1
|
Bourne Y, Sulzenbacher G, Chabaud L, Aráoz R, Radić Z, Conrod S, Taylor P, Guillou C, Molgó J, Marchot P. The Cyclic Imine Core Common to the Marine Macrocyclic Toxins Is Sufficient to Dictate Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonism. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:149. [PMID: 38667766 PMCID: PMC11050823 DOI: 10.3390/md22040149] [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: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Macrocyclic imine phycotoxins are an emerging class of chemical compounds associated with harmful algal blooms and shellfish toxicity. Earlier binding and electrophysiology experiments on nAChR subtypes and their soluble AChBP surrogates evidenced common trends for substantial antagonism, binding affinities, and receptor-subtype selectivity. Earlier, complementary crystal structures of AChBP complexes showed that common determinants within the binding nest at each subunit interface confer high-affinity toxin binding, while distinctive determinants from the flexible loop C, and either capping the nest or extending toward peripheral subsites, dictate broad versus narrow receptor subtype selectivity. From these data, small spiroimine enantiomers mimicking the functional core motif of phycotoxins were chemically synthesized and characterized. Voltage-clamp analyses involving three nAChR subtypes revealed preserved antagonism for both enantiomers, despite lower subtype specificity and binding affinities associated with faster reversibility compared with their macrocyclic relatives. Binding and structural analyses involving two AChBPs pointed to modest affinities and positional variability of the spiroimines, along with a range of AChBP loop-C conformations denoting a prevalence of antagonistic properties. These data highlight the major contribution of the spiroimine core to binding within the nAChR nest and confirm the need for an extended interaction network as established by the macrocyclic toxins to define high affinities and marked subtype specificity. This study identifies a minimal set of functional pharmacophores and binding determinants as templates for designing new antagonists targeting disease-associated nAChR subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yves Bourne
- Lab “Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques” (AFMB), Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Faculté des Sciences Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 09, France; (Y.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Gerlind Sulzenbacher
- Lab “Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques” (AFMB), Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Faculté des Sciences Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 09, France; (Y.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Laurent Chabaud
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (ICSN), Univ Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (L.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Rómulo Aráoz
- Service d’Ingénierie Moléculaire pour la Santé (SIMoS) EMR CNRS 9004, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frédéric Joliot, CEA, INRAE, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (R.A.); (J.M.)
| | - Zoran Radić
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0751, USA; (Z.R.); (P.T.)
| | - Sandrine Conrod
- Centre de Recherche en Neurobiologie et Neurophysiologie de Marseille (CRN2M), Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, 13344 Marseille, France;
| | - Palmer Taylor
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0751, USA; (Z.R.); (P.T.)
| | - Catherine Guillou
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (ICSN), Univ Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (L.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Jordi Molgó
- Service d’Ingénierie Moléculaire pour la Santé (SIMoS) EMR CNRS 9004, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frédéric Joliot, CEA, INRAE, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (R.A.); (J.M.)
| | - Pascale Marchot
- Lab “Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques” (AFMB), Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Faculté des Sciences Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 09, France; (Y.B.); (G.S.)
- Centre de Recherche en Neurobiologie et Neurophysiologie de Marseille (CRN2M), Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, 13344 Marseille, France;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Novel methyllycaconitine analogues selective for the α4β2 over α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 51:116516. [PMID: 34798380 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Analogues of methyllycaconitine (MLA) based on a (3-ethyl-9-methylidene-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-1-yl)methanol template have been designed and synthesised that incorporate the modified ester sidechains distinct from that present in the natural product. Electrophysiology experiments using Xenopus oocytes expressing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) revealed selected analogues served as non-competitive inhibitors that showed selectivity for the α4β2 over α7 nAChR subtypes, and selectivity for the (α4)3(β2)2 over (α4)2(β2)3 stoichiometry. This study more clearly defines the biological effects of MLA analogues and identifies strategies for the development of MLA analogues as selective ligands for the α4β2 nAChR subtype.
Collapse
|
3
|
Zeng Z, Kociok‐Köhn G, Woodman TJ, Rowan MG, Blagbrough IS. Structural Studies of Norditerpenoid Alkaloids: Conformation Analysis in Crystal and in Solution States. European J Org Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202100179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Zeng
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY UK
| | - Gabriele Kociok‐Köhn
- Material and Chemical Characterisation Facility University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY UK
| | - Timothy J. Woodman
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY UK
| | - Michael G. Rowan
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY UK
| | - Ian S. Blagbrough
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ho TNT, Abraham N, Lewis RJ. Structure-Function of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Inhibitors Derived From Natural Toxins. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:609005. [PMID: 33324158 PMCID: PMC7723979 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.609005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are prototypical cation-selective, ligand-gated ion channels that mediate fast neurotransmission in the central and peripheral nervous systems. nAChRs are involved in a range of physiological and pathological functions and hence are important therapeutic targets. Their subunit homology and diverse pentameric assembly contribute to their challenging pharmacology and limit their drug development potential. Toxins produced by an extensive range of algae, plants and animals target nAChRs, with many proving pivotal in elucidating receptor pharmacology and biochemistry, as well as providing templates for structure-based drug design. The crystal structures of these toxins with diverse chemical profiles in complex with acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP), a soluble homolog of the extracellular ligand-binding domain of the nAChRs and more recently the extracellular domain of human α9 nAChRs, have been reported. These studies have shed light on the diverse molecular mechanisms of ligand-binding at neuronal nAChR subtypes and uncovered critical insights useful for rational drug design. This review provides a comprehensive overview and perspectives obtained from structure and function studies of diverse plant and animal toxins and their associated inhibitory mechanisms at neuronal nAChRs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard J. Lewis
- Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Camacho-Hernandez GA, Taylor P. Lessons from nature: Structural studies and drug design driven by a homologous surrogate from invertebrates, AChBP. Neuropharmacology 2020; 179:108108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
6
|
Gulsevin A. Nicotinic receptor pharmacology in silico: Insights and challenges. Neuropharmacology 2020; 177:108257. [PMID: 32738311 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are homo- or hetero-pentameric ligand-gated ion channels of the Cys-loop superfamily and play important roles in the nervous system and muscles. Studies on nAChR benefit from in silico modeling due to the lack of high-resolution structures for most receptor subtypes and challenges in experiments addressing the complex mechanism of activation involving allosteric sites. Although there is myriad of computational modeling studies on nAChR, the multitude of the methods and parameters used in these studies makes modeling nAChR a daunting task, particularly for the non-experts in the field. To address this problem, the modeling literature on Torpedo nAChR and α7 nAChR were focused on as examples of heteromeric and homomeric nAChR, and the key in silico modeling studies between the years 1995-2019 were concisely reviewed. This was followed by a critical analysis of these studies by comparing the findings with each other and with the emerging experimental and computational data on nAChR. Based on these critical analyses, suggestions were made to guide the future researchers in the field of in silico modeling of nAChR. This article is part of the special issue on 'Contemporary Advances in Nicotine Neuropharmacology'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alican Gulsevin
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, 37221.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Interactions of the α3β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Interfaces with α-Conotoxin LsIA and its Carboxylated C-terminus Analogue: Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18070349. [PMID: 32635340 PMCID: PMC7401271 DOI: 10.3390/md18070349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Notably, α-conotoxins with carboxy-terminal (C-terminal) amidation are inhibitors of the pentameric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are therapeutic targets for neurological diseases and disorders. The (α3)2(β2)3 nAChR subunit arrangement comprises a pair of α3(+)β2(−) and β2(+)α3(−) interfaces, and a β2(+)β2(−) interface. The β2(+)β2(−) interface has been suggested to have higher agonist affinity relative to the α3(+)β2(−) and β2(+)α3(−) interfaces. Nevertheless, the interactions formed by these subunit interfaces with α-conotoxins are not well understood. Therefore, in order to address this, we modelled the interactions between α-conotoxin LsIA and the α3β2 subtype. The results suggest that the C-terminal carboxylation of LsIA predominantly influenced the enhanced contacts of the conotoxin via residues P7, P14 and C17 on LsIA at the α3(+)β2(−) and β2(+)α3(−) interfaces. However, this enhancement is subtle at the β2(+)β2(−) site, which can compensate the augmented interactions by LsIA at α3(+)β2(−) and β2(+)α3(−) binding sites. Therefore, the divergent interactions at the individual binding interface may account for the minor changes in binding affinity to α3β2 subtype by C-terminal carboxylation of LsIA versus its wild type, as shown in previous experimental results. Overall, these findings may facilitate the development of new drug leads or subtype-selective probes.
