1
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Pedersen CN, Yang F, Ita S, Xu Y, Akunuri R, Trampari S, Neumann CMT, Desdorf LM, Schiøtt B, Salvino JM, Mortensen OV, Nissen P, Shahsavar A. Cryo-EM structure of the dopamine transporter with a novel atypical non-competitive inhibitor bound to the orthosteric site. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 39010681 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The regulation of dopamine (DA) removal from the synaptic cleft is a crucial process in neurotransmission and is facilitated by the sodium- and chloride-coupled dopamine transporter DAT. Psychostimulant drugs, cocaine, and amphetamine, both block the uptake of DA, while amphetamine also triggers the release of DA. As a result, they prolong or even amplify neurotransmitter signaling. Atypical inhibitors of DAT lack cocaine-like rewarding effects and offer a promising strategy for the treatment of drug use disorders. Here, we present the 3.2 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of the Drosophila melanogaster dopamine transporter (dDAT) in complex with the atypical non-competitive inhibitor AC-4-248. The inhibitor partially binds at the central binding site, extending into the extracellular vestibule, and locks the transporter in an outward open conformation. Our findings propose mechanisms for the non-competitive inhibition of DAT and attenuation of cocaine potency by AC-4-248 and provide a basis for the rational design of more efficacious atypical inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Nautrup Pedersen
- DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Fuyu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samantha Ita
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yibin Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Sofia Trampari
- DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Caroline Marie Teresa Neumann
- DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Birgit Schiøtt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Ole Valente Mortensen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Poul Nissen
- DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Azadeh Shahsavar
- DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Vaughan RA, Henry LK, Foster JD, Brown CR. Post-translational mechanisms in psychostimulant-induced neurotransmitter efflux. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2024; 99:1-33. [PMID: 38467478 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The availability of monoamine neurotransmitters in the brain is under the control of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters expressed on the plasma membrane of monoaminergic neurons. By regulating transmitter levels these proteins mediate crucial functions including cognition, attention, and reward, and dysregulation of their activity is linked to mood and psychiatric disorders of these systems. Amphetamine-based transporter substrates stimulate non-exocytotic transmitter efflux that induces psychomotor stimulation, addiction, altered mood, hallucinations, and psychosis, thus constituting a major component of drug neurochemical and behavioral outcomes. Efflux is under the control of transporter post-translational modifications that synergize with other regulatory events, and this review will summarize our knowledge of these processes and their role in drug mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne A Vaughan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States.
| | - L Keith Henry
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - James D Foster
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Christopher R Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States
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3
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Nepal B, Das S, Reith ME, Kortagere S. Overview of the structure and function of the dopamine transporter and its protein interactions. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1150355. [PMID: 36935752 PMCID: PMC10020207 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1150355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays an integral role in dopamine neurotransmission through the clearance of dopamine from the extracellular space. Dysregulation of DAT is central to the pathophysiology of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and as such is an attractive therapeutic target. DAT belongs to the solute carrier family 6 (SLC6) class of Na+/Cl- dependent transporters that move various cargo into neurons against their concentration gradient. This review focuses on DAT (SCL6A3 protein) while extending the narrative to the closely related transporters for serotonin and norepinephrine where needed for comparison or functional relevance. Cloning and site-directed mutagenesis experiments provided early structural knowledge of DAT but our contemporary understanding was achieved through a combination of crystallization of the related bacterial transporter LeuT, homology modeling, and subsequently the crystallization of drosophila DAT. These seminal findings enabled a better understanding of the conformational states involved in the transport of substrate, subsequently aiding state-specific drug design. Post-translational modifications to DAT such as phosphorylation, palmitoylation, ubiquitination also influence the plasma membrane localization and kinetics. Substrates and drugs can interact with multiple sites within DAT including the primary S1 and S2 sites involved in dopamine binding and novel allosteric sites. Major research has centered around the question what determines the substrate and inhibitor selectivity of DAT in comparison to serotonin and norepinephrine transporters. DAT has been implicated in many neurological disorders and may play a role in the pathology of HIV and Parkinson's disease via direct physical interaction with HIV-1 Tat and α-synuclein proteins respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Nepal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sanjay Das
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Maarten E. Reith
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Sandhya Kortagere,
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4
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Hatton CE, Brotherton DH, Spencer M, Cameron AD. Structure of cytosine transport protein CodB provides insight into nucleobase-cation symporter 1 mechanism. EMBO J 2022; 41:e110527. [PMID: 35775318 PMCID: PMC9379551 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021110527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
CodB is a cytosine transporter from the Nucleobase‐Cation‐Symport‐1 (NCS1) transporter family, a member of the widespread LeuT superfamily. Previous experiments with the nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa have shown CodB as also important for the uptake of 5‐fluorocytosine, which has been suggested as a novel drug to combat antimicrobial resistance by suppressing virulence. Here we solve the crystal structure of CodB from Proteus vulgaris, at 2.4 Å resolution in complex with cytosine. We show that CodB carries out the sodium‐dependent uptake of cytosine and can bind 5‐fluorocytosine. Comparison of the substrate‐bound structures of CodB and the hydantoin transporter Mhp1, the only other NCS1 family member for which the structure is known, highlight the importance of the hydrogen bonds that the substrates make with the main chain at the breakpoint in the discontinuous helix, TM6. In contrast to other LeuT superfamily members, neither CodB nor Mhp1 makes specific interactions with residues on TM1. Comparison of the structures provides insight into the intricate mechanisms of how these proteins transport substrates across the plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mahalah Spencer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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5
