1
|
Determining Ligand and Ion-Induced Conformational Changes in Serotonin Transporter with Its Fluorescent Substrates. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810919. [PMID: 36142837 PMCID: PMC9503009 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Conformational changes are fundamental events in the transport mechanism. The serotonin transporter (SERT) catalyzes reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin after its release by serotonergic neurons and is the molecular target for antidepressant drugs and psychostimulants. Despite significant progress in characterizing the structure-function relationship of SERT, its conformational mechanism has not been fully understood. We present here a cell-based method for determining conformational changes in SERT with its fluorescent substrates by fluorescence imaging analysis. This method fluorometrically measures accessibility of strategically positioned cysteine residues in the substrate permeation pathway to calculate the rate constants of reactivity with MTS reagents in live or permeabilized cells. We validated this method by investigating ligand and ion-induced conformational changes in both the extracellular and cytoplasmic pathways of SERT. Furthermore, we applied this method for examining the influence of Cl- binding and vilazodone inhibition on SERT conformation. Our results showed that Cl- ion, in the presence of Na+, facilitates the conformational conversion from outward to inward open states, and that vilazodone binding stabilizes SERT in an outward open and inward-closed conformation. The present work provided insights into the conformational mechanism of SERT and also indicated that the cell-based fluorometric method is robust, straightforward to perform, and potentially applicable to any monoamine transporters in exploring the transport mechanism and mechanism of action of therapeutic agents for the treatment of several psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
|
2
|
The functional microscopic neuroanatomy of the human subthalamic nucleus. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:3213-3227. [PMID: 31562531 PMCID: PMC6875153 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01960-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is successfully used as a surgical target for deep brain stimulation in the treatment of movement disorders. Interestingly, the internal structure of the STN is still incompletely understood. The objective of the present study was to investigate three-dimensional (3D) immunoreactivity patterns for 12 individual protein markers for GABA-ergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic as well as glutamatergic signaling. We analyzed the immunoreactivity using optical densities and created a 3D reconstruction of seven postmortem human STNs. Quantitative modeling of the reconstructed 3D immunoreactivity patterns revealed that the applied protein markers show a gradient distribution in the STN. These gradients were predominantly organized along the ventromedial to dorsolateral axis of the STN. The results are of particular interest in view of the theoretical underpinning for surgical targeting, which is based on a tripartite distribution of cognitive, limbic and motor function in the STN.
Collapse
|
3
|
Steele TWE, Eltit JM. Using Ca 2+-channel biosensors to profile amphetamines and cathinones at monoamine transporters: electro-engineering cells to detect potential new psychoactive substances. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:973-988. [PMID: 30448989 PMCID: PMC6525079 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5103-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The appearance of stimulant-class new psychoactive substances (NPS) is a frequent and significant problem in our society. Cathinone variants are often sold illegally as 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine ("ecstasy") or disguised for legal sale using misleading names such as "bath salts" and carry the risk of promoting disruptive mental states, addiction, and fatal overdose. The principal targets of these recreational drugs are monoamine transporters expressed in catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons. Some transporter ligands can be transported into cells, where they can promote a massive release of neurotransmitters through reverse transport, and others can block uptake. A ligand's dopamine vs. serotonin transporter selectivity, potency, and activity as a substrate or blocker can help elucidate the abuse liability and subjective effects of a drug. OBJECTIVES Here, we describe the discovery, development, and validation of an emerging methodology for compound activity assessment at monoamine transporters. KEY FINDINGS Substrates generate inward electrical currents through transporters and can depolarize the plasma membrane, whereas blockers work as a "cork in a bottle" and function as antagonists. Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels were co-expressed with monoamine transporters in cultured cells and used to measure fluctuations of the membrane electrical potential. In this system, substrates of monoamine transporters produce reliable dose-dependent Ca2+ signals, while blockers hinder them. DISCUSSION This system constitutes a novel use of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels as biosensors for the purpose of characterizing ligand activity at monoamine transporters using fluorimetry. This approach in combination with in vivo evaluations of drugs' abuse-related effects is a powerful strategy for anticipating potential stimulant-class NPS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler W E Steele
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 E Marshall St. Rm# 3-038H, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Jose M Eltit
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 E Marshall St. Rm# 3-038H, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
He Y, Suofu Y, Yablonska S, Wang X, Larkin TM, Kim J, Carlisle DL, Friedlander RM. Increased Serotonin Transporter Expression in Huntington's Disease Patients Is Not Consistently Replicated in Murine Models. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 8:449-457. [PMID: 31594239 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) target the serotonin transporter (SERT) and are commonly prescribed for depression in Huntington's disease (HD) patients. However, SERT expression in HD has not been carefully evaluated in patients or mouse models. OBJECTIVE In this study, we investigated SERT levels in HD patients and HD mouse models. METHODS We obtained HD patient brain striatal samples and matched controls, as well as brain tissue from CAG140 and R6/2 mice. SERT mRNA and protein levels were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS We found that SERT protein, but not mRNA is markedly increased in grade 4 HD patient striatal tissue. These findings suggest posttranscriptional or translational SERT dysregulation as a possible etiologic factor modulating psychopathology in HD. Interestingly, SERT expression is variable in mouse models of the disease. Increased SERT levels are demonstrated in the brain of CAG140 mice, a full-length knock-in mouse model of the disease, but not in the striatum of the R6/2 fragment murine model of the disease. Based on this parameter, the CAG140 huntingtin knock-in mouse model is more suitable than the R6/2 model for the study of serotonergic pathway pathology in Huntington's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing He
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yalikun Suofu
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Svitlana Yablonska
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Timothy M Larkin
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jinho Kim
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Diane L Carlisle
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert M Friedlander
- Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abramyan AM, Slack RD, Meena S, Davis BA, Newman AH, Singh SK, Shi L. Computation-guided analysis of paroxetine binding to hSERT reveals functionally important structural elements and dynamics. Neuropharmacology 2018; 161:107411. [PMID: 30391505 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) is one of the primary targets for medications to treat neuropsychiatric disorders and functions by exploiting pre-existing ion gradients of Na+, Cl-, and K+ to translocate serotonin from the synaptic cleft into the presynaptic neuron. Although recent hSERT crystal structures represent a milestone for structure-function analyses of mammalian neurotransmitter:sodium symporters, they are all derived from thermostabilized but transport-deficient constructs. Two of these structures are in complex with paroxetine, the most potent selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor known. In this study, by carrying out and analyzing the results of extensive and comparative molecular dynamics simulations while also re-evaluating the transport and binding properties of the thermostabilized constructs, we identified functionally important structural elements that are perturbed by these mutations, revealed unexpected dynamics in the central primary binding site of SERT, and uncovered a conceivable ambiguity in paroxetine's binding orientation. We propose that the favored entropy contribution plays a significant role in paroxetine's extraordinarily high affinity for SERT. Our findings lay the foundation for future mechanistic studies and rational design of high-affinity SERT inhibitors. This article is part of the issue entitled 'Special Issue on Neurotransmitter Transporters'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ara M Abramyan
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, United States
| | - Rachel D Slack
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, United States
| | - Sitaram Meena
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States
| | - Bruce A Davis
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, United States.
| | - Satinder K Singh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States.
| | - Lei Shi
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tomlinson MJ, Krout D, Pramod AB, Lever JR, Newman AH, Henry LK, Vaughan RA. Identification of the benztropine analog [ 125I]GA II 34 binding site on the human dopamine transporter. Neurochem Int 2018; 123:34-45. [PMID: 30125594 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a neuronal membrane protein that is responsible for reuptake of dopamine (DA) from the synapse and functions as a major determinant in control of DA neurotransmission. Cocaine and many psychostimulant drugs bind to DAT and block reuptake, inducing DA overflow that forms the neurochemical basis for euphoria and addiction. Paradoxically, however, some ligands such as benztropine (BZT) bind to DAT and inhibit reuptake but do not produce these effects, and it has been hypothesized that differential mechanisms of binding may stabilize specific transporter conformations that affect downstream neurochemical or behavioral outcomes. To investigate the binding mechanisms of BZT on DAT we used the photoaffinity BZT analog [125I]N-[n-butyl-4-(4‴-azido-3‴-iodophenyl)]-4',4″-difluoro-3α-(diphenylmethoxy)tropane ([125I]GA II 34) to identify the site of cross-linking and predict the binding pose relative to that of previously-examined cocaine photoaffinity analogs. Biochemical findings show that adduction of [125I]GA II 34 occurs at residues Asp79 or Leu80 in TM1, with molecular modeling supporting adduction to Leu80 and a pharmacophore pose in the central S1 site similar to that of cocaine and cocaine analogs. Substituted cysteine accessibility method protection analyses verified these findings, but identified some differences in structural stabilization relative to cocaine that may relate to BZT neurochemical outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Tomlinson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Danielle Krout
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - John R Lever
- Research Service, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, 65201, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - L Keith Henry
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States.