Collapse
|
8
|
Progress in nicotinic receptor structural biology. Neuropharmacology 2020; 171:108086. [PMID: 32272141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Here we begin by briefly reviewing landmark structural studies on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. We highlight challenges that had to be overcome to push through resolution barriers, then focus on what has been gleaned in the past few years from crystallographic and single particle cryo-EM studies of different nicotinic receptor subunit assemblies and ligand complexes. We discuss insights into ligand recognition, ion permeation, and allosteric gating. We then highlight some foundational aspects of nicotinic receptor structural biology that remain unresolved and are areas ripe for future exploration. This article is part of the special issue on 'Contemporary Advances in Nicotine Neuropharmacology'.
Collapse
|
9
|
Gulsevin A, Papke RL, Horenstein N. In Silico Modeling of the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: New Pharmacological Challenges Associated with Multiple Modes of Signaling. Mini Rev Med Chem 2020; 20:841-864. [PMID: 32000651 PMCID: PMC8719523 DOI: 10.2174/1389557520666200130105256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is a homopentameric ion-channel of the Cys-loop superfamily characterized by its low probability of opening, high calcium permeability, and rapid desensitization. The α7 receptor has been targeted for the treatment of the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, depression, and Alzheimer's disease, but it is also involved in inflammatory modulation as a part of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Despite its functional importance, in silico studies of the α7 receptor cannot produce a general model explaining the structural features of receptor activation, nor predict the mode of action for various ligand classes. Two particular problems in modeling the α7 nAChR are the absence of a high-resolution structure and the presence of five potentially nonequivalent orthosteric ligand binding sites. There is wide variability regarding the templates used for homology modeling, types of ligands investigated, simulation methods, and simulation times. However, a systematic survey focusing on the methodological similarities and differences in modeling α7 has not been done. In this work, we make a critical analysis of the modeling literature of α7 nAChR by comparing the findings of computational studies with each other and with experimental studies under the main topics of structural studies, ligand binding studies, and comparisons with other nAChR. In light of our findings, we also summarize current problems in the field and make suggestions for future studies concerning modeling of the α7 receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alican Gulsevin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, United States
| | - Roger L Papke
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100267, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Nicole Horenstein
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7200, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lee A, Saito E, Ekins S, McMurtray A. Extracellular binding of indinavir to matrix metalloproteinase-2 and the alpha-7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: implications for use in cancer treatment. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02526. [PMID: 31687607 PMCID: PMC6819839 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Results from recent studies have suggested a role for protease inhibitors in altering mechanisms involved in the initiation and proliferation of cancer cells. One such inhibitor, indinavir, may act as an anti-cancer agent by modulating the alpha-7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which is a pro-carcinogenic protein that has been researched in conjunction with nicotine in lung cancer development. In our study, we compare indinavir's binding affinity towards α7-nAchR and MMP-2, another promoter of malignancy, to determine what extracellular effects the drug has before being internalized to inhibit HIV-1 protease. Methods A computer program, PyRx, was used to compare indinavir's binding affinity with digital models for α7-nAchR, MMP-2 and HIV-1 protease, which were then compared to the results of in vitro binding assays for these targets. Results PyRx testing predicted the highest binding affinity values for indinavir to MMP-2 (mean = 8.77 kcal/mol, S.D. = 0.29), followed by the α7-nAchR (mean = 8.53 kcal/mol, S.D. = 0.15) and HIV-1 protease (mean = 7.5 kcal/mol, S.D. = 0.44). In vitro, indinavir's mean percent inhibition of control values were 103.2 for HIV-1 protease, 5.3 for MMP-2, and 7.7 for the α7-nAchR. Conclusions Binding affinity values for indinavir to MMP-2 and α7-nAchR were not significantly different. Using PyRx to predict affinity compared with in vitro testing did not yield comparable results. However, indinavir was shown to slightly inhibit both α7-nAchR and MMP-2, which may have ramifications in the drug's delivery to the intracellularly located HIV-1 protease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lee
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Erin Saito
- OC Neuroscience, Inc., Irvine, CA, 92604, USA
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Stokes C, Garai S, Kulkarni AR, Cantwell LN, Noviello CM, Hibbs RE, Horenstein NA, Abboud KA, Thakur GA, Papke RL. Heteromeric Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors with Mutant β Subunits Acquire Sensitivity to α7-Selective Positive Allosteric Modulators. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 370:252-268. [PMID: 31175218 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.259499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Homomeric α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) have an intrinsically low probability of opening that can be overcome by α7-selective positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), which bind at a site involving the second transmembrane domain (TM2). Mutation of a methionine that is unique to α7 at the 15' position of TM2 to leucine, the residue in most other nAChR subunits, largely eliminates the activity of such PAMs. We tested the effect of the reverse mutation (L15'M) in heteromeric nAChR receptors containing α4 and β2, which are the nAChR subunits that are most abundant in the brain. Receptors containing these mutations were found to be strongly potentiated by the α7 PAM 3a,4,5,9b-tetrahydro-4-(1-naphthalenyl)-3H-cyclopentan[c]quinoline-8-sulfonamide (TQS) but insensitive to the alternative PAM 1-(5-chloro-2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)-urea. The presence of the mutation in the β2 subunit was necessary and sufficient for TQS sensitivity. The primary effect of the mutation in the α4 subunit was to reduce responses to acetylcholine applied alone. Sensitivity to TQS required only a single mutant β subunit, regardless of the position of the mutant β subunit within the pentameric complex. Similar results were obtained when β2L15'M was coexpressed with α2 or α3 and when the L15'M mutation was placed in β4 and coexpressed with α2, α3, or α4. Functional receptors were not observed when β1L15'M subunits were coexpressed with other muscle nAChR subunits. The unique structure-activity relationship of PAMs and the α4β2L15'M receptor compared with α7 and the availability of high-resolution α4β2 structures may provide new insights into the fundamental mechanisms of nAChR allosteric potentiation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Heteromeric neuronal nAChRs have a relatively high initial probability of channel activation compared to receptors that are homomers of α7 subunits but are insensitive to PAMs, which greatly increase the open probability of α7 receptors. These features of heteromeric nAChR can be reversed by mutation of a single residue present in all neuronal heteromeric nAChR subunits to the sequence found in α7. Specifically, the mutation of the TM2 15' leucine to methionine in α subunits reduces heteromeric receptor channel activation, while the same mutation in neuronal β subunits allows heteromeric receptors to respond to select α7 PAMs. The results indicate a key role for this residue in the functional differences in the two main classes of neuronal nAChRs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Stokes
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Sumanta Garai
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Abhijit R Kulkarni
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Lucas N Cantwell
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Colleen M Noviello
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Ryan E Hibbs
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Nicole A Horenstein
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Khalil A Abboud
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Ganesh A Thakur
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| | - Roger L Papke