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Chan MC, Selvam B, Young HJ, Procko E, Shukla D. The substrate import mechanism of the human serotonin transporter. Biophys J 2022; 121:715-730. [PMID: 35114149 PMCID: PMC8943754 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (SERT) initiates the reuptake of extracellular serotonin in the synapse to terminate neurotransmission. The cryogenic electron microscopy structures of SERT bound to ibogaine and the physiological substrate serotonin resolved in different states have provided a glimpse of the functional conformations at atomistic resolution. However, the conformational dynamics and structural transitions to intermediate states are not fully understood. Furthermore, the molecular basis of how serotonin is recognized and transported remains unclear. In this study, we performed unbiased microsecond-long simulations of the human SERT to investigate the structural dynamics to various intermediate states and elucidated the complete substrate import pathway. Using Markov state models, we characterized a sequential order of conformational-driven ion-coupled substrate binding and transport events and calculated the free energy barriers of conformation transitions associated with the import mechanism. We find that the transition from the occluded to inward-facing state is the rate-limiting step for substrate import and that the substrate decreases the free energy barriers to achieve the inward-facing state. Our study provides insights on the molecular basis of dynamics-driven ion-substrate recognition and transport of SERT that can serve as a model for other closely related neurotransmitter transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Balaji Selvam
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Heather J Young
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Erik Procko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
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6
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Mackie PM, Gopinath A, Montas DM, Nielsen A, Smith A, Nolan RA, Runner K, Matt SM, McNamee J, Riklan JE, Adachi K, Doty A, Ramirez-Zamora A, Yan L, Gaskill PJ, Streit WJ, Okun MS, Khoshbouei H. Functional characterization of the biogenic amine transporters on human macrophages. JCI Insight 2022; 7:151892. [PMID: 35015729 PMCID: PMC8876465 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.151892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Monocyte-derived macrophages are key players in tissue homeostasis and diseases regulated by a variety of signaling molecules. Recent literature has highlighted the ability for biogenic amines to regulate macrophage functions, but the mechanisms governing biogenic amine signaling in and around immune cells remains nebulous. In the central nervous system (CNS), biogenic amine transporters are regarded as the master regulators of neurotransmitter signaling. While we and others have shown that macrophages express these transporters, relatively little is known of their function in these cells. To address these knowledge gaps, we investigated the function of norepinephrine (NET) and dopamine (DAT) transporters on human monocyte-derived macrophages. We found that both NET and DAT are present and can uptake substrate from the extracellular space at baseline. Not only was DAT expressed in cultured monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), but it was also detected in a subset of intestinal macrophages in situ. Surprisingly, we discovered a NET-independent, DAT-mediated immuno-modulatory mechanism in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS induced reverse transport of dopamine through DAT, engaging an autocrine/paracrine signaling loop that regulated the macrophage response. Removing this signaling loop enhanced the pro-inflammatory response to LPS. Collectively, our data introduce a potential role for DAT in the regulation of innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip M Mackie
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Adithya Gopinath
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Insitute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Dominic M Montas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Alyssa Nielsen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Aidan Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Rachel A Nolan
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Kaitlyn Runner
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Stephanie M Matt
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - John McNamee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Joshua E Riklan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Kengo Adachi
- Neuronal Signal Transduction Group, Max Plank Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States of America
| | - Andria Doty
- Flow Cytometry Core Facility, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Adolfo Ramirez-Zamora
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Long Yan
- Neuronal Signal Transduction Group, Max Plank Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States of America
| | - Peter J Gaskill
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Wolfgang J Streit
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Michael S Okun
- University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
| | - Habibeh Khoshbouei
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, United States of America
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7
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Xu L, Chen LY. Effects of the N-terminal dynamics on the conformational states of human dopamine transporter. Biophys Chem 2022; 283:106765. [PMID: 35101818 PMCID: PMC8898274 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine transporter mediates the neurotransmitter dopamine homeostasis in a sodium-dependent manner. The transport process involves an alternating access of a substrate to the extracellular and intracellular spaces, which is associated with different conformational states of the transporter. However, the underlying mechanism of modulation of the state transition remains elusive. Here we present a computational simulation study of human dopamine transporter to explore its two end states (outward-facing open and inward-facing open) that have not been determined experimentally. We show that the full-length transporter may tend to adopt the inward-facing open state in its free state. The binding of an amphetamine may not trap the transporter in the outward-facing open state with increasing length of the N-terminal. Furthermore, we identify distinct patterns in the interaction networks between the N-terminal and the intracellular region that could stabilize the state of the transporter, independent of substrate binding and phosphorylation. Our results reveal the essential role of the N-terminal dynamics in modulating the functional states of the dopamine transporter, providing molecular insights into the coupling of conformational transition and substrate passage in neurotransmitter transporters.