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Krout D, Pramod AB, Dahal RA, Tomlinson MJ, Sharma B, Foster JD, Zou MF, Boatang C, Newman AH, Lever JR, Vaughan RA, Henry LK. Inhibitor mechanisms in the S1 binding site of the dopamine transporter defined by multi-site molecular tethering of photoactive cocaine analogs. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 142:204-215. [PMID: 28734777 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine transporter (DAT) blockers like cocaine and many other abused and therapeutic drugs bind and stabilize an inactive form of the transporter inhibiting reuptake of extracellular dopamine (DA). The resulting increases in DA lead to the ability of these drugs to induce psychomotor alterations and addiction, but paradoxical findings in animal models indicate that not all DAT antagonists induce cocaine-like behavioral outcomes. How this occurs is not known, but one possibility is that uptake inhibitors may bind at multiple locations or in different poses to stabilize distinct conformational transporter states associated with differential neurochemical endpoints. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing the pharmacological inhibition of DAT is therefore key for understanding the requisite interactions for behavioral modulation and addiction. Previously, we leveraged complementary computational docking, mutagenesis, peptide mapping, and substituted cysteine accessibility strategies to identify the specific adduction site and binding pose for the crosslinkable, photoactive cocaine analog, RTI 82, which contains a photoactive azide attached at the 2β position of the tropane pharmacophore. Here, we utilize similar methodology with a different cocaine analog N-[4-(4-azido-3-I-iodophenyl)-butyl]-2-carbomethoxy-3-(4-chlorophenyl)tropane, MFZ 2-24, where the photoactive azide is attached to the tropane nitrogen. In contrast to RTI 82, which crosslinked into residue Phe319 of transmembrane domain (TM) 6, our findings show that MFZ 2-24 adducts to Leu80 in TM1 with modeling and biochemical data indicating that MFZ 2-24, like RTI 82, occupies the central S1 binding pocket with the (+)-charged tropane ring nitrogen coordinating with the (-)-charged carboxyl side chain of Asp79. The superimposition of the tropane ring in the three-dimensional binding poses of these two distinct ligands provides strong experimental evidence for cocaine binding to DAT in the S1 site and the importance of the tropane moiety in competitive mechanisms of DA uptake inhibition. These findings set a structure-function baseline for comparison of typical and atypical DAT inhibitors and how their interactions with DAT could lead to the loss of cocaine-like behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Krout
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Rejwi Acharya Dahal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Michael J Tomlinson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Babita Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - James D Foster
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Mu-Fa Zou
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Comfort Boatang
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse - Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - John R Lever
- Research Service, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| | - L Keith Henry
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Krout D, Rodriquez M, Brose SA, Golovko MY, Henry LK, Thompson BJ. Inhibition of the Serotonin Transporter Is Altered by Metabolites of Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors and Represents a Caution to Acute or Chronic Treatment Paradigms. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:1011-1018. [PMID: 27959497 PMCID: PMC5437659 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of transgenic mice carrying a single isoleucine to methionine substitution (I172M) in the serotonin transporter (SERT) demonstrated a loss of sensitivity to multiple antidepressants (ADs) at SERT. However, the ability of AD metabolites to antagonize SERT was not assessed. Here, we evaluated the selectivity and potency of these metabolites for inhibition of SERT in mouse brain-derived synaptosomes and blood platelets from wild-type (I172 mSERT) and the antidepressant-insensitive mouse M172 mSERT. The metabolites norfluoxetine and desmethylsertraline lost the selectivity demonstrated by the parent compounds for inhibition of wild-type mSERT over M172 mSERT, whereas desvenlafaxine and desmethylcitalopram retained selectivity. Furthermore, we show that the metabolite desmethylcitalopram accumulates in the brain and that the metabolites desmethylcitalopram, norfluoxetine, and desvenlafaxine inhibit serotonin uptake in wild-type mSERT at potencies similar to those of their parent compounds, suggesting that metabolites may play a role in effects observed following AD administration in wild-type and M172 mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Krout
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, United States
| | - Meghan Rodriquez
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, United States
| | - Stephen A. Brose
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, United States
| | - Mikhail Y. Golovko
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, United States
| | - L. Keith Henry
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, United States
| | - Brent J. Thompson
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan 48309, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Sealover NR, Felts B, Kuntz CP, Jarrard RE, Hockerman GH, Lamb PW, Barker EL, Henry LK. The external gate of the human and Drosophila serotonin transporters requires a basic/acidic amino acid pair for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) translocation and the induction of substrate efflux. Biochem Pharmacol 2016; 120:46-55. [PMID: 27638414 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The substituted amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy), is a widely used drug of abuse that induces non-exocytotic release of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine through their cognate transporters as well as blocking the reuptake of neurotransmitter by the same transporters. The resulting dramatic increase in volume transmission and signal duration of neurotransmitters leads to psychotropic, stimulant, and entactogenic effects. The mechanism by which amphetamines drive reverse transport of the monoamines remains largely enigmatic, however, promising outcomes for the therapeutic utility of MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder and the long-time use of the dopaminergic and noradrenergic-directed amphetamines in treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy increases the importance of understanding this phenomenon. Previously, we identified functional differences between the human and Drosophila melanogaster serotonin transporters (hSERT and dSERT, respectively) revealing that MDMA is an effective substrate for hSERT but not dSERT even though serotonin is a potent substrate for both transporters. Chimeric dSERT/hSERT transporters revealed that the molecular components necessary for recognition of MDMA as a substrate was linked to regions of the protein flanking transmembrane domains (TM) V through IX. Here, we performed species-scanning mutagenesis of hSERT, dSERT and C. elegans SERT (ceSERT) along with biochemical and electrophysiological analysis and identified a single amino acid in TM10 (Glu394, hSERT; Asn484, dSERT, Asp517, ceSERT) that is primarily responsible for the differences in MDMA recognition. Our findings reveal that an acidic residue is necessary at this position for MDMA recognition as a substrate and serotonin releaser.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie R Sealover
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Bruce Felts
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Charles P Kuntz
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Rachel E Jarrard
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Gregory H Hockerman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | | | - Eric L Barker
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States.
| | - L Keith Henry
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Davis BA, Nagarajan A, Forrest LR, Singh SK. Mechanism of Paroxetine (Paxil) Inhibition of the Serotonin Transporter. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23789. [PMID: 27032980 PMCID: PMC4817154 DOI: 10.1038/srep23789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) is an integral membrane protein that exploits preexisting sodium-, chloride-, and potassium ion gradients to catalyze the thermodynamically unfavorable movement of synaptic serotonin into the presynaptic neuron. SERT has garnered significant clinical attention partly because it is the target of multiple psychoactive agents, including the antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil), the most potent selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor known. However, the binding site and orientation of paroxetine in SERT remain controversial. To provide molecular insight, we constructed SERT homology models based on the Drosophila melanogaster dopamine transporter and docked paroxetine to these models. We tested the predicted binding configurations with a combination of radioligand binding and flux assays on wild-type and mutant SERTs. Our data suggest that the orientation of paroxetine, specifically its fluorophenyl ring, in SERT’s substrate binding site directly depends on this pocket’s charge distribution, and thereby provide an avenue toward understanding and enhancing high-affinity antidepressant activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Davis
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Anu Nagarajan
- Computational Structural Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- Computational Structural Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Satinder K Singh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rannversson H, Wilson P, Kristensen KB, Sinning S, Kristensen AS, Strømgaard K, Andersen J. Importance of the Extracellular Loop 4 in the Human Serotonin Transporter for Inhibitor Binding and Substrate Translocation. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:14582-94. [PMID: 25903124 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.629071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) terminates serotonergic neurotransmission by performing reuptake of released serotonin, and SERT is the primary target for antidepressants. SERT mediates the reuptake of serotonin through an alternating access mechanism, implying that a central substrate site is connected to both sides of the membrane by permeation pathways, of which only one is accessible at a time. The coordinated conformational changes in SERT associated with substrate translocation are not fully understood. Here, we have identified a Leu to Glu mutation at position 406 (L406E) in the extracellular loop 4 (EL4) of human SERT, which induced a remarkable gain-of-potency (up to >40-fold) for a range of SERT inhibitors. The effects were highly specific for L406E relative to six other mutations in the same position, including the closely related L406D mutation, showing that the effects induced by L406E are not simply charge-related effects. Leu(406) is located >10 Å from the central inhibitor binding site indicating that the mutation affects inhibitor binding in an indirect manner. We found that L406E decreased accessibility to a residue in the cytoplasmic pathway. The shift in equilibrium to favor a more outward-facing conformation of SERT can explain the reduced turnover rate and increased association rate of inhibitor binding we found for L406E. Together, our findings show that EL4 allosterically can modulate inhibitor binding within the central binding site, and substantiates that EL4 has an important role in controlling the conformational equilibrium of human SERT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hafsteinn Rannversson
- From the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen and
| | - Pamela Wilson
- From the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen and
| | - Kristina Birch Kristensen
- the Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, DK-8240 Risskov, Denmark
| | - Steffen Sinning
- the Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, DK-8240 Risskov, Denmark
| | - Anders Skov Kristensen
- From the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen and
| | - Kristian Strømgaard
- From the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen and
| | - Jacob Andersen
- From the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen and
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Dahal RA, Pramod AB, Sharma B, Krout D, Foster JD, Cha JH, Cao J, Newman AH, Lever JR, Vaughan RA, Henry LK. Computational and biochemical docking of the irreversible cocaine analog RTI 82 directly demonstrates ligand positioning in the dopamine transporter central substrate-binding site. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:29712-27. [PMID: 25179220 PMCID: PMC4207985 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.571521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) functions as a key regulator of dopaminergic neurotransmission via re-uptake of synaptic dopamine (DA). Cocaine binding to DAT blocks this activity and elevates extracellular DA, leading to psychomotor stimulation and addiction, but the mechanisms by which cocaine interacts with DAT and inhibits transport remain incompletely understood. Here, we addressed these questions using computational and biochemical methodologies to localize the binding and adduction sites of the photoactivatable irreversible cocaine analog 3β-(p-chlorophenyl)tropane-2β-carboxylic acid, 4'-azido-3'-iodophenylethyl ester ([(125)I]RTI 82). Comparative modeling and small molecule docking indicated that the tropane pharmacophore of RTI 82 was positioned in the central DA active site with an orientation that juxtaposed the aryliodoazide group for cross-linking to rat DAT Phe-319. This prediction was verified by focused methionine substitution of residues flanking this site followed by cyanogen bromide mapping of the [(125)I]RTI 82-labeled mutants and by the substituted cysteine accessibility method protection analyses. These findings provide positive functional evidence linking tropane pharmacophore interaction with the core substrate-binding site and support a competitive mechanism for transport inhibition. This synergistic application of computational and biochemical methodologies overcomes many uncertainties inherent in other approaches and furnishes a schematic framework for elucidating the ligand-protein interactions of other classes of DA transport inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rejwi Acharya Dahal