- Departments of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (C.S., R.L.P.) and Chemistry (N.A.H., K.A.A.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (S.G., A.R.K., L.N.C., G.A.T.); and Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (C.M.N., R.E.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Blunt CEW, Dougherty DA. Binding Interactions of NS6740, a Silent Agonist of the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor. Mol Pharmacol 2019; 96:212-218. [PMID: 31175182 DOI: 10.1124/mol.119.116244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is a potential drug target for the treatment of a number of neurologic and inflammatory disorders. Silent agonists are an emerging class of drugs that bind to the receptor but do not open the channel. Instead they shift the receptor to a desensitized state. Silent agonists may be able to target a subset of α7 nAChR-mediated signaling processes. Here we use noncanonical amino acid mutagenesis to characterize the binding to α7 by the silent agonist 1,4-diazabicyclo[3.2.2]nonan-4-yl(5-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)furan-2-yl)methanone (NS6740). We find that, like α7 agonists, NS6740 forms a cation-π interaction with Y115 (TyrA). We also showed that NS6740 makes a novel hydrogen bond to TyrA. This interaction is necessary for the silent agonist activity of NS6740; when the hydrogen bond is blocked, silent agonist NS6740 converts to a conventional partial agonist and appreciably opens the channel in the absence of a positive allosteric modulator (EC50 150 nM). SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Noncanonical amino acids were used to show that a hydrogen bond to tyrosine (Y115) is required for silent agonist activity of NS6740 at the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catriona E W Blunt
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Dennis A Dougherty
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zouridakis M, Papakyriakou A, Ivanov IA, Kasheverov IE, Tsetlin V, Tzartos S, Giastas P. Crystal Structure of the Monomeric Extracellular Domain of α9 Nicotinic Receptor Subunit in Complex With α-Conotoxin RgIA: Molecular Dynamics Insights Into RgIA Binding to α9α10 Nicotinic Receptors. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:474. [PMID: 31118896 PMCID: PMC6504684 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The α9 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) exists mainly in heteropentameric assemblies with α10. Accumulating data indicate the presence of three different binding sites in α9α10 nAChRs: the α9(+)/α9(−), the α9(+)/α10(−), and the α10(+)/α9(−). The major role of the principal (+) side of the extracellular domain (ECD) of α9 subunit in binding of the antagonists methyllylcaconitine and α-bungarotoxin was shown previously by the crystal structures of the monomeric α9-ECD with these molecules. Here we present the 2.26-Å resolution crystal structure of α9-ECD in complex with α-conotoxin (α-Ctx) RgIA, a potential drug for chronic pain, the first structure reported for a complex between an nAChR domain and an α-Ctx. Superposition of this structure with those of other α-Ctxs bound to the homologous pentameric acetylcholine binding proteins revealed significant similarities in the orientation of bound conotoxins, despite the monomeric state of the α9-ECD. In addition, ligand-binding studies calculated a binding affinity of RgIA to the α9-ECD at the low micromolar range. Given the high identity between α9 and α10 ECDs, particularly at their (+) sides, the presented structure was used as template for molecular dynamics simulations of the ECDs of the human α9α10 nAChR in pentameric assemblies. Our results support a favorable binding of RgIA at α9(+)/α9(−) or α10(+)/α9(−) rather than the α9(+)/α10(−) interface, in accordance with previous mutational and functional data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marios Zouridakis
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Igor A Ivanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor E Kasheverov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor Tsetlin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,PhysBio of MEPhI, Moscow, Russia
| | - Socrates Tzartos
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece.,Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Petros Giastas
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Brissonnet Y, Araoz R, Sousa R, Percevault L, Brument S, Deniaud D, Servent D, Le Questel JY, Lebreton J, Gouin SG. Di- and heptavalent nicotinic analogues to interfere with α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:700-707. [PMID: 30692022 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the field of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), recognized as important therapeutic targets, much effort has been dedicated to the development of nicotinic analogues to agonize or antagonize distinct homo- and heteropentamers nAChR subtypes, selectively. In this work we developed di- and heptavalent nicotinic derivatives based on ethylene glycol (EG) and cyclodextrin cores, respectively. The compounds showed a concentration dependent inhibition of acetylcholine-induced currents on α7 nAChR expressed by Xenopus oocytes. Interesting features were observed with the divalent nicotinic derivatives, acting as antagonists with varied inhibitory concentrations (IC50) in function of the spacer arm length. The best divalent compounds showed a 16-fold lowered IC50 compared to the monovalent reference (12 vs 195 µM). Docking investigations provide guidelines to rationalize these experimental findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoan Brissonnet
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Romulo Araoz
- CNRS, Neuro-PSI, UMR9197, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France; CEA/DRF/JOLIOT/SIMOPRO/Toxines Récepteur et Canaux Ioniques, F-91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Rui Sousa
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Lucie Percevault
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Sami Brument
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - David Deniaud
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Denis Servent
- CEA/DRF/JOLIOT/SIMOPRO/Toxines Récepteur et Canaux Ioniques, F-91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Yves Le Questel
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France.
| | - Jacques Lebreton
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Sébastien G Gouin
- Université de Nantes, CEISAM, Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, UMR CNRS 6230, UFR des Sciences et des Techniques, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lu Z, Xie P, Zhang D, Sun P, Yang H, Ye J, Cao H, Huo C, Zhou H, Chen Y, Ye W, Yu L, Liu J. 3-Dehydroandrographolide protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 158:305-317. [PMID: 30391477 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Acute lung injury (ALI) is a deadly disease without effective chemotherapy, so far. Traditional Chinese medicine andrographis herba is frequently used in the treatment of respiratory diseases. In searching for natural anti-ALI components from andrographis herba, the activities of 3-dehydroandrographolide (3-DA), a new natural andrographolide product from andrographis herba were evaluated. In this study, murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and BALB/c mice were treated with LPS (lipopolysaccharide, 100 ng/ml in vitro; 3 mg/kg, intratracheal) to establish inflammation models. 3-DA attenuated the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, inhibited the degradation and phosphorylation of IκBα, and suppressed the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 as well as the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Furthermore, 3-DA increased α7nAchR expression level and bound with α7nAchR. More importantly, the anti-inflammatory effects of 3-DA were counteracted in the presence of α7nAchR siRNA or methyllycaconitine (MLA, a α7nAchR specific inhibitor), suggesting that α7nAchR is a potential target in the anti-inflammatory effects of 3-DA. Besides, 3-DA significantly inhibited inflammation in LPS-induced ALI mice, which was associated with the decrease of lung water content and inflammatory cytokines, the inhibition of neutrophil and macrophage infiltration, and activation of the NF-κB/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, these protective effects were attenuated by the treatment of MLA. Taken together, 3-DA alleviates LPS-induced inflammation via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide a rationale for the role of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in inflammation and the promising clinical application of 3-DA to treat ALI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zibin Lu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Pei Xie
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Pinghua Sun
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Huayi Yang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Jiaxi Ye
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Huihui Cao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Chuying Huo
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Hongling Zhou
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yuyao Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Wencai Ye
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, PR China.