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8
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Sahai M, Opacka-Juffry J. Molecular mechanisms of action of stimulant novel psychoactive substances that target the high-affinity transporter for dopamine. Neuronal Signal 2021; 5:NS20210006. [PMID: 34888062 PMCID: PMC8630395 DOI: 10.1042/ns20210006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug misuse is a significant social and public health problem worldwide. Misused substances exert their neurobehavioural effects through changing neural signalling within the brain, many of them leading to substance dependence and addiction in the longer term. Among drugs with addictive liability, there are illicit classical stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamine, and their more recently available counterparts known as novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Stimulants normally increase dopamine availability in the brain, including the pathway implicated in reward-related behaviour. This pattern is observed in both animal and human brain. The main biological target of stimulants, both classical and NPS, is the dopamine transporter (DAT) implicated in the dopamine-enhancing effects of these drugs. This article aims at reviewing research on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the interactions between stimulant NPS, such as benzofurans, cathinones or piperidine derivatives and DAT, to achieve a greater understanding of the core phenomena that decide about the addictive potential of stimulant NPS. As the methodology is essential in the process of experimental research in this area, we review the applications of in vitro, in vivo and in silico approaches. The latter, including molecular dynamics, attracts the focus of the present review as the method of choice in molecular and atomistic investigations of the mechanisms of addiction of stimulant NPS. Research of this kind is of interest to not only scientists but also health professionals as updated knowledge of NPS, their modes of action and health risks, is needed to tackle the challenges posed by NPS misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A. Sahai
- School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, U.K
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9
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Aguilar JI, Cheng MH, Font J, Schwartz AC, Ledwitch K, Duran A, Mabry SJ, Belovich AN, Zhu Y, Carter AM, Shi L, Kurian MA, Fenollar-Ferrer C, Meiler J, Ryan RM, Mchaourab HS, Bahar I, Matthies HJ, Galli A. Psychomotor impairments and therapeutic implications revealed by a mutation associated with infantile Parkinsonism-Dystonia. eLife 2021; 10:68039. [PMID: 34002696 PMCID: PMC8131106 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder affecting over 6.1 million people worldwide. Although the cause of PD remains unclear, studies of highly penetrant mutations identified in early-onset familial parkinsonism have contributed to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathology. Dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) deficiency syndrome (DTDS) is a distinct type of infantile parkinsonism-dystonia that shares key clinical features with PD, including motor deficits (progressive bradykinesia, tremor, hypomimia) and altered DA neurotransmission. Here, we define structural, functional, and behavioral consequences of a Cys substitution at R445 in human DAT (hDAT R445C), identified in a patient with DTDS. We found that this R445 substitution disrupts a phylogenetically conserved intracellular (IC) network of interactions that compromise the hDAT IC gate. This is demonstrated by both Rosetta molecular modeling and fine-grained simulations using hDAT R445C, as well as EPR analysis and X-ray crystallography of the bacterial homolog leucine transporter. Notably, the disruption of this IC network of interactions supported a channel-like intermediate of hDAT and compromised hDAT function. We demonstrate that Drosophila melanogaster expressing hDAT R445C show impaired hDAT activity, which is associated with DA dysfunction in isolated brains and with abnormal behaviors monitored at high-speed time resolution. We show that hDAT R445C Drosophila exhibit motor deficits, lack of motor coordination (i.e. flight coordination) and phenotypic heterogeneity in these behaviors that is typically associated with DTDS and PD. These behaviors are linked with altered dopaminergic signaling stemming from loss of DA neurons and decreased DA availability. We rescued flight coordination with chloroquine, a lysosomal inhibitor that enhanced DAT expression in a heterologous expression system. Together, these studies shed some light on how a DTDS-linked DAT mutation underlies DA dysfunction and, possibly, clinical phenotypes shared by DTDS and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny I Aguilar
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States
| | - Mary Hongying Cheng
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Josep Font
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alexandra C Schwartz
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Ledwitch
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Amanda Duran
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Samuel J Mabry