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Babita Sharma
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Danielle Krout
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - James D Foster
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Joo Hwan Cha
- the Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Jianjing Cao
- the Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- the Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - John R Lever
- the Research Service, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri 65201, and the Department of Radiology, Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute, and Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203,
| | - L Keith Henry
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203,
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Borgers AJ, Koopman KE, Bisschop PH, Serlie MJ, Swaab DF, Fliers E, la Fleur SE, Alkemade A. Decreased serotonin transporter immunoreactivity in the human hypothalamic infundibular nucleus of overweight subjects. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:106. [PMID: 24860418 PMCID: PMC4030197 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Context: That serotonin plays a role in the regulation of feeding behavior and energy metabolism has been known for a long time. Serotonin transporters (SERT) play a crucial role in serotonin signaling by regulating its availability in the synaptic cleft. The neuroanatomy underlying serotonergic signaling in humans is largely unknown, and until now, SERT immunoreactivity in relation to body weight has not been investigated. Objective: To clarify the distribution of SERT immunoreactivity throughout the human hypothalamus and to compare SERT immunoreactivity in the infundibular nucleus (IFN), the human equivalent of the arcuate nucleus, in lean and overweight subjects. Design: First, we investigated the distribution of serotonin transporters (SERT) over the rostro-caudal axis of six post-mortem hypothalami by means of immunohistochemistry. Second, we estimated SERT immunoreactivity in the IFN of lean and overweight subjects. Lastly, double-labeling of SERT with Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and melanocortin cell populations was performed to further identify cells showing basket-like SERT staining. Results: SERT-immunoreactivity was ubiquitously expressed in fibers throughout the hypothalamus and was the strongest in the IFN. Immunoreactivity in the IFN was lower in overweight subjects (p = 0.036). Basket-like staining in the IFN was highly suggestive of synaptic innervation. A very small minority of cells showed SERT double labeling with NPY, agouti-related protein and α–melanocyte stimulating hormone. Conclusions: SERT is ubiquitously expressed in the human hypothalamus. Strong SERT immunoreactivity, was observed in the IFN a region important for appetite regulation, in combination with lower SERT immunoreactivity in the IFN of overweight and obese subjects, may point toward a role for hypothalamic SERT in human obesity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anke J Borgers
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karin E Koopman
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter H Bisschop
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mireille J Serlie
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dick F Swaab
- Department of Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eric Fliers
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Susanne E la Fleur
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anneke Alkemade
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Loland CJ. The use of LeuT as a model in elucidating binding sites for substrates and inhibitors in neurotransmitter transporters. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2014; 1850:500-10. [PMID: 24769398 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian neurotransmitter transporters are complex proteins playing a central role in synaptic transmission between neurons by rapid reuptake of neurotransmitters. The proteins which transport dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin belong to the Neurotransmitter:Sodium Symporters (NSS). Due to their important role, dysfunctions are associated with several psychiatric and neurological diseases and they also serve as targets for a wide range of therapeutic and illicit drugs. Despite the central physiological and pharmacological importance, direct evidence on structure-function relationships on mammalian NSS proteins has so far been unsuccessful. The crystal structure of the bacterial NSS protein, LeuT, has been a turning point in structural investigations. SCOPE OF REVIEW To provide an update on what is known about the binding sites for substrates and inhibitors in the LeuT. The different binding modes and binding sites will be discussed with special emphasis on the possible existence of a second substrate binding site. It is the goal to give an insight into how investigations on ligand binding in LeuT have provided basic knowledge about transporter conformations and translocation mechanism which can pave the road for a deeper understanding of drug binding and function of the mammalian transporters. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS The LeuT is a suitable model for the structural investigation of NSS proteins including the possible location of drug binding sites. It is still debated whether the LeuT is a suitable model for the molecular mechanisms behind substrate translocation. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Structure and functional aspects of NSS proteins are central for understanding synaptic transmission. With the purification and crystallization of LeuT as well as the dopamine transporter from Drosophila melanogaster, the application of biophysical methods such as fluorescence spectroscopy, neutron- or x-ray scattering and NMR for understanding its function becomes increasingly available. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Structural biochemistry and biophysics of membrane proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claus J Loland
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Conformational changes in dopamine transporter intracellular regions upon cocaine binding and dopamine translocation. Neurochem Int 2014; 73:4-15. [PMID: 24576496 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2014.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT), a member of the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter family, mediates the reuptake of dopamine at the synaptic cleft. DAT is the primary target for psychostimulants such as cocaine and amphetamine. We previously demonstrated that cocaine binding and dopamine transport alter the accessibility of Cys342 in the third intracellular loop (IL3). To study the conformational changes associated with the functional mechanism of the transporter, we made cysteine substitution mutants, one at a time, from Phe332 to Ser351 in IL3 of the background DAT construct, X7C, in which 7 endogenous cysteines were mutated. The accessibility of the 20 engineered cysteines to polar charged sulfhydryl reagents was studied in the absence and presence of cocaine or dopamine. Of the 11 positions that reacted with methanethiosulfonate ethyl ammonium, as evidenced by inhibition of ligand binding, 5 were protected against this inhibition by cocaine and dopamine (S333C, S334C, N336C, M342C and T349C), indicating that reagent accessibility is affected by conformational changes associated with inhibitor and substrate binding. In some of the cysteine mutants, transport activity is disrupted, but can be rescued by the presence of zinc, most likely because the distribution between inward- and outward-facing conformations is restored by zinc binding. The experimental data were interpreted in the context of molecular models of DAT in both the inward- and outward-facing conformations. Differences in the solvent accessible surface area for individual IL3 residues calculated for these states correlate well with the experimental accessibility data, and suggest that protection by ligand binding results from the stabilization of the outward-facing configuration. Changes in the residue interaction networks observed from the molecular dynamics simulations also revealed the critical roles of several positions during the conformational transitions. We conclude that the IL3 region of DAT undergoes significant conformational changes in transitions necessary for both cocaine binding and substrate transport.
Collapse
|
16
|
Felts B, Pramod AB, Sandtner W, Burbach N, Bulling S, Sitte HH, Henry LK. The two Na+ sites in the human serotonin transporter play distinct roles in the ion coupling and electrogenicity of transport. J Biol Chem 2013; 289:1825-40. [PMID: 24293367 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.504654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter transporters of the SLC6 family of proteins, including the human serotonin transporter (hSERT), utilize Na(+), Cl(-), and K(+) gradients to induce conformational changes necessary for substrate translocation. Dysregulation of ion movement through monoamine transporters has been shown to impact neuronal firing potentials and could play a role in pathophysiologies, such as depression and anxiety. Despite multiple crystal structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic SLC transporters indicating the location of both (or one) conserved Na(+)-binding sites (termed Na1 and Na2), much remains uncertain in regard to the movements and contributions of these cation-binding sites in the transport process. In this study, we utilize the unique properties of a mutation of hSERT at a single, highly conserved asparagine on TM1 (Asn-101) to provide several lines of evidence demonstrating mechanistically distinct roles for Na1 and Na2. Mutations at Asn-101 alter the cation dependence of the transporter, allowing Ca(2+) (but not other cations) to functionally replace Na(+) for driving transport and promoting 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-dependent conformational changes. Furthermore, in two-electrode voltage clamp studies in Xenopus oocytes, both Ca(2+) and Na(+) illicit 5-HT-induced currents in the Asn-101 mutants and reveal that, although Ca(2+) promotes substrate-induced current, it does not appear to be the charge carrier during 5-HT transport. These findings, in addition to functional evaluation of Na1 and Na2 site mutants, reveal separate roles for Na1 and Na2 and provide insight into initiation of the translocation process as well as a mechanism whereby the reported SERT stoichiometry can be obtained despite the presence of two putative Na(+)-binding sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Felts
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203 and
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gaffaney JD, Shetty M, Felts B, Pramod AB, Foster JD, Henry LK, Vaughan RA. Antagonist-induced conformational changes in dopamine transporter extracellular loop two involve residues in a potential salt bridge. Neurochem Int 2013; 73:16-26. [PMID: 24269640 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Ligand-induced changes in the conformation of extracellular loop (EL) 2 in the rat (r) dopamine transporter (DAT) were examined using limited proteolysis with endoproteinase Asp-N and detection of cleavage products by epitope-specific immunoblotting. The principle N-terminal fragment produced by Asp-N was a 19kDa peptide likely derived by proteolysis of EL2 residue D174, which is present just past the extracellular end of TM3. Production of this fragment was significantly decreased by binding of cocaine and other uptake blockers, but was not affected by substrates or Zn(2+), indicating the presence of a conformational change at D174 that may be related to the mechanism of transport inhibition. DA transport activity and cocaine analog binding were decreased by Asp-N treatment, suggesting a requirement for EL2 integrity in these DAT functions. In a previous study we demonstrated that ligand-induced protease resistance also occurred at R218 on the C-terminal side of rDAT EL2. Here using substituted cysteine accessibility analysis of human (h) DAT we confirm cocaine-induced alterations in reactivity of the homologous R219 and identify conformational sensitivity of V221. Focused molecular modeling of D174 and R218 based on currently available Aquifex aeolicus leucine transporter crystal structures places these residues within 2.9Å of one another, suggesting their proximity as a structural basis for their similar conformational sensitivities and indicating their potential to form a salt bridge. These findings extend our understanding of DAT EL2 and its role in transport and binding functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jon D Gaffaney
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Madhur Shetty
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Bruce Felts
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Akula-Bala Pramod
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - James D Foster
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - L Keith Henry
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States.