| | - Linzhong Yu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
| | - Junshan Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Yu J, Zhu X, Zhang L, Kudryavtsev D, Kasheverov I, Lei Y, Zhangsun D, Tsetlin V, Luo S. Species specificity of rat and human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors towards different classes of peptide and protein antagonists. Neuropharmacology 2018; 139:226-237. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
17
|
Inhester T, Nittinger E, Sommer K, Schmidt P, Bietz S, Rarey M. NAOMInova: Interactive Geometric Analysis of Noncovalent Interactions in Macromolecular Structures. J Chem Inf Model 2017; 57:2132-2142. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.7b00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Therese Inhester
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eva Nittinger
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kai Sommer
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pascal Schmidt
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Bietz
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Rarey
- ZBH - Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Nemecz Á, Prevost MS, Menny A, Corringer PJ. Emerging Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction in Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels. Neuron 2017; 90:452-70. [PMID: 27151638 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine, serotonin type 3, γ-amminobutyric acid type A, and glycine receptors are major players of human neuronal communication. They belong to the family of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels, sharing a highly conserved modular 3D structure. Recently, high-resolution structures of both open- and closed-pore conformations have been solved for a bacterial, an invertebrate, and a vertebrate receptor in this family. These data suggest that a common gating mechanism occurs, coupling neurotransmitter binding to pore opening, but they also pinpoint significant differences among subtypes. In this Review, we summarize the structural and functional data in light of these gating models and speculate about their mechanistic consequences on ion permeation, pathological mutations, as well as functional regulation by orthosteric and allosteric effectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ákos Nemecz
- Channel-Receptors Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3571, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Marie S Prevost
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Anaïs Menny
- Channel-Receptors Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3571, 75015 Paris, France; Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Cellule Pasteur, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Jean Corringer
- Channel-Receptors Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3571, 75015 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Ma Q, Tae HS, Wu G, Jiang T, Yu R. Exploring the Relationship between Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligand Size, Efficiency, Efficacy, and C-Loop Opening. J Chem Inf Model 2017; 57:1947-1956. [PMID: 28718646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.7b00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels mediating fundamental physiological activities in the nervous system and have become important targets for drug design. For a long time, the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) has been used as a surrogate to study the nAChR structure-function. Taking advantage of more than 100 AChBP crystal structures in the Protein DataBank (PDB), we explored the relationship between the size, efficiency, and efficacy of nAChR ligands and the C-loop movement. We found that the size of the ligand is correlated with the opening of the C-loop, which can be used in selecting AChBP crystal structures with appropriate C-loop opening to be used for nAChR ligand docking. Ligand size and C-loop opening are reversely correlated with the ligand efficiency rather than the binding affinity. Ligand efficiency could be accurately predicted using simple computational docking, giving a correlation coefficients (R2) up to 0.73. The efficacy of nAChR ligands might be related to ligand size, C-loop opening, and ligand efficiency. Results from this study are useful for engineering the binding affinity and efficacy of nAChR ligands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qianyun Ma
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China , Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology , Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Han-Shen Tae
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong , Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Guanzhao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China , Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology , Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China , Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology , Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Rilei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China , Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology , Qingdao 266003, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Uspenska K, Lykhmus O, Gergalova G, Chernyshov V, Arias HR, Komisarenko S, Skok M. Nicotine facilitates nicotinic acetylcholine receptor targeting to mitochondria but makes them less susceptible to selective ligands. Neurosci Lett 2017; 656:43-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
21
|
Giastas P, Zouridakis M, Tzartos SJ. Understanding structure-function relationships of the human neuronal acetylcholine receptor: insights from the first crystal structures of neuronal subunits. Br J Pharmacol 2017; 175:1880-1891. [PMID: 28452148 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) are the best studied members of the superfamily of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs). Neuronal nAChRs regulate neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter release in the nervous system and form either homo- or hetero-pentameric complexes with various combinations of the 11 neuronal nAChR subunits (α2-7, α9, α10 and β2-4) known to exist in humans. In addition to their wide distribution in the nervous system, neuronal nAChRs have been also found in immune cells and many peripheral tissues. These nAChRs are important drug targets for neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's, schizophrenia) and substance addiction (e.g. nicotine), as well as in a variety of diseases such as chronic pain, auditory disorders and some cancers. To decipher the functional mechanisms of human nAChRs and develop efficient and specific therapeutic drugs, elucidation of their high-resolution structures is needed. Recent studies, including the X-ray crystal structures of the near-intact α4β2 nAChR and of the ligand-binding domains of the α9 and α2 subunits, have advanced our knowledge on the detailed structure of the ligand-binding sites formed between the same and different subunits and revealed many other functionally important interactions. The aim of this review is to highlight some of the structural and functional findings of these studies and to compare them with recent breakthrough findings on other pLGIC members and earlier data from their homologous ACh-binding proteins. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.11/issuetoc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petros Giastas
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Marios Zouridakis
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Xu M, Zhu X, Yu J, Yu J, Luo S, Wang X. The crystal structure of Ac-AChBP in complex with α-conotoxin LvIA reveals the mechanism of its selectivity towards different nAChR subtypes. Protein Cell 2017; 8:675-685. [PMID: 28585176 PMCID: PMC5563285 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-017-0426-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The α3* nAChRs, which are considered to be promising drug targets for problems such as pain, addiction, cardiovascular function, cognitive disorders etc., are found throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. The α-conotoxin (α-CTx) LvIA has been identified as the most selective inhibitor of α3β2 nAChRs known to date, and it can distinguish the α3β2 nAChR subtype from the α6/α3β2β3 and α3β4 nAChR subtypes. However, the mechanism of its selectivity towards α3β2, α6/α3β2β3, and α3β4 nAChRs remains elusive. Here we report the co-crystal structure of LvIA in complex with Aplysia californica acetylcholine binding protein (Ac-AChBP) at a resolution of 3.4 Å. Based on the structure of this complex, together with homology modeling based on other nAChR subtypes and binding affinity assays, we conclude that Asp-11 of LvIA plays an important role in the selectivity of LvIA towards α3β2 and α3/α6β2β3 nAChRs by making a salt bridge with Lys-155 of the rat α3 subunit. Asn-9 lies within a hydrophobic pocket that is formed by Met-36, Thr-59, and Phe-119 of the rat β2 subunit in the α3β2 nAChR model, revealing the reason for its more potent selectivity towards the α3β2 nAChR subtype. These results provide molecular insights that can be used to design ligands that selectively target α3β2 nAChRs, with significant implications for the design of new therapeutic α-CTxs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manyu Xu
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaopeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Lab for Marine Drugs of Haikou, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Jinfang Yu
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jinpeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Lab for Marine Drugs of Haikou, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Sulan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Lab for Marine Drugs of Haikou, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
| | - Xinquan Wang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Richardson JS, Videau LL, Williams CJ, Richardson DC. Broad Analysis of Vicinal Disulfides: Occurrences, Conformations with Cis or with Trans Peptides, and Functional Roles Including Sugar Binding. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:1321-1335. [PMID: 28336403 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Vicinal disulfides between sequence-adjacent cysteine residues are very rare and rather startling structural features which play a variety of functional roles. Typically discussed as an isolated curiosity, they have never received a general treatment covering both cis and trans forms. Enabled by the growing database of high-resolution structures, required deposition of diffraction data, and improved methods for discriminating reliable from dubious cases, we identify and describe distinct protein families with reliably genuine examples of cis or trans vicinal disulfides and discuss their conformations, conservation, and functions. No cis-trans interconversions and only one case of catalytic redox function are seen. Some vicinal disulfides are essential to large, functionally coupled motions, whereas most form the centers of tightly packed internal regions. Their most widespread biological role is providing a rigid hydrophobic contact surface under the undecorated side of a sugar or multiring ligand, contributing an important aspect of binding specificity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry, 3711 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Lizbeth L Videau
- Department of Biochemistry, 3711 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - David C Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry, 3711 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kaczanowska K, Camacho Hernandez GA, Bendiks L, Kohs L, Cornejo-Bravo JM, Harel M, Finn MG, Taylor P. Substituted 2-Aminopyrimidines Selective for α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Activation and Association with Acetylcholine Binding Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:3676-3684. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b10746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kaczanowska
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0650, United States,
| | - Gisela Andrea Camacho Hernandez
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0650, United States,
- Facultad
de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calzada Universidad 14418, Tijuana, Baja California 22390, Mexico
| | - Larissa Bendiks
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0650, United States,
| | - Larissa Kohs
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0650, United States,
| | - Jose Manuel Cornejo-Bravo
- Facultad
de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calzada Universidad 14418, Tijuana, Baja California 22390, Mexico
| | - Michal Harel
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0650, United States,
| | - M. G. Finn
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Palmer Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0650, United States,
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
The role of carbohydrate component of recombinant α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor extracellular domain in its immunogenicity and functional effects of resulting antibodies. Immunobiology 2016; 221:1355-1361. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
|
26
|
Crystal structure of a human neuronal nAChR extracellular domain in pentameric assembly: Ligand-bound α2 homopentamer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:9635-40. [PMID: 27493220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1602619113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we report the X-ray crystal structure of the extracellular domain (ECD) of the human neuronal α2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit in complex with the agonist epibatidine at 3.2 Å. Interestingly, α2 was crystallized as a pentamer, revealing the intersubunit interactions in a wild type neuronal nAChR ECD and the full ligand binding pocket conferred by two adjacent α subunits. The pentameric assembly presents the conserved structural scaffold observed in homologous proteins, as well as distinctive features, providing unique structural information of the binding site between principal and complementary faces. Structure-guided mutagenesis and electrophysiological data confirmed the presence of the α2(+)/α2(-) binding site on the heteromeric low sensitivity α2β2 nAChR and validated the functional importance of specific residues in α2 and β2 nAChR subunits. Given the pathological importance of the α2 nAChR subunit and the high sequence identity with α4 (78%) and other neuronal nAChR subunits, our findings offer valuable information for modeling several nAChRs and ultimately for structure-based design of subtype specific drugs against the nAChR associated diseases.