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States
| | - Andrea N Belovich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Meridian, United States
| | - Yanqi Zhu
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States
| | - Angela M Carter
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Section, NIDA, NIH, Baltimore, United States
| | - Manju A Kurian
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical School, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Renae Monique Ryan
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hassane S Mchaourab
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Heinrich Jg Matthies
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States
| | - Aurelio Galli
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States.,Center for Inter-systemic Networks and Enteric Medical Advances, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, United States
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10
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Khan JA, Sohail A, Jayaraman K, Szöllősi D, Sandtner W, Sitte HH, Stockner T. The Amino Terminus of LeuT Changes Conformation in an Environment Sensitive Manner. Neurochem Res 2020; 45:1387-1398. [PMID: 31858375 PMCID: PMC7260283 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02928-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters are highly expressed in the human brain and catalyze the uptake of substrate through the plasma membrane by using the electrochemical gradient of sodium as the energy source. The bacterial homolog LeuT, a small amino acid transporter isolated from the bacteria Aquifex aeolicus, is the founding member of the family and has been crystallized in three conformations. The N-terminus is structurally well defined and strongly interacts with the transporter core in the outward-facing conformations. However, it could not be resolved in the inward-facing conformation, which indicates enhanced mobility. Here we investigate conformations and dynamics of the N-terminus, by combining molecular dynamics simulations with experimental verification using distance measurements and accessibility studies. We found strongly increased dynamics of the N-terminus, but also that helix TM1A is subject to enhanced mobility. TM1A moves towards the transporter core in the membrane environment, reaching a conformation that is closer to the structure of LeuT with wild type sequence, indicating that the mutation introduced to create the inward-facing structure might have altered the position of helix TM1A. The mobile N-terminus avoids entering the open vestibule of the inward-facing state, as accessibility studies do not show any reduction of quenching by iodide of a fluorophore attached to the N-terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawad A Khan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Azmat Sohail
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kumaresan Jayaraman
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dániel Szöllősi
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Stockner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 13a, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Shiref H, Bergman S, Clivio S, Sahai MA. The fine art of preparing membrane transport proteins for biomolecular simulations: Concepts and practical considerations. Methods 2020; 185:3-14. [PMID: 32081744 PMCID: PMC10062712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have developed into an invaluable tool in bimolecular research, due to the capability of the method in capturing molecular events and structural transitions that describe the function as well as the physiochemical properties of biomolecular systems. Due to the progressive development of more efficient algorithms, expansion of the available computational resources, as well as the emergence of more advanced methodologies, the scope of computational studies has increased vastly over time. We now have access to a multitude of online databases, software packages, larger molecular systems and novel ligands due to the phenomenon of emerging novel psychoactive substances (NPS). With so many advances in the field, it is understandable that novices will no doubt find it challenging setting up a protein-ligand system even before they run their first MD simulation. These initial steps, such as homology modelling, ligand docking, parameterization, protein preparation and membrane setup have become a fundamental part of the drug discovery pipeline, and many areas of biomolecular sciences benefit from the applications provided by these technologies. However, there still remains no standard on their usage. Therefore, our aim within this review is to provide a clear overview of a variety of concepts and methodologies to consider, providing a workflow for a case study of a membrane transport protein, the full-length human dopamine transporter (hDAT) in complex with different stimulants, where MD simulations have recently been applied successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Shiref
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Shana Bergman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Michelle A Sahai
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK.
