opioid agonist, c) Identification of kinetically distinct conformational states to be used for the rational design of functionally selective ligands that may eventually be developed into improved drugs; d) Characterization of multiple activation/deactivation pathways of MOR, and e) Suggestion from calculated transition timescales that MOR conformational changes are not the rate-limiting step in receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijeet Kapoor
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gerard Martinez-Rosell
- Computational Biophysics Laboratory (GRIB-IMIM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), C Dr Aiguader 88, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
| | - Davide Provasi
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gianni de Fabritiis
- Computational Biophysics Laboratory (GRIB-IMIM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), C Dr Aiguader 88, Barcelona, 08003, Spain. .,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain.
| | - Marta Filizola
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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48
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Abramyan AM, Stolzenberg S, Li Z, Loland CJ, Noé F, Shi L. The Isomeric Preference of an Atypical Dopamine Transporter Inhibitor Contributes to Its Selection of the Transporter Conformation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:1735-1746. [PMID: 28441487 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine, a widely abused psychostimulant, inhibits the dopamine transporter (DAT) by trapping the protein in an outward-open conformation, whereas atypical DAT inhibitors such as benztropine have low abuse liability and prefer less outward-open conformations. Here, we use a spectrum of computational modeling and simulation approaches to obtain the underlying molecular mechanism in atomistic detail. Interestingly, our quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggest that a benztropine derivative JHW007 prefers a different stereoisomeric conformation of tropane in binding to DAT compared to that of a cocaine derivative, CFT. To further investigate the different inhibition mechanisms of DAT, we carried out MD simulations in combination with Markov state modeling analysis of wild-type and Y156F DAT in the absence of any ligand or the presence of CFT or JHW007. Our results indicate that the Y156F mutation and CFT shift the conformational equilibrium toward an outward-open conformation, whereas JHW007 prefers an inward-occluded conformation. Our findings reveal the mechanistic details of DAT inhibition by JHW007 at the atomistic level, which provide clues for rational design of atypical inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ara M. Abramyan
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications
Discovery Branch, NIH/NIDA/IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Sebastian Stolzenberg
- Computational
Molecular Biology group, Institute for Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Zheng Li
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Claus J. Loland
- Molecular
Neuropharmacology Group, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology,
The Faculty of Health Sciences, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Frank Noé
- Computational
Molecular Biology group, Institute for Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational
Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications
Discovery Branch, NIH/NIDA/IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
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49
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Mittal S, Shukla D. Predicting Optimal DEER Label Positions to Study Protein Conformational Heterogeneity. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:9761-9770. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b04785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shriyaa Mittal
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology and ‡Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology and ‡Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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50
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Stolzenberg S, Li Z, Quick M, Malinauskaite L, Nissen P, Weinstein H, Javitch JA, Shi L. The role of transmembrane segment 5 (TM5) in Na2 release and the conformational transition of neurotransmitter:sodium symporters toward the inward-open state. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:7372-7384. [PMID: 28320858 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.757153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) terminate neurotransmission by the reuptake of released neurotransmitters. This active accumulation of substrate against its concentration gradient is driven by the transmembrane Na+ gradient and requires that the transporter traverses several conformational states. LeuT, a prokaryotic NSS homolog, has been crystallized in outward-open, outward-occluded, and inward-open states. Two crystal structures of another prokaryotic NSS homolog, the multihydrophobic amino acid transporter (MhsT) from Bacillus halodurans, have been resolved in novel inward-occluded states, with the extracellular vestibule closed and the intracellular portion of transmembrane segment 5 (TM5i) in either an unwound or a helical conformation. We have investigated the potential involvement of TM5i in binding and unbinding of Na2, i.e. the Na+ bound in the Na2 site, by carrying out comparative molecular dynamics simulations of the models derived from the two MhsT structures. We find that the helical TM5i conformation is associated with a higher propensity for Na2 release, which leads to the repositioning of the N terminus and transition to an inward-open state. By using comparative interaction network analysis, we also identify allosteric pathways connecting TM5i and the Na2 binding site to the extracellular and intracellular regions. Based on our combined computational and mutagenesis studies of MhsT and LeuT, we propose that TM5i plays a key role in Na2 binding and release associated with the conformational transition toward the inward-open state, a role that is likely to be shared across the NSS family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Stolzenberg
- From the Computational Molecular Biology Group, Institute for Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and.,the Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850
| | - Zheng Li
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and
| | - Matthias Quick
- the Departments of Psychiatry and.,the Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Lina Malinauskaite
- the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark, and
| | - Poul Nissen
- the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark, and
| | - Harel Weinstein
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and.,the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- the Departments of Psychiatry and.,the Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, 10032.,Pharmacology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Lei Shi
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and .,the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065.,the Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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