Collapse
|
27
|
Corradi J, Bouzat C. Understanding the Bases of Function and Modulation of α7 Nicotinic Receptors: Implications for Drug Discovery. Mol Pharmacol 2016; 90:288-99. [PMID: 27190210 DOI: 10.1124/mol.116.104240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) belongs to a superfamily of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels involved in many physiologic and pathologic processes. Among nAChRs, receptors comprising the α7 subunit are unique because of their high Ca(2+) permeability and fast desensitization. nAChR agonists elicit a transient ion flux response that is further sustained by the release of calcium from intracellular sources. Owing to the dual ionotropic/metabotropic nature of α7 receptors, signaling pathways are activated. The α7 subunit is highly expressed in the nervous system, mostly in regions implicated in cognition and memory and has therefore attracted attention as a novel drug target. Additionally, its dysfunction is associated with several neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. α7 is also expressed in non-neuronal cells, particularly immune cells, where it plays a role in immunity, inflammation, and neuroprotection. Thus, α7 potentiation has emerged as a therapeutic strategy for several neurologic and inflammatory disorders. With unique activation properties, the receptor is a sensitive drug target carrying different potential binding sites for chemical modulators, particularly agonists and positive allosteric modulators. Although macroscopic and single-channel recordings have provided significant information about the underlying molecular mechanisms and binding sites of modulatory compounds, we know just the tip of the iceberg. Further concerted efforts are necessary to effectively exploit α7 as a drug target for each pathologic situation. In this article, we focus mainly on the molecular basis of activation and drug modulation of α7, key pillars for rational drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremías Corradi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur, CONICET/UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Bouzat
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur, CONICET/UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Shahsavar A, Gajhede M, Kastrup JS, Balle T. Structural Studies of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Using Acetylcholine-Binding Protein as a Structural Surrogate. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2016; 118:399-407. [DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Shahsavar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE; Aarhus University; Aarhus Denmark
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Michael Gajhede
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Jette S. Kastrup
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Thomas Balle
- Faculty of Pharmacy; The University of Sydney; Sydney NSW Australia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Bertrand D, Lee CHL, Flood D, Marger F, Donnelly-Roberts D. Therapeutic Potential of α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. Pharmacol Rev 2015; 67:1025-73. [DOI: 10.1124/pr.113.008581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
|
30
|
Jaikhan P, Boonyarat C, Arunrungvichian K, Taylor P, Vajragupta O. Design and Synthesis of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonists and their Effect on Cognitive Impairment. Chem Biol Drug Des 2015; 87:39-56. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pattaporn Jaikhan
- Center of Excellence for Innovation in Drug Design and Discovery; Faculty of Pharmacy; Mahidol University; 447 Sri-Ayudya Road Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| | - Chantana Boonyarat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science; KhonKaen University; KhonKaen 4000 Thailand
| | - Kuntarat Arunrungvichian
- Center of Excellence for Innovation in Drug Design and Discovery; Faculty of Pharmacy; Mahidol University; 447 Sri-Ayudya Road Bangkok 10400 Thailand
- Department of Pharmacology; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; University of California; San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0657 USA
| | - Palmer Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; University of California; San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0657 USA
| | - Opa Vajragupta
- Center of Excellence for Innovation in Drug Design and Discovery; Faculty of Pharmacy; Mahidol University; 447 Sri-Ayudya Road Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Shahsavar A, Ahring PK, Olsen JA, Krintel C, Kastrup JS, Balle T, Gajhede M. Acetylcholine-Binding Protein Engineered to Mimic the α4-α4 Binding Pocket in α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Reveals Interface Specific Interactions Important for Binding and Activity. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 88:697-707. [DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.098061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
|
32
|
Bourne Y, Sulzenbacher G, Radić Z, Aráoz R, Reynaud M, Benoit E, Zakarian A, Servent D, Molgó J, Taylor P, Marchot P. Marine Macrocyclic Imines, Pinnatoxins A and G: Structural Determinants and Functional Properties to Distinguish Neuronal α7 from Muscle α1(2)βγδ nAChRs. Structure 2015; 23:1106-15. [PMID: 26004441 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Pinnatoxins are macrocyclic imine phycotoxins associated with algal blooms and shellfish toxicity. Functional analysis of pinnatoxin A and pinnatoxin G by binding and voltage-clamp electrophysiology on membrane-embedded neuronal α7, α4β2, α3β2, and muscle-type α12βγδ nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) reveals high-affinity binding and potent antagonism for the α7 and α12βγδ subtypes. The toxins also bind to the nAChR surrogate, acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP), with low Kd values reflecting slow dissociation. Crystal structures of pinnatoxin-AChBP complexes (1.9-2.2 Å resolution) show the multiple anchoring points of the hydrophobic portion, the cyclic imine, and the substituted bis-spiroketal and cyclohexene ring systems of the pinnatoxins that dictate tight binding between the opposing loops C and F at the receptor subunit interface, as observed for the 13-desmethyl-spirolide C and gymnodimine A congeners. Uniquely, however, the bulky bridged EF-ketal ring specific to the pinnatoxins extends radially from the interfacial-binding pocket to interact with the sequence-variable loop F and govern nAChR subtype selectivity and central neurotoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yves Bourne
- Aix-Marseille Université, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France.
| | - Gerlind Sulzenbacher
- Aix-Marseille Université, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France
| | - Zoran Radić
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0650, USA
| | - Rómulo Aráoz
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, iBiTecS, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Morgane Reynaud
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, iBiTecS, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Evelyne Benoit
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, iBiTecS, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Armen Zakarian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9510, USA
| | - Denis Servent
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, iBiTecS, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jordi Molgó
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, iBiTecS, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Palmer Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0650, USA
| | - Pascale Marchot
- Aix-Marseille Université, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Biomolecular recognition of antagonists by α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: Antagonistic mechanism and structure-activity relationships studies. Eur J Pharm Sci 2015; 76:119-32. [PMID: 25963024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2015.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
As the key constituent of ligand-gated ion channels in the central nervous system, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and neurodegenerative diseases are strongly coupled in the human species. In recently years the developments of selective agonists by using nAChRs as the drug target have made a large progress, but the studies of selective antagonists are severely lacked. Currently these antagonists rest mainly on the extraction of partly natural products from some animals and plants; however, the production of these crude substances is quite restricted, and artificial synthesis of nAChR antagonists is still one of the completely new research fields. In the context of this manuscript, our primary objective was to comprehensively analyze the recognition patterns and the critical interaction descriptors between target α7 nAChR and a series of the novel compounds with potentially antagonistic activity by means of virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation, and meanwhile these recognition reactions were also compared with the biointeraction of α7 nAChR with a commercially natural antagonist - methyllycaconitine. The results suggested clearly that there are relatively obvious differences of molecular structures between synthetic antagonists and methyllycaconitine, while the two systems have similar recognition modes on the whole. The interaction energy and the crucially noncovalent forces of the α7 nAChR-antagonists are ascertained according to the method of Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area. Several amino acid residues, such as B/Tyr-93, B/Lys-143, B/Trp-147, B/Tyr-188, B/Tyr-195, A/Trp-55 and A/Leu-118 played a major role in the α7 nAChR-antagonist recognition processes, in particular, residues B/Tyr-93, B/Trp-147 and B/Tyr-188 are the most important. These outcomes tally satisfactorily with the discussions of amino acid mutations. Based on the explorations of three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships, the structure-antagonistic activity relationships of antagonists and the characteristics of α7 nAChR-ligand recognitions were received a reasonable summary as well. These attempts emerged herein would not only provide helpful guidance for the design of α7 nAChR antagonists, but shed new light on the subsequent researches in antagonistic mechanism.