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12
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Rudnick G, Sandtner W. Serotonin transport in the 21st century. J Gen Physiol 2019; 151:1248-1264. [PMID: 31570504 PMCID: PMC6829555 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rudnick and Sandtner review the history of serotonin transporter research in light of structural and electrophysiological advances. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) is accumulated within nerve endings by the serotonin transporter (SERT), which terminates its extracellular action and provides cytoplasmic 5-HT for refilling of synaptic vesicles. SERT is the target for many antidepressant medications as well as psychostimulants such as cocaine and ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). SERT belongs to the SLC6 family of ion-coupled transporters and is structurally related to several other transporter families. SERT was studied in the 1970s and 1980s using membrane vesicles isolated from blood platelets. These studies led to a proposed stoichiometry of transport that has been challenged by high-resolution structures of SERT and its homologues and by studies of SERT electrophysiology. Here, we review the original evidence alongside more recent structural and electrophysiological evidence. A self-consistent picture emerges with surprising insights into the ion fluxes that accompany 5-HT transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Rudnick
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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13
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Aggarwal S, Liu X, Rice C, Menell P, Clark PJ, Paparoidamis N, Xiao YC, Salvino JM, Fontana ACK, España RA, Kortagere S, Mortensen OV. Identification of a Novel Allosteric Modulator of the Human Dopamine Transporter. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:3718-3730. [PMID: 31184115 PMCID: PMC6703927 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) serves a pivotal role in controlling dopamine (DA)-mediated neurotransmission by clearing DA from synaptic and perisynaptic spaces and controlling its action at postsynaptic DA receptors. Major drugs of abuse such as amphetamine and cocaine interact with DAT to mediate their effects by enhancing extracellular DA concentrations. We previously identified a novel allosteric site in the related human serotonin transporter that lies outside the central substrate and inhibitor binding pocket. We used the hybrid structure based (HSB) method to screen for allosteric modulator molecules that target a similar site in DAT. We identified a compound, KM822, that was found to be a selective, noncompetitive inhibitor of DAT. We confirmed the structural determinants of KM822 allosteric binding within the allosteric site by structure/function and substituted cysteine scanning accessibility biotinylation experiments. In the in vitro cell-based assay and ex vivo in both rat striatal synaptosomal and slice preparations, KM822 was found to decrease the affinity of cocaine for DAT. The in vivo effects of KM822 on cocaine were tested on psychostimulant-associated behaviors in a planarian model where KM822 specifically inhibited the locomotion elicited by DAT-interacting stimulants amphetamine and cocaine. Overall, KM822 provides a unique opportunity as a molecular probe to examine allosteric modulation of DAT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaili Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Caitlyn Rice
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Paul Menell
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Philip J. Clark
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | | | - You-cai Xiao
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Joseph M. Salvino
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Andréia C. K. Fontana
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
| | - Rodrigo A. España
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | - Ole V. Mortensen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, United States
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14
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LeVine MV, Terry DS, Khelashvili G, Siegel ZS, Quick M, Javitch JA, Blanchard SC, Weinstein H. The allosteric mechanism of substrate-specific transport in SLC6 is mediated by a volumetric sensor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:15947-15956. [PMID: 31324743 PMCID: PMC6689989 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903020116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) in the SLC6 family terminate neurotransmission by coupling the thermodynamically favorable transport of ions to the thermodynamically unfavorable transport of neurotransmitter back into presynaptic neurons. Results from many structural, functional, and computational studies on LeuT, a bacterial NSS homolog, have provided critical insight into the mechanism of sodium-coupled transport, but the mechanism underlying substrate-specific transport rates is still not understood. We present a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) imaging, and measurements of Na+ binding and substrate transport that reveals an allosteric substrate specificity mechanism. In this mechanism, residues F259 and I359 in the substrate binding pocket couple the binding of substrate to Na+ release from the Na2 site by allosterically modulating the stability of a partially open, inward-facing state. We propose a model for transport selectivity in which residues F259 and I359 act as a volumetric sensor that inhibits the transport of bulky amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V LeVine
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065;
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
| | - Daniel S Terry
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
| | - Zarek S Siegel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Pharmacology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032
| | - Scott C Blanchard
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065;
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021
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15
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Monoamine transporters: structure, intrinsic dynamics and allosteric regulation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2019; 26:545-556. [PMID: 31270469 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0253-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Monoamine transporters (MATs) regulate neurotransmission via the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine from extra-neuronal regions and thus maintain neurotransmitter homeostasis. As targets of a wide range of compounds, including antidepressants, substances of abuse and drugs for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, their mechanism of action and their modulation by small molecules have long been of broad interest. Recent advances in the structural characterization of dopamine and serotonin transporters have opened the way for structure-based modeling and simulations, which, together with experimental data, now provide mechanistic understanding of their transport function and interactions. Here we review recent progress in the elucidation of the structural dynamics of MATs and their conformational landscape and transitions, as well as allosteric regulation mechanisms.