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Giovanola M, D'Antoni F, Santacroce M, Mari SA, Cherubino F, Bossi E, Sacchi VF, Castagna M. Role of a conserved glycine triplet in the NSS amino acid transporter KAAT1. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1818:1737-44. [PMID: 22402268 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2012.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2011] [Revised: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
K+-coupled amino acid transporter 1 (KAAT1) belongs to the NSS family of solute transporters and it is expressed in the midgut and in salivary glands of Manduca sexta larvae. As more than 80% of family members, KAATI shows a stretch of three glycines (G85-G87) that according to the structure of the prototype transporter LeuT, is located close to the access of the permeation pathway. In this work the role of the triplet has been investigated by alanine and cysteine scanning methods in protein heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. All the mutants were functional but the surface expression level was reduced for G85A and G87A mutants and unaffected for G86A mutant. All presented altered amino acid uptake and transport associated currents in the presence of each of the cations (Na+, K+, Li+) that can be exploited by the wt. G87A mutant induced increased uncoupled fluxes in the presence of all the cations. Cross-linking studies, performed by the treatment of cysteine mutants with the oxidative complex Cu(Il)(l,10-phenanthroline)3, showed that limiting the flexibility of the region by covalent blockage of position 87, causes a significant reduction of amino acid uptake. Na+ protected G87C mutant from oxidation, both directly and indirectly. The conserved glycine triplet in KAAT1 plays therefore a complex role that allows initial steps of cation interaction with the transporter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Giovanola
- Department of Molecular Sciences Applied to Biosystems, Universita degli Studi di Milano, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milano, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) play a critical role in signaling by reuptake of neurotransmitters. Eukaryotic NSSs are chloride-dependent, whereas prokaryotic NSS homologs like LeuT are chloride-independent but contain an acidic residue (Glu290 in LeuT) at a site where eukaryotic NSSs have a serine. The LeuT-E290S mutant displays chloride-dependent activity. We show that, in LeuT-E290S cocrystallized with bromide or chloride, the anion is coordinated by side chain hydroxyls from Tyr47, Ser290, and Thr254 and the side chain amide of Gln250. The bound anion and the nearby sodium ion in the Na1 site organize a connection between their coordinating residues and the extracellular gate of LeuT through a continuous H-bond network. The specific insights from the structures, combined with results from substrate binding studies and molecular dynamics simulations, reveal an anion-dependent occlusion mechanism for NSS and shed light on the functional role of chloride binding.
Collapse
|
20
|
Shin DS, Zhao R, Fiser A, Goldman ID. Role of the fourth transmembrane domain in proton-coupled folate transporter function as assessed by the substituted cysteine accessibility method. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2013; 304:C1159-67. [PMID: 23552283 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00353.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT, SLC46A1) mediates folate transport across the apical brush-border membrane of the proximal small intestine and the basolateral membrane of choroid plexus ependymal cells. Two loss-of-function mutations in PCFT, which are the basis for hereditary folate malabsorption, have been identified within the fourth transmembrane domain (TMD4) in subjects with this disorder. We have employed the substituted Cys accessibility method (SCAM) to study the accessibilities of all residues in TMD4 and their roles in folate substrate binding to the carrier. When residues 146-167 were replaced by Cys, all except R148C were expressed at the cell surface. Modification of five of these substituted Cys residues (positions 147, 152, 157, 158, and 161) by methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents led to reduction of PCFT function. All five residues could be labeled with N-biotinylaminoethyl-MTS, and this could be blocked by the high-affinity PCFT substrate pemetrexed. Pemetrexed also protected PCFT mutant function from inhibitory modification of the substituted Cys at positions 157, 158, and 161 by a MTS. The findings indicate that these five residues in TMD4 are accessible to the aqueous translocation pathway, play a role in folate substrate binding, and are likely located within or near the folate binding pocket. A homology model of PCFT places three of these residues, Phe¹⁵⁷, Gly¹⁵⁸, and Leu¹⁶¹, within a breakpoint in the midportion of TMD4, a region that likely participates in alterations in the PCFT conformational state during carrier cycling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sanghoon Shin
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Sørensen L, Andersen J, Thomsen M, Hansen SMR, Zhao X, Sandelin A, Strømgaard K, Kristensen AS. Interaction of antidepressants with the serotonin and norepinephrine transporters: mutational studies of the S1 substrate binding pocket. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:43694-707. [PMID: 23086945 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.342212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) and the norepinephrine transporter (NET) are sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporters responsible for reuptake of released serotonin and norepinephrine, respectively, into nerve terminals in the brain. A wide range of inhibitors of SERT and NET are used as treatment of depression and anxiety disorders or as psychostimulant drugs of abuse. Despite their clinical importance, the molecular mechanisms by which various types of antidepressant drugs bind and inhibit SERT and NET are still elusive for the majority of the inhibitors, including the molecular basis for SERT/NET selectivity. Mutational analyses have suggested that a central substrate binding site (denoted the S1 pocket) also harbors an inhibitor binding site. In this study, we determine the effect of mutating six key S1 residues in human SERT (hSERT) and NET (hNET) on the potency of 15 prototypical SERT/NET inhibitors belonging to different drug classes. Analysis of the resulting drug sensitivity profiles provides novel information on drug binding modes in hSERT and hNET and identifies specific S1 residues as important molecular determinants for inhibitor potency and hSERT/hNET selectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Sørensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhao R, Shin DS, Fiser A, Goldman ID. Identification of a functionally critical GXXG motif and its relationship to the folate binding site of the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT-SLC46A1). Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2012; 303:C673-81. [PMID: 22785121 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00123.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) mediates intestinal folate absorption, and loss-of-function mutations in this gene result in the autosomal recessive disorder hereditary folate malabsorption. The current study, focused on a structure-functional analysis of this transporter, identified Gly-189 and Gly-192 (a GxxG motif) located in the fifth transmembrane domain as residues that could not be replaced with alanine without a loss of function. In contrast, function was preserved when Gly-56 and Gly-59 (the other conservative GXXG motif in human PCFT) were replaced with alanine. Similarly, Gly-93 and Gly-97, which constitute the only conserved GXXXG dimerization motif in human PCFT, tolerated alanine substitution. To explore the role of this region in folate binding, the residues around Gly-189 and Gly-192 were analyzed by the substituted cysteine accessibility method. Both I188C and M193C mutants were functional and were inhibited by membrane-impermeable sulfhydryl-reactive reagents; this could be prevented with PCFT substrate, but the protection was sustained at 0°C only for the I188C mutant, consistent with localization of Ile-188 in the PCFT folate binding pocket. The functional role of residues around Gly-189 and Gly-192 is consistent with a molecular structural model in which these two residues along with Ieu-188 are accessible to the PCFT aqueous translocation pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongbao Zhao
- Depts. of Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Solis E, Zdravkovic I, Tomlinson ID, Noskov SY, Rosenthal SJ, De Felice LJ. 4-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-1-methylpyridinium (APP+) is a fluorescent substrate for the human serotonin transporter. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:8852-63. [PMID: 22291010 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.267757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoamine transporters terminate synaptic neurotransmission and are molecular targets for antidepressants and psychostimulants. Fluorescent reporters can monitor real-time transport and are amenable for high-throughput screening. However, until now, their use has mostly been successful to study the catecholamine transporters but not the serotonin (5HT) transporter. Here, we use fluorescence microscopy, electrophysiology, pharmacology, and molecular modeling to compare fluorescent analogs of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) as reporters for the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) in single cells. The fluorescent substrate 4-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-1-methylpyridinium (APP(+)) exhibits superior fluorescence uptake in hSERT-expressing HEK293 cells than other MPP(+) analogs tested. APP(+) uptake is Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent, displaced by 5HT, and inhibited by fluoxetine, suggesting APP(+) specifically monitors hSERT activity. ASP(+), which was previously used to study catecholamine transporters, is 10 times less potent than APP(+) at inhibiting 5HT uptake and has minimal hSERT-mediated uptake. Furthermore, in hSERT-expressing oocytes voltage-clamped to -60 mV, APP(+) induced fluoxetine-sensitive hSERT-mediated inward currents, indicating APP(+) is a substrate, whereas ASP(+) induced hSERT-mediated outward currents and counteracted 5HT-induced hSERT currents, indicating ASP(+) possesses activity as an inhibitor. Extra-precise ligand receptor docking of APP(+) and ASP(+) in an hSERT homology model showed both ASP(+) and APP(+) docked favorably within the active region; accordingly, comparable concentrations are required to elicit their opposite electrophysiological responses. We conclude APP(+) is better suited than ASP(+) to study hSERT transport fluorometrically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Solis
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 23235, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Jarończyk M, Wołosewicz K, Gabrielsen M, Nowak G, Kufareva I, Mazurek AP, Ravna AW, Abagyan R, Bojarski AJ, Sylte I, Chilmonczyk Z. Synthesis, in vitro binding studies and docking of long-chain arylpiperazine nitroquipazine analogues, as potential serotonin transporter inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2012; 49:200-10. [PMID: 22309909 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2012.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 01/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that 6-nitroquipazine exhibits about 150-fold higher affinity for the serotonin transporter (SERT) than quipazine and recently we showed quipazine buspirone analogues with high to moderate SERT affinity. Now we have designed and synthesized several 6-nitroquipazine buspirone derivatives. Unexpectedly, their SERT binding affinities were moderate, and much lower than that of the previously studied quipazine buspirone analogues. To explain these findings, docking studies of both groups of compounds into two different homology models of human SERT was performed using a flexible target-ligand docking approach (4D docking). The crystal structures of leucine transporter from Aquifex aeolicus in complex with leucine and with tryptophan were used as templates for the SERT models in closed and outward-facing conformations, respectively. We found that the latter conformation represents the most reliable model for binding of buspirone analogues. Docking into that model showed that the nitrated compounds acquire a rod like shape in the binding pocket with polar groups (nitro- and imido-) at the ends of the rod. 6-Nitro substituents gave steric clashes with amino acids located at the extracellular loop 4, which may explain their lower affinity than corresponding quipazine buspirone analogues. The results from the present study may suggest chemical design strategies to improve the SERT modulators.