Collapse
|
34
|
Cecchini M, Changeux JP. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and its prokaryotic homologues: Structure, conformational transitions & allosteric modulation. Neuropharmacology 2014; 96:137-49. [PMID: 25529272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) play a central role in intercellular communications in the nervous system by converting the binding of a chemical messenger - a neurotransmitter - into an ion flux through the postsynaptic membrane. Here, we present an overview of the most recent advances on the signal transduction mechanism boosted by X-ray crystallography of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic homologues of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in conjunction with time-resolved analyses based on single-channel electrophysiology and Molecular Dynamics simulations. The available data consistently point to a global mechanism of gating that involves a large reorganization of the receptor mediated by two distinct quaternary transitions: a global twisting and a radial expansion/contraction of the extracellular domain. These transitions profoundly modify the organization of the interface between subunits, which host several sites for orthosteric and allosteric modulatory ligands. The same mechanism may thus mediate both positive and negative allosteric modulations of pLGICs ligand binding at topographically distinct sites. The emerging picture of signal transduction is expected to pave the way to new pharmacological strategies for the development of allosteric modulators of nAChR and pLGICs in general. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'The Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: From Molecular Biology to Cognition'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cecchini
- ISIS, UMR 7006 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, F-67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Changeux
- CNRS, URA 2182, F-75015 Paris, France; Collège de France, F-75005 Paris, France; Kavli Institute for Brain & Mind University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Zouridakis M, Giastas P, Zarkadas E, Chroni-Tzartou D, Bregestovski P, Tzartos SJ. Crystal structures of free and antagonist-bound states of human α9 nicotinic receptor extracellular domain. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2014; 21:976-80. [PMID: 25282151 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We determined the X-ray crystal structures of the extracellular domain (ECD) of the monomeric state of human neuronal α9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and of its complexes with the antagonists methyllycaconitine and α-bungarotoxin at resolutions of 1.8 Å, 1.7 Å and 2.7 Å, respectively. The structure of the monomeric α9 ECD superimposed well with the structures of homologous proteins in pentameric assemblies, denoting native folding, despite the absence of a complementary subunit and transmembrane domain. The interaction motifs of both antagonists were similar to those in the complexes with homologous pentameric proteins, thus highlighting the major contribution of the principal side of α9 ECD to their binding. The structures revealed a functionally important β7-β10 strand interaction in α9-containing nAChRs, involving their unique Thr147, a hydration pocket similar to that of mouse α1 ECD and a membrane-facing network coordinated by the invariant Arg210.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marios Zouridakis
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Petros Giastas
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleftherios Zarkadas
- 1] Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece. [2] Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Rio, Greece
| | | | - Piotr Bregestovski
- INSERM UMR1106, Brain Dynamics Institute, University Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Socrates J Tzartos
- 1] Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece. [2] Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Rio, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Christopoulos A, Changeux JP, Catterall WA, Fabbro D, Burris TP, Cidlowski JA, Olsen RW, Peters JA, Neubig RR, Pin JP, Sexton PM, Kenakin TP, Ehlert FJ, Spedding M, Langmead CJ. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XC. multisite pharmacology: recommendations for the nomenclature of receptor allosterism and allosteric ligands. Pharmacol Rev 2014; 66:918-47. [PMID: 25026896 PMCID: PMC11060431 DOI: 10.1124/pr.114.008862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Allosteric interactions play vital roles in metabolic processes and signal transduction and, more recently, have become the focus of numerous pharmacological studies because of the potential for discovering more target-selective chemical probes and therapeutic agents. In addition to classic early studies on enzymes, there are now examples of small molecule allosteric modulators for all superfamilies of receptors encoded by the genome, including ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, nuclear hormone receptors, and receptor tyrosine kinases. As a consequence, a vast array of pharmacologic behaviors has been ascribed to allosteric ligands that can vary in a target-, ligand-, and cell-/tissue-dependent manner. The current article presents an overview of allostery as applied to receptor families and approaches for detecting and validating allosteric interactions and gives recommendations for the nomenclature of allosteric ligands and their properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Christopoulos
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Jean-Pierre Changeux
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - William A Catterall
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Doriano Fabbro
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Thomas P Burris
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - John A Cidlowski
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Richard W Olsen
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - John A Peters
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Jean-Philippe Pin
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Patrick M Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Terry P Kenakin
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Frederick J Ehlert
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Michael Spedding
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| | - Christopher J Langmead
- Drug Discovery Biology and Department of Pharmacology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C., P.M.S., C.J.L.); Collège de France and CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (J.-P.C.); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (W.A.C.); PIQUR Therapeutics AG, Basel, Switzerland (D.F.); Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Louisiana (T.P.B.); Signal Transduction Laboratory, Molecular Endocrinology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (J.A.C.); Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California (R.W.O.); Division of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (J.A.P.); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.); Institut de Genomique Fonctionelle, CNRS, Montpellier, France (J.-P.P.); Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (T.P.K.); Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, California (F.J.E.); and Research Solutions SARL, Paris, France (M.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Kouvatsos N, Niarchos A, Zisimopoulou P, Eliopoulos E, Poulas K, Tzartos S. Purification and functional characterization of a truncated human α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Int J Biol Macromol 2014; 70:320-6. [PMID: 25014634 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2014] [Revised: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are abundant in the brain and are essential in cognitive function, learning and memory. Previous efforts on α4β2 nAChR had been focused on functional and pharmacological characterization, where high expression yield is not essential. For structural studies though, large amounts of pure protein is important but heterologous overexpression of membrane proteins can be a burdensome task, especially if high amounts are required. In the current study, a truncated mutant of the human α4β2 nAChR was designed in order to improve expression and solubility and to obtain material suitable for high resolution structural studies. We showed that the wild type α4β2 nAChR presented low expression and solubilization yield both of which were improved with the truncated construct. The truncated nAChR showed similar binding profile to the wild type, was purified by a two-step chromatography and isolated in high purity and adequate quantity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kouvatsos
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vass. Sofias Avenue, GR11521 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Paraskevi Zisimopoulou
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vass. Sofias Avenue, GR11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Eliopoulos
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Holy Street 75, GR11855 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Socrates Tzartos
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vass. Sofias Avenue, GR11521 Athens, Greece; Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, GR26500 Patras, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Crystallographic studies of pharmacological sites in pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2014; 1850:511-23. [PMID: 24836522 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) mediate fast chemical transmission of nerve signals in the central and peripheral nervous system. On the functional side, these molecules respond to the binding of a neurotransmitter (glycine, GABA, acetylcholine or 5HT3) in the extracellular domain (ECD) by opening their ionotropic pore in the transmembrane domain (TMD). The response to the neurotransmitter binding can be modulated by several chemical compounds acting at topographically distinct sites, as documented by a large body of literature. Notably, these receptors are the target of several classes of world-wide prescribed drugs, including general anesthetics, smoking cessation aids, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, hypnotics and anti-emetics. On the structural side recent progress has been made on the crystallization of pLGICs in its different allosteric states, especially pLGICs of bacterial origin. Therefore, structure-function relationships can now be discussed at the atomic level for pLGICs. SCOPE OF REVIEW This review focuses on the crystallographic structure of complexes of pLGICs with a number of ligands of pharmacological interest. First, we review structural data on two key functional aspects of these receptors: the agonist-induced activation and ion transport itself. The molecular understanding of both these functional aspects is important, as they are those that most pharmacological compounds target. Next, we describe modulation sites that have recently been documented by X-ray crystallography. Finally, we propose a simple geometric classification of all these pharmacological sites in pLGICs, based on icosahedrons. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS This review illustrates the wealth of structural insight gained by comparing all available structures of members of the pLGIC family to rationalize the pharmacology of structurally diverse drugs acting at topographically distinct sites. It will be highlighted how sites that had been described earlier using biochemical techniques can be rationalized using structural data. Surprisingly, the use of icosahedral symmetry allows to link together several modulation sites, in a way that was totally unanticipated. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Overall, understanding the interplay between the different modulation sites at the structural level should help the design of future drugs targeting pLGICs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled structural biochemistry and biophysics of membrane proteins.