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16
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Hellsberg E, Ecker GF, Stary-Weinzinger A, Forrest LR. A structural model of the human serotonin transporter in an outward-occluded state. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217377. [PMID: 31251747 PMCID: PMC6599148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human serotonin transporter hSERT facilitates the reuptake of its endogenous substrate serotonin from the synaptic cleft into presynaptic neurons after signaling. Reuptake regulates the availability of this neurotransmitter and therefore hSERT plays an important role in balancing human mood conditions. In 2016, the first 3D structures of this membrane transporter were reported in an inhibitor-bound, outward-open conformation. These structures revealed valuable information about interactions of hSERT with antidepressant drugs. Nevertheless, the question remains how serotonin facilitates the specific conformational changes that open and close pathways from the synapse and to the cytoplasm as required for transport. Here, we present a serotonin-bound homology model of hSERT in an outward-occluded state, a key intermediate in the physiological cycle, in which the interactions with the substrate are likely to be optimal. Our approach uses two template structures and includes careful refinement and comprehensive computational validation. According to microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations, this model exhibits interactions between the gating residues in the extracellular pathway, and these interactions differ from those in an outward-open conformation of hSERT bound to serotonin. Moreover, we predict several features of this state by monitoring the intracellular gating residues, the extent of hydration, and, most importantly, protein-ligand interactions in the central binding site. The results illustrate common and distinct characteristics of these two transporter states and provide a starting point for future investigations of the transport mechanism in hSERT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Hellsberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard F. Ecker
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Lucy R. Forrest
- Computational Structural Biology Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Abstract
Cell nutrition, detoxification, signalling, homeostasis and response to drugs, processes related to cell growth, differentiation and survival are all mediated by plasma membrane (PM) proteins called transporters. Despite their distinct fine structures, mechanism of function, energetic requirements, kinetics and substrate specificities, all transporters are characterized by a main hydrophobic body embedded in the PM as a series of tightly packed, often intertwined, α-helices that traverse the lipid bilayer in a zigzag mode, connected with intracellular or extracellular loops and hydrophilic N- and C-termini. Whereas longstanding genetic, biochemical and biophysical evidence suggests that specific transmembrane segments, and also their connecting loops, are responsible for substrate recognition and transport dynamics, emerging evidence also reveals the functional importance of transporter N- and C-termini, in respect to transport catalysis, substrate specificity, subcellular expression, stability and signalling. This review highlights selected prototypic examples of transporters in which their termini play important roles in their functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Mikros
- Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - George Diallinas
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15781 Athens, Greece
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18
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Dayan-Alon O, Kanner BI. Internal gate mutants of the GABA transporter GAT1 are capable of substrate exchange. Neuropharmacology 2019; 161:107534. [PMID: 30790582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
GAT1 is a member of the neurotransmitter:sodium: symporter family and mediates transport of GABA together with sodium and chloride in an electrogenic process enabling efficient synaptic transmission. Biochemical and modelling studies based on the structure of the bacterial homologue LeuT are consistent with a transport mechanism whereby the binding pocket is alternately accessible to either side of the membrane. This is achieved by the sequential opening and closing of extracellular and intracellular gates. The amino acid residues participating in the formation of these gates are highly conserved within the neurotransmitter:sodium: symporter family. Net flux requires that the gating mechanism is operative regardless if the binding pocket is loaded with substrate or empty. On the other hand, exchange of labelled for non-labelled substrate across the membrane only requires gating in the presence of substrate. To address the question if the gating requirements of the substrate-bound and empty transporters are similar or different, we analyzed the impact of mutation of intra- and extra-cellular gate residues on net GABA influx and on exchange by liposomes inlaid with the mutant transporters. Whereas net flux by all four internal gate mutants tested was severely abrogated, each exhibited significant levels of exchange. In contrast, two external gate mutants were impaired in both processes. Our results indicate that perturbation of the internal gate of GAT1 selectively impairs the gating mechanism of the empty transporter. This article is part of the issue entitled 'Special Issue on Neurotransmitter Transporters'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oshrat Dayan-Alon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Baruch I Kanner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
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19
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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'.
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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.
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20
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Merkle PS, Gotfryd K, Cuendet MA, Leth-Espensen KZ, Gether U, Loland CJ, Rand KD. Substrate-modulated unwinding of transmembrane helices in the NSS transporter LeuT. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaar6179. [PMID: 29756037 PMCID: PMC5947982 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar6179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
LeuT, a prokaryotic member of the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter (NSS) family, is an established structural model for mammalian NSS counterparts. We investigate the substrate translocation mechanism of LeuT by measuring the solution-phase structural dynamics of the transporter in distinct functional states by hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). Our HDX-MS data pinpoint LeuT segments involved in substrate transport and reveal for the first time a comprehensive and detailed view of the dynamics associated with transition of the transporter between outward- and inward-facing configurations in a Na+- and K+-dependent manner. The results suggest that partial unwinding of transmembrane helices 1/5/6/7 drives LeuT from a substrate-bound, outward-facing occluded conformation toward an inward-facing open state. These hitherto unknown, large-scale conformational changes in functionally important transmembrane segments, observed for LeuT in detergent-solubilized form and when embedded in a native-like phospholipid bilayer, could be of physiological relevance for the translocation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S. Merkle
- Protein Analysis Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
| | - Kamil Gotfryd