Collapse
|
25
|
X-ray structures of LeuT in substrate-free outward-open and apo inward-open states. Nature 2012; 481:469-74. [PMID: 22230955 DOI: 10.1038/nature10737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 409] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter sodium symporters are integral membrane proteins that remove chemical transmitters from the synapse and terminate neurotransmission mediated by serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, glycine and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid). Crystal structures of the bacterial homologue, LeuT, in substrate-bound outward-occluded and competitive inhibitor-bound outward-facing states have advanced our mechanistic understanding of neurotransmitter sodium symporters but have left fundamental questions unanswered. Here we report crystal structures of LeuT mutants in complexes with conformation-specific antibody fragments in the outward-open and inward-open states. In the absence of substrate but in the presence of sodium the transporter is outward-open, illustrating how the binding of substrate closes the extracellular gate through local conformational changes: hinge-bending movements of the extracellular halves of transmembrane domains 1, 2 and 6, together with translation of extracellular loop 4. The inward-open conformation, by contrast, involves large-scale conformational changes, including a reorientation of transmembrane domains 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, a marked hinge bending of transmembrane domain 1a and occlusion of the extracellular vestibule by extracellular loop 4. These changes close the extracellular gate, open an intracellular vestibule, and largely disrupt the two sodium sites, thus providing a mechanism by which ions and substrate are released to the cytoplasm. The new structures establish a structural framework for the mechanism of neurotransmitter sodium symporters and their modulation by therapeutic and illicit substances.
Collapse
|
26
|
Zdravkovic I, Zhao C, Lev B, Cuervo JE, Noskov SY. Atomistic models of ion and solute transport by the sodium-dependent secondary active transporters. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2011; 1818:337-47. [PMID: 22138368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2011] [Revised: 10/24/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The recent determination of high-resolution crystal structures of several transporters offers unprecedented insights into the structural mechanisms behind secondary transport. These proteins utilize the facilitated diffusion of the ions down their electrochemical gradients to transport the substrate against its concentration gradient. The structural studies revealed striking similarities in the structural organization of ion and solute binding sites and a well-conserved inverted-repeat topology between proteins from several gene families. In this paper we will overview recent atomistic simulations applied to study the mechanisms of selective binding of ion and substrate in LeuT, Glt, vSGLT and hSERT as well as its consequences for the transporter conformational dynamics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane protein structure and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Igor Zdravkovic
- Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics (IBI), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, Calgary, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
Ion-coupled solute transporters are responsible for transporting nutrients, ions, and signaling molecules across a variety of biological membranes. Recent high-resolution crystal structures of several transporters from protein families that were previously thought to be unrelated show common structural features indicating a large structural family representing transporters from all kingdoms of life. This review describes studies that led to an understanding of the conformational changes required for solute transport in this family. The first structure in this family showed the bacterial amino acid transporter LeuT, which is homologous to neurotransmitter transporters, in an extracellularly oriented conformation with a molecule of leucine occluded at the substrate site. Studies with the mammalian serotonin transporter identified positions, buried in the LeuT structure, that defined a potential pathway leading from the cytoplasm to the substrate binding site. Modeling studies utilized an inverted structural repeat within the LeuT crystal structure to predict the conformation of LeuT in which the cytoplasmic permeation pathway, consisting of positions identified in SERT, was open for diffusion of the substrate to the cytoplasm. From the difference between the model and the crystal structures, a simple "rocking bundle" mechanism was proposed, in which a four-helix bundle changed its orientation with respect to the rest of the protein to close the extracellular pathway and open the cytoplasmic one. Subsequent crystal structures from structurally related proteins provide evidence supporting this model for transport.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary Rudnick
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8066, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kristensen AS, Andersen J, Jørgensen TN, Sørensen L, Eriksen J, Loland CJ, Strømgaard K, Gether U. SLC6 neurotransmitter transporters: structure, function, and regulation. Pharmacol Rev 2011; 63:585-640. [PMID: 21752877 DOI: 10.1124/pr.108.000869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 591] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurotransmitter transporters (NTTs) belonging to the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) gene family (also referred to as the neurotransmitter-sodium-symporter family or Na(+)/Cl(-)-dependent transporters) comprise a group of nine sodium- and chloride-dependent plasma membrane transporters for the monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), dopamine, and norepinephrine, and the amino acid neurotransmitters GABA and glycine. The SLC6 NTTs are widely expressed in the mammalian brain and play an essential role in regulating neurotransmitter signaling and homeostasis by mediating uptake of released neurotransmitters from the extracellular space into neurons and glial cells. The transporters are targets for a wide range of therapeutic drugs used in treatment of psychiatric diseases, including major depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy. Furthermore, psychostimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines have the SLC6 NTTs as primary targets. Beginning with the determination of a high-resolution structure of a prokaryotic homolog of the mammalian SLC6 transporters in 2005, the understanding of the molecular structure, function, and pharmacology of these proteins has advanced rapidly. Furthermore, intensive efforts have been directed toward understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in regulation of the activity of this important class of transporters, leading to new methodological developments and important insights. This review provides an update of these advances and their implications for the current understanding of the SLC6 NTTs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders S Kristensen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Henry LK, Iwamoto H, Field JR, Kaufmann K, Dawson ES, Jacobs MT, Adams C, Felts B, Zdravkovic I, Armstrong V, Combs S, Solis E, Rudnick G, Noskov SY, DeFelice LJ, Meiler J, Blakely RD. A conserved asparagine residue in transmembrane segment 1 (TM1) of serotonin transporter dictates chloride-coupled neurotransmitter transport. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:30823-30836. [PMID: 21730057 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.250308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent uptake of neurotransmitters via transporters of the SLC6 family, including the human serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), is critical for efficient synaptic transmission. Although residues in the human serotonin transporter involved in direct Cl(-) coordination of human serotonin transport have been identified, the role of Cl(-) in the transport mechanism remains unclear. Through a combination of mutagenesis, chemical modification, substrate and charge flux measurements, and molecular modeling studies, we reveal an unexpected role for the highly conserved transmembrane segment 1 residue Asn-101 in coupling Cl(-) binding to concentrative neurotransmitter uptake.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Keith Henry
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203.
| | - Hideki Iwamoto
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Julie R Field
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Kristian Kaufmann
- Chemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Eric S Dawson
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Miriam T Jacobs
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8066
| | - Chelsea Adams
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Bruce Felts
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Igor Zdravkovic
- Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Vanessa Armstrong
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Steven Combs
- Chemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Ernesto Solis
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Gary Rudnick
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8066
| | - Sergei Y Noskov
- Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Louis J DeFelice
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Jens Meiler
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Chemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548; Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Hill ER, Huang X, Zhan CG, Ivy Carroll F, Gu HH. Interaction of tyrosine 151 in norepinephrine transporter with the 2β group of cocaine analog RTI-113. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:112-20. [PMID: 21420984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine binds and inhibits dopamine transporter (DAT), norepinephrine transporter (NET) and serotonin transporter. The residues forming cocaine binding sites are unknown. RTI-113, a cocaine analog, is 100× more potent at inhibiting DAT than inhibiting NET. Here we show that removing the hydroxyl group from residue Tyr151 in NET by replacing it with Phe, the corresponding residue in DAT, increased the sensitivity of NET to RTI-113, while the reverse mutation in DAT decreased the sensitivity of DAT to RTI-113. In contrast, RTI-31, another cocaine analog having the same structure as RTI-113 but with the phenyl group at the 2β position replaced by a methyl group, inhibits the transporter mutants equally well whether a hydroxyl group is present at the residue or not. The data suggest that this residue contributes to cocaine binding site and is close to the 2β position of cocaine analogs. These results are consistent with our previously proposed cocaine-DAT binding model where cocaine initially binds to a site that does not overlap with, but is close to, the dopamine-binding site. Computational modeling and molecular docking yielded a binding model that explains the observed changes in RTI-113 inhibition potencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik R Hill
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
The substrate-driven transition to an inward-facing conformation in the functional mechanism of the dopamine transporter. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16350. [PMID: 21298009 PMCID: PMC3029329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The dopamine transporter (DAT), a member of the neurotransmitter:Na+ symporter (NSS) family, terminates dopaminergic neurotransmission and is a major molecular target for psychostimulants such as cocaine and amphetamine, and for the treatment of attention deficit disorder and depression. The crystal structures of the prokaryotic NSS homolog of DAT, the leucine transporter LeuT, have provided critical structural insights about the occluded and outward-facing conformations visited during the substrate transport, but only limited clues regarding mechanism. To understand the transport mechanism in DAT we have used a homology model based on the LeuT structure in a computational protocol validated previously for LeuT, in which steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations guide the substrate along a pathway leading from the extracellular end to the intracellular (cytoplasmic) end. Methodology/Principal Findings Key findings are (1) a second substrate binding site in the extracellular vestibule, and (2) models of the conformational states identified as occluded, doubly occupied, and inward-facing. The transition between these states involve a spatially ordered sequence of interactions between the two substrate-binding sites, followed by rearrangements in structural elements located between the primary binding site and the cytoplasmic end. These rearrangements are facilitated by identified conserved hinge regions and a reorganization of interaction networks that had been identified as gates. Conclusions/Significance Computational simulations supported by information available from experiments in DAT and other NSS transporters have produced a detailed mechanistic proposal for the dynamic changes associated with substrate transport in DAT. This allosteric mechanism is triggered by the binding of substrate in the S2 site in the presence of the substrate in the S1 site. Specific structural elements involved in this mechanism, and their roles in the conformational transitions illuminated here describe, a specific substrate-driven allosteric mechanism that is directly amenable to experiment as shown previously for LeuT.