Collapse
|
39
|
Olsen JA, Balle T, Gajhede M, Ahring PK, Kastrup JS. Molecular recognition of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by an acetylcholine binding protein reveals determinants of binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91232. [PMID: 24637639 PMCID: PMC3956608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive studies on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and homologues, details of acetylcholine binding are not completely resolved. Here, we report the crystal structure of acetylcholine bound to the receptor homologue acetylcholine binding protein from Lymnaea stagnalis. This is the first structure of acetylcholine in a binding pocket containing all five aromatic residues conserved in all mammalian nAChRs. The ligand-protein interactions are characterized by contacts to the aromatic box formed primarily by residues on the principal side of the intersubunit binding interface (residues Tyr89, Trp143 and Tyr185). Besides these interactions on the principal side, we observe a cation-π interaction between acetylcholine and Trp53 on the complementary side and a water-mediated hydrogen bond from acetylcholine to backbone atoms of Leu102 and Met114, both of importance for anchoring acetylcholine to the complementary side. To further study the role of Trp53, we mutated the corresponding tryptophan in the two different acetylcholine-binding interfaces of the widespread α4β2 nAChR, i.e. the interfaces α4(+)β2(−) and α4(+)α4(−). Mutation to alanine (W82A on the β2 subunit or W88A on the α4 subunit) significantly altered the response to acetylcholine measured by oocyte voltage-clamp electrophysiology in both interfaces. This shows that the conserved tryptophan residue is important for the effects of ACh at α4β2 nAChRs, as also indicated by the crystal structure. The results add important details to the understanding of how this neurotransmitter exerts its action and improves the foundation for rational drug design targeting these receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeppe A. Olsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup, Denmark
| | - Thomas Balle
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Gajhede
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Philip K. Ahring
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Aniona ApS, Ballerup, Denmark
| | - Jette S. Kastrup
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Van Arnam EB, Dougherty DA. Functional probes of drug-receptor interactions implicated by structural studies: Cys-loop receptors provide a fertile testing ground. J Med Chem 2014; 57:6289-300. [PMID: 24568098 PMCID: PMC4136689 DOI: 10.1021/jm500023m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Structures
of integral membrane receptors provide valuable models
for drug–receptor interactions across many important classes
of drug targets and have become much more widely available in recent
years. However, it remains to be determined to what extent these images
are relevant to human receptors in their biological context and how
subtle issues such as subtype selectivity can be informed by them.
The high precision structural modifications enabled by unnatural amino
acid mutagenesis on mammalian receptors expressed in vertebrate cells
allow detailed tests of predictions from structural studies. Using
the Cys-loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels, we show that
functional studies lead to detailed binding models that, at times,
are significantly at odds with the structural studies on related invertebrate
proteins. Importantly, broad variations in binding interactions are
seen for very closely related receptor subtypes and for varying drugs
at a given binding site. These studies highlight the essential interplay
between structural studies and functional studies that can guide efforts
to develop new pharmaceuticals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan B Van Arnam
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Taly A, Hénin J, Changeux JP, Cecchini M. Allosteric regulation of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels: an emerging mechanistic perspective. Channels (Austin) 2014; 8:350-60. [PMID: 25478624 PMCID: PMC4203737 DOI: 10.4161/chan.29444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) play a central role in intercellular communications in the nervous system by converting the binding of a chemical messenger—a neurotransmitter—into an ion flux through the postsynaptic membrane. They are oligomeric assemblies that provide prototypical examples of allosterically regulated integral membrane proteins. Here, we present an overview of the most recent advances on the signal transduction mechanism based on the X-ray structures of both prokaryotic and invertebrate eukaryotic pLGICs and atomistic Molecular Dynamics simulations. The present results suggest that ion gating involves a large structural reorganization of the molecule mediated by two distinct quaternary transitions, a global twisting and the blooming of the extracellular domain, which can be modulated by ligand binding at the topographically distinct orthosteric and allosteric sites. The emerging model of gating is consistent with a wealth of functional studies and will boost the development of novel pharmacological strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Taly
- Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique; IBPC; CNRS and Université Paris Diderot; Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Hénin
- Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique; IBPC; CNRS and Université Paris Diderot; Paris, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Changeux
- CNRS; URA 2182; F-75015 & Collège de France; Paris, France
- Kavli Institute for Brain & Mind University of California; San Diego La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Marco Cecchini
- ISIS; UMR 7006 CNRS; Université de Strasbourg; F-67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bondarenko V, Mowrey DD, Tillman TS, Seyoum E, Xu Y, Tang P. NMR structures of the human α7 nAChR transmembrane domain and associated anesthetic binding sites. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1838:1389-95. [PMID: 24384062 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), assembled as homomeric pentameric ligand-gated ion channels, is one of the most abundant nAChR subtypes in the brain. Despite its importance in memory, learning and cognition, no structure has been determined for the α7 nAChR TM domain, a target for allosteric modulators. Using solution state NMR, we determined the structure of the human α7 nAChR TM domain (PDB ID: 2MAW) and demonstrated that the α7 TM domain formed functional channels in Xenopus oocytes. We identified the associated binding sites for the anesthetics halothane and ketamine; the former cannot sensitively inhibit α7 function, but the latter can. The α7 TM domain folds into the expected four-helical bundle motif, but the intra-subunit cavity at the extracellular end of the α7 TM domain is smaller than the equivalent cavity in the α4β2 nAChRs (PDB IDs: 2LLY; 2LM2). Neither drug binds to the extracellular end of the α7 TM domain, but two halothane molecules or one ketamine molecule binds to the intracellular end of the α7 TM domain. Halothane and ketamine binding sites are partially overlapped. Ketamine, but not halothane, perturbed the α7 channel-gate residue L9'. Furthermore, halothane did not induce profound dynamics changes in the α7 channel as observed in α4β2. The study offers a novel high-resolution structure for the human α7 nAChR TM domain that is invaluable for developing α7-specific therapeutics. It also provides evidence to support the hypothesis: only when anesthetic binding perturbs the channel pore or alters the channel motion, can binding generate functional consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasyl Bondarenko
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
| | - David D Mowrey
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA; Department of Computational & Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
| | - Tommy S Tillman
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
| | - Edom Seyoum
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA; Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
| | - Pei Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA; Department of Computational & Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Computational studies of novel carbonyl-containing diazabicyclic ligands interacting with α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) reveal alternative binding modes. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2013; 23:5105-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Revised: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
44
|
QM-polarized ligand docking accurately predicts the trend in binding affinity of a series of arylmethylene quinuclidine-like derivatives at the α4β2 and α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2013; 23:4842-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.06.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Revised: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
45
|
Molgó J, Aráoz R, Benoit E, Iorga BI. Physical and virtual screening methods for marine toxins and drug discovery targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2013; 8:1203-23. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2013.822365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
46
|