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Michel A. Cuendet
- Molecular Modeling Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Katrine Z. Leth-Espensen
- Protein Analysis Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Gether
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Claus J. Loland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kasper D. Rand
- Protein Analysis Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
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21
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Bai X, Moraes TF, Reithmeier RAF. Structural biology of solute carrier (SLC) membrane transport proteins. Mol Membr Biol 2018; 34:1-32. [PMID: 29651895 DOI: 10.1080/09687688.2018.1448123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The human solute carriers (SLCs) comprise over 400 different transporters, organized into 65 families ( http://slc.bioparadigms.org/ ) based on their sequence homology and transport function. SLCs are responsible for transporting extraordinarily diverse solutes across biological membranes, including inorganic ions, amino acids, lipids, sugars, neurotransmitters and drugs. Most of these membrane proteins function as coupled symporters (co-transporters) utilizing downhill ion (H+ or Na+) gradients as the driving force for the transport of substrate against its concentration gradient into cells. Other members work as antiporters (exchangers) that typically contain a single substrate-binding site with an alternating access mode of transport, while a few members exhibit channel-like properties. Dysfunction of SLCs is correlated with numerous human diseases and therefore they are potential therapeutic drug targets. In this review, we identified all of the SLC crystal structures that have been determined, most of which are from prokaryotic species. We further sorted all the SLC structures into four main groups with different protein folds and further discuss the well-characterized MFS (major facilitator superfamily) and LeuT (leucine transporter) folds. This review provides a systematic analysis of the structure, molecular basis of substrate recognition and mechanism of action in different SLC family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Bai
- a Department of Biochemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Trevor F Moraes
- a Department of Biochemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
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22
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Zeppelin T, Ladefoged LK, Sinning S, Periole X, Schiøtt B. A direct interaction of cholesterol with the dopamine transporter prevents its out-to-inward transition. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005907. [PMID: 29329285 PMCID: PMC5811071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoamine transporters (MATs) carry out neurotransmitter reuptake from the synaptic cleft, a key step in neurotransmission, which is targeted in the treatment of neurological disorders. Cholesterol (CHOL), a major component of the synaptic plasma membrane, has been shown to exhibit a modulatory effect on MATs. Recent crystal structures of the dopamine transporter (DAT) revealed the presence of two conserved CHOL-like molecules, suggesting a functional protein-CHOL direct interaction. Here, we present extensive atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of DAT in an outward-facing conformation. In the absence of bound CHOL, DAT undergoes structural changes reflecting early events of dopamine transport: transition to an inward-facing conformation. In contrast, in the presence of bound CHOL, these conformational changes are inhibited, seemingly by an immobilization of the intracellular interface of transmembrane helix 1a and 5 by CHOL. We also provide evidence, from coarse grain MD simulations that the CHOL sites observed in the DAT crystal structures are preserved in all human monoamine transporters (dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine), suggesting that our findings might extend to the entire family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Zeppelin
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lucy Kate Ladefoged
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Steffen Sinning
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Xavier Periole
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Birgit Schiøtt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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23
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Cheng MH, Kaya C, Bahar I. Quantitative Assessment of the Energetics of Dopamine Translocation by Human Dopamine Transporter. J Phys Chem B 2017; 122:5336-5346. [PMID: 29232131 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b10340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Computational evaluation of the energetics of substrate binding, transport, and release events of neurotransmitter transporters at the molecular level is a challenge, as the structural transitions of these membrane proteins involve coupled global and local changes that span time scales of several orders of magnitude, from nanoseconds to seconds. Here, we provide a quantitative assessment of the energetics of dopamine (DA) translocation through the human DA transporter (hDAT), using a combination of molecular modeling, simulation, and analysis tools. DA-binding and -unbinding events, which generally involve local configurational changes, are evaluated using free-energy perturbation or adaptive biasing force methods. The global transitions between the outward-facing state and the inward-facing state, on the other hand, require a dual-boost accelerated molecular dynamics simulation. We present results on DA-binding/unbinding energetics under different conditions, as well as the conformational energy landscape of hDAT in both DA-bound and -unbound states. The study provides a tractable method of approach for quantitative evaluation of substrate-binding energetics and efficient estimation of conformational energy landscape, in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Hongying Cheng
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States
| | - Cihan Kaya
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States
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24
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Abstract
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) remains highly prevalent in HIV infected individuals and represents a special group of neuropathological disorders, which are associated with HIV-1 viral proteins, such as transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein. Cocaine abuse increases the incidence of HAND and exacerbates its severity by enhancing viral replication. Perturbation of dopaminergic transmission has been implicated as a risk factor of HAND. The presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) is essential for DA homeostasis and dopaminergic modulation of the brain function including cognition. Tat and cocaine synergistically elevate synaptic DA levels by acting directly on human DAT (hDAT), ultimately leading to dysregulation of DA transmission. Through integrated computational modeling and experimental validation, key residues have been identified in hDAT that play a critical role in Tat-induced inhibition of DAT and induce transporter conformational transitions. This review presents current information regarding neurological changes in DAT-mediated dopaminergic system associated with HIV infection, DAT-mediated adaptive responses to Tat as well as allosteric modulatory effects of novel compounds on hDAT. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which Tat induces DAT-mediated dysregulation of DA system is of great clinical interest for identifying new targets for an early therapeutic intervention for HAND.