Collapse
|
32
|
Lin Z, Canales JJ, Björgvinsson T, Thomsen MM, Qu H, Liu QR, Torres GE, Caine SB. Monoamine transporters: vulnerable and vital doorkeepers. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2011; 98:1-46. [PMID: 21199769 PMCID: PMC3321928 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385506-0.00001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transporters of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine have been empirically used as medication targets for several mental illnesses in the last decades. These protein-targeted medications are effective only for subpopulations of patients with transporter-related brain disorders. Since the cDNA clonings in early 1990s, molecular studies of these transporters have revealed a wealth of information about the transporters' structure-activity relationship (SAR), neuropharmacology, cell biology, biochemistry, pharmacogenetics, and the diseases related to the human genes encoding these transporters among related regulators. Such new information creates a unique opportunity to develop transporter-specific medications based on SAR, mRNA, DNA, and perhaps transporter trafficking regulation for a number of highly relevant diseases including substance abuse, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Juan J. Canales
- Department of Psychology, Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Thröstur Björgvinsson
- Behavioral Health Partial Hospital and Psychology Internship Programs, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Morgane M. Thomsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Hong Qu
- Center for Bioinformatics, National Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University. Beijing, 100871 China
| | - Qing-Rong Liu
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Gonzalo E. Torres
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - S. Barak Caine
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Sarker S, Weissensteiner R, Steiner I, Sitte HH, Ecker GF, Freissmuth M, Sucic S. The high-affinity binding site for tricyclic antidepressants resides in the outer vestibule of the serotonin transporter. Mol Pharmacol 2010; 78:1026-35. [PMID: 20829432 DOI: 10.1124/mol.110.067538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of the bacterial leucine transporter from Aquifex aeolicus (LeuT(Aa)) has been used as a model for mammalian Na(+)/Cl(-)-dependent transporters, in particular the serotonin transporter (SERT). The crystal structure of LeuT(Aa) liganded to tricyclic antidepressants predicts simultaneous binding of inhibitor and substrate. This is incompatible with the mutually competitive inhibition of substrates and inhibitors of SERT. We explored the binding modes of tricyclic antidepressants by homology modeling and docking studies. Two approaches were used subsequently to differentiate between three clusters of potential docking poses: 1) a diagnostic SERT(Y95F) mutation, which greatly reduced the affinity for [(3)H]imipramine but did not affect substrate binding; 2) competition binding experiments in the presence and absence of carbamazepine (i.e., a tricyclic imipramine analog with a short side chain that competes with [(3)H]imipramine binding to SERT). Binding of releasers (para-chloroamphetamine, methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine/ecstasy) and of carbamazepine were mutually exclusive, but Dixon plots generated in the presence of carbamazepine yielded intersecting lines for serotonin, MPP(+), paroxetine, and ibogaine. These observations are consistent with a model, in which 1) the tricyclic ring is docked into the outer vestibule and the dimethyl-aminopropyl side chain points to the substrate binding site; 2) binding of amphetamines creates a structural change in the inner and outer vestibule that precludes docking of the tricyclic ring; 3) simultaneous binding of ibogaine (which binds to the inward-facing conformation) and of carbamazepine is indicative of a second binding site in the inner vestibule, consistent with the pseudosymmetric fold of monoamine transporters. This may be the second low-affinity binding site for antidepressants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Subhodeep Sarker
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Strasse 13a, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Shaikh SA, Tajkhorshid E. Modeling and dynamics of the inward-facing state of a Na+/Cl- dependent neurotransmitter transporter homologue. PLoS Comput Biol 2010; 6. [PMID: 20865057 PMCID: PMC2928745 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The leucine transporter (LeuT) has recently commanded exceptional attention due mainly to two distinctions; it provides the only crystal structures available for a protein homologous to the pharmacologically relevant neurotransmitter: sodium symporters (NSS), and, it exhibits a hallmark 5-TM inverted repeat ("LeuT-fold"), a fold recently discovered to also exist in several secondary transporter families, underscoring its general role in transporter function. Constructing the transport cycle of "LeuT-fold" transporters requires detailed structural and dynamic descriptions of the outward-facing (OF) and inward-facing (IF) states, as well as the intermediate states. To this end, we have modeled the structurally unknown IF state of LeuT, based on the known crystal structures of the OF state of LeuT and the IF state of vSGLT, a "LeuT-fold" transporter. The detailed methodology developed for the study combines structure-based alignment, threading, targeted MD and equilibrium MD, and can be applied to other proteins. The resulting IF-state models maintain the secondary structural features of LeuT. Water penetration and solvent accessibility calculations show that TM1, TM3, TM6 and TM8 line the substrate binding/unbinding pathway with TM10 and its pseudosymmetric partner, TM5, participating in the extracellular and intracellular halves of the lumen, respectively. We report conformational hotspots where notable changes in interactions occur between the IF and OF states. We observe Na2 exiting the LeuT-substrate- complex in the IF state, mainly due to TM1 bending. Inducing a transition in only one of the two pseudosymmetric domains, while allowing the second to respond dynamically, is found to be sufficient to induce the formation of the IF state. We also propose that TM2 and TM7 may be facilitators of TM1 and TM6 motion. Thus, this study not only presents a novel modeling methodology applied to obtain the IF state of LeuT, but also describes structural elements involved in a possibly general transport mechanism in transporters adopting the "LeuT-fold".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saher Afshan Shaikh
- Department of Biochemistry and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Biochemistry and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- College of Medicine and Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hong WC, Amara SG. Membrane cholesterol modulates the outward facing conformation of the dopamine transporter and alters cocaine binding. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:32616-26. [PMID: 20688912 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.150565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Clearance of synaptically released dopamine is regulated by the plasmalemmal dopamine transporter (DAT), an integral membrane protein that resides within a complex lipid milieu. Here we demonstrate that cholesterol, a major component of the lipid bilayer, can modulate the conformation of DAT and alter cocaine binding to DAT. In striatal synaptosomes and transfected cells, DAT was in cholesterol-rich membrane fractions after mild detergent extraction. After increasing the membrane cholesterol content by treatment of water-soluble cholesterol (cholesterol mixed with methyl-β-cyclodextrin), we observed an increase in DAT binding B(max) values for cocaine analogs [(3)H]WIN35428 and [(125)I]RTI-55, but similar levels of DAT proteins on the cell surface were shown by surface biotinylation assays. Membrane cholesterol addition also markedly enhanced the accessibility of cysteine sulfhydryl moieties in DAT as probed by a membrane-impermeable maleimide-biotin conjugate. We identified cysteine 306, a juxtamembrane residue on transmembrane domain 6 (TM6) of DAT, as the intrinsic residue exhibiting enhanced reactivity. Similar effects on DAT cysteine accessibility and radioligand binding were observed with addition of zinc, a reagent known to promote the outward facing conformation of DAT. Using substituted cysteine mutants on various positions likely to be extracellular, we identified additional residues located on TM1, TM6, TM7, and TM12 of DAT that are sensitive to alterations in the membrane cholesterol content. Our findings in transfected cells and native tissues support the hypothesis that DAT adopts an outward facing conformation in a cholesterol-rich membrane environment, suggesting a novel modulatory role of the surrounding membrane lipid milieu on DAT function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weimin C Hong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Field JR, Henry LK, Blakely RD. Transmembrane domain 6 of the human serotonin transporter contributes to an aqueously accessible binding pocket for serotonin and the psychostimulant 3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:11270-80. [PMID: 20159976 PMCID: PMC2857005 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.093658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2009] [Revised: 02/04/2010] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The plasma membrane serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT, SLC6A4) clears 5-HT after release at nerve termini and is targeted by both antidepressant medications and psychostimulants (e.g. MDMA, cocaine). Homology modeling of human SERT (hSERT), based on high resolution structures of the microbial SLC6 family member LeuT(Aa), along with biochemical studies of wild type and mutant transporters, predicts transmembrane (TM) domains 1, 3, 6, and 8 comprise the 5-HT-binding pocket. We utilized the substituted cysteine accessibility method along with surface and site-specific biotinylation to probe TM6 for aqueous accessibility and differential interactions with 5-HT and psychostimulants. Our results are consistent with TM6 being composed of an aqueous-accessible, alpha-helical extracellular domain (TM6a) that is separated by a central, unwound section from a cytoplasmically localized domain (TM6b) with limited aqueous accessibility. The substitution G338C appears to lock hSERT in an outward-facing conformation that, although accessible to aminoethylmethanethiosulfonate-biotin, 5-HT, and citalopram, is incapable of inward 5-HT transport. Transport of 5-HT by G338C can be partially restored by the TM1 mutation Y95F. With regard to methanethiosulfonate (MTS) inactivation of uptake, TM6a Cys mutants demonstrate Na(+)-dependent [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]-MTS sensitivity. Studies with the centrally located substitution S336C reveal features of a common binding pocket for 5-HT and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Interestingly, the substitution I333C reveals an MDMA-induced conformation not observed with 5-HT. In the context of prior studies on TM1, our findings document shared and unique features of TM6 contributing to hSERT aqueous accessibility, ligand recognition, and conformational dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - L. Keith Henry
- the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203
| | - Randy D. Blakely
- From the Departments of Pharmacology and
- Psychiatry and
- Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8548 and