Absalom NL, Quek G, Lewis TM, Qudah T, von Arenstorff I, Ambrus JI, Harpsøe K, Karim N, Balle T, McLeod MD, Chebib M. Covalent trapping of methyllycaconitine at the α4-α4 interface of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: antagonist binding site and mode of receptor inhibition revealed. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:26521-32. [PMID: 23893416 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.475053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are widely expressed in the brain and are implicated in a variety of physiological processes. There are two stoichiometries of the α4β2 nAChR, (α4)2(β2)3 and (α4)3(β2)2, with different sensitivities to acetylcholine (ACh), but their pharmacological profiles are not fully understood. Methyllycaconitine (MLA) is known to be an antagonist of nAChRs. Using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique and α4β2 nAChRs in the Xenopus oocyte expression system, we demonstrate that inhibition by MLA occurs via two different mechanisms; that is, a direct competitive antagonism and an apparently insurmountable mechanism that only occurs after preincubation with MLA. We hypothesized an additional MLA binding site in the α4-α4 interface that is unique to this stoichiometry. To prove this, we covalently trapped a cysteine-reactive MLA analog at an α4β2 receptor containing an α4(D204C) mutation predicted by homology modeling to be within reach of the reactive probe. We demonstrate that covalent trapping results in irreversible reduction of ACh-elicited currents in the (α4)3(β2)2 stoichiometry, indicating that MLA binds to the α4-α4 interface of the (α4)3(β2)2 and providing direct evidence of ligand binding to the α4-α4 interface. Consistent with other studies, we propose that the α4-α4 interface is a structural target for potential therapeutics that modulate (α4)3(β2)2 nAChRs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan L Absalom
- From the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Changeux JP. The concept of allosteric interaction and its consequences for the chemistry of the brain. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:26969-26986. [PMID: 23878193 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.x113.503375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout this Reflections article, I have tried to follow up on the genesis in the 1960s and subsequent evolution of the concept of allosteric interaction and to examine its consequences within the past decades, essentially in the field of the neuroscience. The main conclusion is that allosteric mechanisms built on similar structural principles operate in bacterial regulatory enzymes, gene repressors (and the related nuclear receptors), rhodopsin, G-protein-coupled receptors, neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and so on from prokaryotes up to the human brain yet with important features of their own. Thus, future research on these basic cybernetic sensors is expected to develop in two major directions: at the elementary level, toward the atomic structure and molecular dynamics of the conformational changes involved in signal recognition and transduction, but also at a higher level of organization, the contribution of allosteric mechanisms to the modulation of brain functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Changeux
- Collège de France, 75005 Paris and the Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Van Arnam EB, Blythe EE, Lester HA, Dougherty DA. An unusual pattern of ligand-receptor interactions for the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, with implications for the binding of varenicline. Mol Pharmacol 2013; 84:201-7. [PMID: 23680636 DOI: 10.1124/mol.113.085795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor shows broad pharmacology, complicating the development of subtype-specific nicotinic receptor agonists. Here we use unnatural amino acid mutagenesis to characterize binding to α7 by the smoking cessation drug varenicline (Chantix; Pfizer, Groton, CT), an α4β2-targeted agonist that shows full efficacy and modest potency at the α7 receptor. We find that unlike binding to its target receptor, varenicline does not form a cation-π interaction with TrpB, further supporting a unique binding mode for the cationic amine of nicotinic agonists at the α7 receptor. We also evaluate binding to the complementary face of the receptor's binding site by varenicline, the endogenous agonist acetylcholine, and the potent nicotine analog epibatidine. Interestingly, we find no evidence for functionally important interactions involving backbone NH and CO groups thought to bind the canonical agonist hydrogen bond acceptor of the nicotinic pharmacophore, perhaps reflecting a lesser importance of this pharmacophore element for α7 binding. We also show that the Trp55 and Leu119 side chains of the binding site's complementary face are important for the binding of the larger agonists epibatidine and varenicline, but dispensable for binding of the smaller, endogenous agonist acetylcholine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan B Van Arnam
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Lyukmanova EN, Shulepko MA, Buldakova SL, Kasheverov IE, Shenkarev ZO, Reshetnikov RV, Filkin SY, Kudryavtsev DS, Ojomoko LO, Kryukova EV, Dolgikh DA, Kirpichnikov MP, Bregestovski PD, Tsetlin VI. Water-soluble LYNX1 residues important for interaction with muscle-type and/or neuronal nicotinic receptors. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:15888-99. [PMID: 23585571 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.436576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human LYNX1, belonging to the Ly6/neurotoxin family of three-finger proteins, is membrane-tethered with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor and modulates the activity of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Recent preparation of LYNX1 as an individual protein in the form of water-soluble domain lacking glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor (ws-LYNX1; Lyukmanova, E. N., Shenkarev, Z. O., Shulepko, M. A., Mineev, K. S., D'Hoedt, D., Kasheverov, I. E., Filkin, S. Y., Krivolapova, A. P., Janickova, H., Dolezal, V., Dolgikh, D. A., Arseniev, A. S., Bertrand, D., Tsetlin, V. I., and Kirpichnikov, M. P. (2011) NMR structure and action on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of water-soluble domain of human LYNX1. J. Biol. Chem. 286, 10618-10627) revealed the attachment at the agonist-binding site in the acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP) and muscle nAChR but outside it, in the neuronal nAChRs. Here, we obtained a series of ws-LYNX1 mutants (T35A, P36A, T37A, R38A, K40A, Y54A, Y57A, K59A) and examined by radioligand analysis or patch clamp technique their interaction with the AChBP, Torpedo californica nAChR and chimeric receptor composed of the α7 nAChR extracellular ligand-binding domain and the transmembrane domain of α1 glycine receptor (α7-GlyR). Against AChBP, there was either no change in activity (T35A, T37A), slight decrease (K40A, K59A), and even enhancement for the rest mutants (most pronounced for P36A and R38A). With both receptors, many mutants lost inhibitory activity, but the increased inhibition was observed for P36A at α7-GlyR. Thus, there are subtype-specific and common ws-LYNX1 residues recognizing distinct targets. Because ws-LYNX1 was inactive against glycine receptor, its "non-classical" binding sites on α7 nAChR should be within the extracellular domain. Micromolar affinities and fast washout rates measured for ws-LYNX1 and its mutants are in contrast to nanomolar affinities and irreversibility of binding for α-bungarotoxin and similar snake α-neurotoxins also targeting α7 nAChR. This distinction may underlie their different actions, i.e. nAChRs modulation versus irreversible inhibition, for these two types of three-finger proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina N Lyukmanova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklaya Street, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
A novel inhibitor of α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from Conus vexillum delineates a new conotoxin superfamily. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54648. [PMID: 23382933 PMCID: PMC3559828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conotoxins (CTxs) selectively target a range of ion channels and receptors, making them widely used tools for probing nervous system function. Conotoxins have been previously grouped into superfamilies according to signal sequence and into families based on their cysteine framework and biological target. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a new conotoxin, from Conus vexillum, named αB-conotoxin VxXXIVA. The peptide does not belong to any previously described conotoxin superfamily and its arrangement of Cys residues is unique among conopeptides. Moreover, in contrast to previously characterized conopeptide toxins, which are expressed initially as prepropeptide precursors with a signal sequence, a ‘‘pro’’ region, and the toxin-encoding region, the precursor sequence of αB-VxXXIVA lacks a ‘‘pro’’ region. The predicted 40-residue mature peptide, which contains four Cys, was synthesized in each of the three possible disulfide arrangements. Investigation of the mechanism of action of αB-VxXXIVA revealed that the peptide is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist with greatest potency against the α9α10 subtype. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra indicated that all three αB-VxXXIVA isomers were poorly structured in aqueous solution. This was consistent with circular dichroism (CD) results which showed that the peptides were unstructured in buffer, but adopted partially helical conformations in aqueous trifluoroethanol (TFE) solution. The α9α10 nAChR is an important target for the development of analgesics and cancer chemotherapeutics, and αB-VxXXIVA represents a novel ligand with which to probe the structure and function of this protein.
Collapse
|