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Torres-Altoro MI, Kuntz CP, Nichols DE, Barker EL. Structural analysis of the extracellular entrance to the serotonin transporter permeation pathway. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:15369-15379. [PMID: 20304925 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.088138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter transporters are responsible for removal of biogenic amine neurotransmitters after release into the synapse. These transporters are the targets for many clinically relevant drugs, such as antidepressants and psychostimulants. A high resolution crystal structure for the monoamine transporters has yet to be solved. We have developed a homology model for the serotonin transporter (SERT) based on the crystal structure of the leucine transporter (LeuT(Aa)) from Aquifex aeolicus. The objective of the present studies is to identify the structural determinants forming the entrance to the substrate permeation pathway based on predictions from the SERT homology model. Using the substituted cysteine accessibility method, we identified residues predicted to reside at the entrance to the substrate permeation pathway that were reactive with methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents. Of these residues, Gln(332) in transmembrane helix (TMH) VI was protected against MTS inactivation in the presence of serotonin. Surprisingly, the reactivity of Gln(332) to MTS reagents was enhanced in the presence of cocaine. Bifunctional MTS cross-linkers also were used to examine the distances between helices predicted to form the entrance into the substrate and ion permeation pathway. Our studies suggest that substrate and ligand binding may induce conformational shifts in TMH I and/or VI, providing new opportunities to refine existing homology models of SERT and related monoamine transporters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa I Torres-Altoro
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2091
| | - Charles P Kuntz
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2091
| | - David E Nichols
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2091
| | - Eric L Barker
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2091.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Tao Z, Zhang YW, Agyiri A, Rudnick G. Ligand effects on cross-linking support a conformational mechanism for serotonin transport. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:33807-14. [PMID: 19837674 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.071977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin transporter (SERT) is responsible for the re-uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) from the synaptic cleft after release from serotonergic neurons. We show here that cysteine residues at positions in transmembranes 1 and 3 of SERT, like the corresponding positions in the gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter, can be cross-linked using copper(II)(1,10-phenanthroline)(3). The presence of a cross-link was detected by a novel methionine mutagenesis strategy. A change in mobility for an N-terminal cyanogen bromide fragment accompanied disulfide cross-linking of the two cysteine residues. Cross-linking also inhibited transport, and this process was blocked by cocaine, which is expected to stabilize SERT in conformations where the two positions are separated, but cocaine did not decrease accessibility of either of the two cysteines to modification by 2-aminoethyl methanethiosulfonate. Cysteine was required at both positions on the same molecule for efficient cross-linking, indicating that the reaction was intramolecular.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Tao
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8066, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Babu DK, Diaz A, Samikkannu T, Rao KVK, Saiyed ZM, Rodriguez JW, Nair MPN. Upregulation of serotonin transporter by alcohol in human dendritic cells: possible implication in neuroimmune deregulation. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2009; 33:1731-8. [PMID: 19572987 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01010.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol is the most widely abused substance and its chronic consumption causes neurobehavioral disorders. It has been shown that alcohol affects the function of immune cells. Dendritic cells (DC) serve as the first line of defense against infections and are known to accumulate neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). The enzyme monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) degrades 5-HT that is associated with clinical depression and other neurological disorders. 5-HT is selectively transported into neurons through the serotonin transporter (SERT), which is a member of the sodium- and chloride-dependent neurotransmitter transporter (SLC6) family. SERT also serves as a receptor for psychostimulant recreational drugs. It has been demonstrated that several drugs of abuse such as amphetamine and cocaine inhibit the SERT expression; however, the role of alcohol is yet to be elucidated. We hypothesize that alcohol can modulate SERT and MAO-A expression in DC, leading to reciprocal downregulation of 5-HT in extracellular medium. METHODS Dendritic cells were treated with different concentrations (0.05% to 0.2%v/v) of alcohol for 24-72 hours and processed for SERT and MAO-A expression using Q-PCR and Western blots analysis. In addition, SERT function in DC treated with alcohol both in the presence and absence of imipramine, a SERT inhibitor was measured using 4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-methylpyridinium iodide uptake assay. 5-HT levels in culture supernatant and intracellular 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid (5-HIAA) and cyclic AMP were also quantitated using ELISA. RESULTS Dendritic cells treated with 0.1% alcohol for 24 hours showed significant upregulation of SERT and MAO-A expression compared with untreated DC. We also observed that 0.1% alcohol enhanced the function of SERT and decreased extracellular 5-HT levels compared with untreated DC cultures, and this was associated with the elevation of intracellular 5-HIAA and cyclic AMP levels. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that alcohol upregulates SERT and MAO-A by elevating cyclic AMP, which may lead to decreased concentration of 5-HT in the extracellular medium. As 5-HT is a major neurotransmitter and an inflammatory mediator, its alcohol-mediated depletion may cause both neurological and immunological deregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dakshayani Kadiyala Babu
- Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Castagna M, Bossi E, Sacchi VF. Molecular physiology of the insect K-activated amino acid transporter 1 (KAAT1) and cation-anion activated amino acid transporter/channel 1 (CAATCH1) in the light of the structure of the homologous protein LeuT. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2009; 18:265-279. [PMID: 19389142 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2009.00881.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
K-activated amino acid transporter 1 (KAAT1) and cation-anion-activated amino acid transporter/channel 1 (CAATCH1) are amino acid cotransporters, belonging to the Na/Cl-dependent neurotransmitter transporter family (also called SLC6/NSS), that have been cloned from Manduca sexta midgut. They have been thoroughly studied by expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and structure/function analyses have made it possible to identify the structural determinants of their cation and amino acid selectivity. About 40 mutants of these proteins have been studied by measuring amino acid uptake and current/voltage relationships. The results obtained since the cloning of KAAT1 and CAATCH1 are here discussed in the light of the 3D model of the first crystallized member of the family, the leucine transporter LeuT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Castagna
- Institute of General Physiology and Biological Chemistry 'G. Esposito', University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Andersen J, Kristensen AS, Bang-Andersen B, Strømgaard K. Recent advances in the understanding of the interaction of antidepressant drugs with serotonin and norepinephrine transporters. Chem Commun (Camb) 2009:3677-92. [PMID: 19557250 DOI: 10.1039/b903035m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The biogenic monoamine transporters are integral membrane proteins that perform active transport of extracellular dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine into cells. These transporters are targets for therapeutic agents such as antidepressants, as well as addictive substances such as cocaine and amphetamine. Seminal advances in the understanding of the structure and function of this transporter family have recently been accomplished by structural studies of a bacterial transporter, as well as medicinal chemistry and pharmacological studies of mammalian transporters. This feature article focuses on antidepressant drugs that act on the serotonin and/or the norepinephrine transporters. Specifically, we focus on structure-activity relationships of these drugs with emphasis on relationships between their molecular properties and the current knowledge of transporter structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Andersen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Kaufmann KW, Dawson ES, Henry LK, Field JR, Blakely RD, Meiler J. Structural determinants of species-selective substrate recognition in human and Drosophila serotonin transporters revealed through computational docking studies. Proteins 2009; 74:630-42. [PMID: 18704946 DOI: 10.1002/prot.22178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
To identify potential determinants of substrate selectivity in serotonin (5-HT) transporters (SERT), models of human and Drosophila serotonin transporters (hSERT, dSERT) were built based on the leucine transporter (LeuT(Aa)) structure reported by Yamashita et al. (Nature 2005;437:215-223), PBDID 2A65. Although the overall amino acid identity between SERTs and the LeuT(Aa) is only 17%, it increases to above 50% in the first shell of the putative 5-HT binding site, allowing de novo computational docking of tryptamine derivatives in atomic detail. Comparison of hSERT and dSERT complexed with substrates pinpoints likely structural determinants for substrate binding. Forgoing the use of experimental transport and binding data of tryptamine derivatives for construction of these models enables us to critically assess and validate their predictive power: A single 5-HT binding mode was identified that retains the amine placement observed in the LeuT(Aa) structure, matches site-directed mutagenesis and substituted cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) data, complies with support vector machine derived relations activity relations, and predicts computational binding energies for 5-HT analogs with a significant correlation coefficient (R = 0.72). This binding mode places 5-HT deep in the binding pocket of the SERT with the 5-position near residue hSERT A169/dSERT D164 in transmembrane helix 3, the indole nitrogen next to residue Y176/Y171, and the ethylamine tail under residues F335/F327 and S336/S328 within 4 A of residue D98. Our studies identify a number of potential contacts whose contribution to substrate binding and transport was previously unsuspected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian W Kaufmann
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1822, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Singh SK, Piscitelli CL, Yamashita A, Gouaux E. A competitive inhibitor traps LeuT in an open-to-out conformation. Science 2009; 322:1655-61. [PMID: 19074341 DOI: 10.1126/science.1166777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Secondary transporters are workhorses of cellular membranes, catalyzing the movement of small molecules and ions across the bilayer and coupling substrate passage to ion gradients. However, the conformational changes that accompany substrate transport, the mechanism by which a substrate moves through the transporter, and principles of competitive inhibition remain unclear. We used crystallographic and functional studies on the leucine transporter (LeuT), a model for neurotransmitter sodium symporters, to show that various amino acid substrates induce the same occluded conformational state and that a competitive inhibitor, tryptophan (Trp), traps LeuT in an open-to-out conformation. In the Trp complex, the extracellular gate residues arginine 30 and aspartic acid 404 define a second weak binding site for substrates or inhibitors as they permeate from the extracellular solution to the primary substrate site, which demonstrates how residues that participate in gating also mediate permeation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Satinder K Singh
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Mao Y, Mathewson L, Gesmonde J, Sato Y, Holy M, Sitte HH, Rudnick G. Involvement of serotonin transporter extracellular loop 1 in serotonin binding and transport. Mol Membr Biol 2008; 25:115-27. [PMID: 18307099 DOI: 10.1080/09687680701633257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Residues Tyr-110 through Gly-115 of serotonin transporter were replaced, one at a time, with cysteine. Of these mutants, only G113C retained full activity for transport, Q111C and N112C retained partial activity, but Y110C, G114C and G115C were inactive. Poor surface expression was at least partly responsible for the lack of transport by G114C and G115C. In membrane preparations, Y110C through G113C all bound a high affinity cocaine analog similarly to the wild type. Treatment with methanethiosulfonate reagents increased the transport activity of Q111C and N112C to essentially wild-type levels but had no measurable effect on the other mutants. The decreased activity of Q111C and N112C resulted from an increase in the K(M) for serotonin that was not accompanied by a decrease in serotonin binding affinity. Superfusion experiments indicated a defect in 5-HT exchange. Modification of the inserted cysteine residues reversed the increase in K(M) and the poor exchange, also with no effect on serotonin affinity. The results suggest that Gln-111 and Asn-112 are not required for substrate binding but participate in subsequent steps in the transport cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Mao
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Jørgensen AM, Tagmose L, Jørgensen AMM, Bøgesø KP, Peters GH. Molecular dynamics simulations of Na+/Cl(-)-dependent neurotransmitter transporters in a membrane-aqueous system. ChemMedChem 2008; 2:827-40. [PMID: 17436258 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.200600243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of a homology model of the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) in a membrane environment and in complex with either the natural substrate 5-HT or the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram. We have also included a transporter homologue, the Aquifex aeolicus leucine transporter (LeuT), in our study to evaluate the applicability of a simple and computationally attractive membrane system. Fluctuations in LeuT extracted from simulations are in good agreement with crystallographic B factors. Furthermore, key interactions identified in the X-ray structure of LeuT are maintained throughout the simulations indicating that our simple membrane system is suitable for studying the transmembrane protein hSERT in complex with 5-HT or escitalopram. For these transporter complexes, only relatively small fluctuations are observed in the ligand-binding cleft. Specific interactions responsible for ligand recognition, are identified in the hSERT-5HT and hSERT-escitalopram complexes. Our findings are in good agreement with predictions from mutagenesis studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Marie Jørgensen
- MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Building 206, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Jarończyk M, Chilmonczyk Z, Mazurek AP, Nowak G, Ravna AW, Kristiansen K, Sylte I. The molecular interactions of buspirone analogues with the serotonin transporter. Bioorg Med Chem 2008; 16:9283-94. [PMID: 18812261 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2008.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2008] [Revised: 08/26/2008] [Accepted: 09/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A major problem with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is the delayed onset of action. A reason for that may be that the initial SSRI-induced increase in serotonin levels activates somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors, causing a decrease in serotonin release in major forebrain areas. It has been suggested that compounds combining inhibition of the serotonin transport protein with antagonistic effects on the 5-HT(1A) receptor will shorten the onset time. The anxiolytic drug buspirone is known as 5-HT(1A) partial agonist. In the present work, we are studying the inhibition of the serotonin transporter protein by a series of buspirone analogues by molecular modelling and by experimental affinity measurements. Models of the transporter protein were constructed using the crystal structure of the Escherichia coli major facilitator family transporter-LacY and the X-ray structure of the neurotransmitter symporter family (NSS) transporter-LeuT(Aa) as templates. The buspirone analogues were docked into both SERT models and the interactions with amino acids within the protein were analyzed. Two putative binding sites were identified on the LeuT(Aa) based model, one suggested to be a high-affinity site, and the other suggested to be a low-affinity binding site. Molecular dynamic simulations of the LacY based model in complex with ligands did not induce a helical architecture of the LacY based model into an arrangement more similar to that of the LeuT(Aa) based model.
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Crystal structures of LeuT, a bacterial homologue of mammalian neurotransmitter transporters, show a molecule of bound substrate that is essentially exposed to the extracellular space but occluded from the cytoplasm. Thus, there must exist an alternate conformation for LeuT in which the substrate is accessible to the cytoplasm and a corresponding mechanism that switches accessibility from one side of the membrane to the other. Here, we identify the cytoplasmic accessibility pathway of the alternate conformation in a mammalian serotonin transporter (SERT) (a member of the same transporter family as LeuT). We also propose a model for the cytoplasmic-facing state that exploits the internal pseudosymmetry observed in the crystal structure. LeuT contains two structurally similar repeats (TMs1-5 and TMs 6-10) that are inverted with respect to the plane of the membrane. The conformational differences between them result in the formation of the extracellular pathway. Our model for the cytoplasm-facing state exchanges the conformations of the two repeats and thus exposes the substrate and ion-binding sites to the cytoplasm. The conformational change that connects the two states primarily involves the tilting of a 4-helix bundle composed of transmembrane helices 1, 2, 6, and 7. Switching the tilt angle of this bundle is essentially equivalent to switching the conformation of the two repeats. Extensive mutagenesis of SERT and accessibility measurements, using cysteine reagents, are accommodated by our model. These observations may be of relevance to other transporter families, many of which contain internal inverted repeats.
Collapse
|
48
|
Torres-Altoro MI, White KJ, Rodríguez GJ, Nichols DE, Barker EL. Helix XI contributes to the entrance of the serotonin transporter permeation pathway. Protein Sci 2008; 17:1761-70. [PMID: 18628241 DOI: 10.1110/ps.036749.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The sodium-dependent transporters for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin that regulate neurotransmission, also translocate the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)). Previous studies implicated residues in transmembrane helix (TMH) XI of DAT as important sites for MPP(+) transport. We examined the importance of TMH XI residues F551 and F556 for MPP(+) translocation by human SERT. Mutations at hSERT F556, but not F551, reduced both 5-HT and MPP(+) transport compared to wild type. However, F556S/hSERT showed a reduction in surface expression explaining the decrease of transport activity for 5-HT, but did not account for the decrease in MPP(+) transport observed. Cysteine mutants at those positions confirmed the accessibility of hSERT/F556 to different methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents, suggesting its presence in a hydrophilic environment of the protein. In the presence of MTSET, current induced by 5-HT and MPP(+) was inhibited at the F556C mutant. In agreement with our homology model of SERT, based on the leucine transporter (LeuT(Aa)) from Aquifex aeolicus structure, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that a portion of TMH XI lines the entrance into the substrate permeation pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa I Torres-Altoro
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2091, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
The binding sites for cocaine and dopamine in the dopamine transporter overlap. Nat Neurosci 2008; 11:780-9. [PMID: 18568020 DOI: 10.1038/nn.2146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2008] [Accepted: 05/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine is a widely abused substance with psychostimulant effects that are attributed to inhibition of the dopamine transporter (DAT). We present molecular models for DAT binding of cocaine and cocaine analogs constructed from the high-resolution structure of the bacterial transporter homolog LeuT. Our models suggest that the binding site for cocaine and cocaine analogs is deeply buried between transmembrane segments 1, 3, 6 and 8, and overlaps with the binding sites for the substrates dopamine and amphetamine, as well as for benztropine-like DAT inhibitors. We validated our models by detailed mutagenesis and by trapping the radiolabeled cocaine analog [3H]CFT in the transporter, either by cross-linking engineered cysteines or with an engineered Zn2+-binding site that was situated extracellularly to the predicted common binding pocket. Our data demonstrate the molecular basis for the competitive inhibition of dopamine transport by cocaine.
Collapse
|
50
|
Xhaard H, Backström V, Denessiouk K, Johnson MS. Coordination of Na+ by Monoamine Ligands in Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Serotonin Transporters. J Chem Inf Model 2008; 48:1423-37. [DOI: 10.1021/ci700255d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Henri Xhaard
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6 A, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| | - Vera Backström
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6 A, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| | - Konstantin Denessiouk
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6 A, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| | - Mark S. Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6 A, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| |
Collapse
|