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25
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Foster JD, Vaughan RA. Phosphorylation mechanisms in dopamine transporter regulation. J Chem Neuroanat 2017; 83-84:10-18. [PMID: 27836487 PMCID: PMC6705611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a plasma membrane phosphoprotein that actively translocates extracellular dopamine (DA) into presynaptic neurons. The transporter is the primary mechanism for control of DA levels and subsequent neurotransmission, and is the target for abused and therapeutic drugs that exert their effects by suppressing reuptake. The transport capacity of DAT is acutely regulated by signaling systems and drug exposure, providing neurons the ability to fine-tune DA clearance in response to specific conditions. Kinase pathways play major roles in these mechanisms, and this review summarizes the current status of DAT phosphorylation characteristics and the evidence linking transporter phosphorylation to control of reuptake and other functions. Greater understanding of these processes may aid in elucidation of their possible contributions to DA disease states and suggest specific phosphorylation sites as targets for therapeutic manipulation of reuptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Foster
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks ND 58202 United States
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks ND 58202 United States.
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26
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Challasivakanaka S, Zhen J, Smith ME, Reith MEA, Foster JD, Vaughan RA. Dopamine transporter phosphorylation site threonine 53 is stimulated by amphetamines and regulates dopamine transport, efflux, and cocaine analog binding. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19066-19075. [PMID: 28939767 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.787002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) controls the spatial and temporal dynamics of dopamine neurotransmission through reuptake of extracellular transmitter and is a target for addictive compounds such as cocaine, amphetamine (AMPH), and methamphetamine (METH). Reuptake is regulated by kinase pathways and drug exposure, allowing for fine-tuning of clearance in response to specific conditions, and here we examine the impact of transporter ligands on DAT residue Thr-53, a proline-directed phosphorylation site previously implicated in AMPH-stimulated efflux mechanisms. Our findings show that Thr-53 phosphorylation is stimulated in a transporter-dependent manner by AMPH and METH in model cells and rat striatal synaptosomes, and in striatum of rats given subcutaneous injection of METH. Rotating disc electrode voltammetry revealed that initial rates of uptake and AMPH-induced efflux were elevated in phosphorylation-null T53A DAT relative to WT and charge-substituted T53D DATs, consistent with functions related to charge or polarity. These effects occurred without alterations of surface transporter levels, and mutants also showed reduced cocaine analog binding affinity that was not rescued by Zn2+ Together these findings support a role for Thr-53 phosphorylation in regulation of transporter kinetic properties that could impact DAT responses to amphetamines and cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sathya Challasivakanaka
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201 and
| | | | - Margaret E Smith
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201 and
| | - Maarten E A Reith
- the Departments of Psychiatry and.,Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016
| | - James D Foster
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201 and
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- From the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201 and
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27
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Gournas C, Saliba E, Krammer EM, Barthelemy C, Prévost M, André B. Transition of yeast Can1 transporter to the inward-facing state unveils an α-arrestin target sequence promoting its ubiquitylation and endocytosis. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:2819-2832. [PMID: 28814503 PMCID: PMC5638585 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-02-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transition of the plasma membrane Can1 transporter to an inward-facing conformation, as occurs during catalysis of substrate transport, provokes the unmasking of a cytosolic region targeted by the α-arrestin protein Art1, which upon activation by TORC1 recruits the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase, thereby causing Can1 ubiquitylation and endocytosis. Substrate-transport–elicited endocytosis is a common control mechanism of membrane transporters avoiding excess uptake of external compounds, though poorly understood at the molecular level. In yeast, endocytosis of transporters is triggered by their ubiquitylation mediated by the Rsp5 ubiquitin-ligase, recruited by α-arrestin–family adaptors. We here report that transport-elicited ubiquitylation of the arginine transporter Can1 is promoted by transition to an inward-facing state. This conformational change unveils a region of the N-terminal cytosolic tail targeted by the Art1 α-arrestin, which is activated via the TORC1 kinase complex upon arginine uptake. Can1 mutants altered in the arginine-binding site or a cytosolic tripeptide sequence permanently expose the α-arrestin–targeted region so that Art1 activation via TORC1 is sufficient to trigger their endocytosis. We also provide evidence that substrate-transport elicited endocytosis of other amino acid permeases similarly involves unmasking of a cytosolic Art1-target region coupled to activation of Art1 via TORC1. Our results unravel a mechanism likely involved in regulation of many other transporters by their own substrates. They also support the emerging view that transporter ubiquitylation relies on combinatorial interaction rules such that α-arrestins, stimulated via signaling cascades or in their basal state, recognize transporter regions permanently facing the cytosol or unveiled during transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Gournas
- Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Elie Saliba
- Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Eva-Maria Krammer
- Structure and Function of Biological Membranes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Céline Barthelemy
- Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Martine Prévost
- Structure and Function of Biological Membranes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bruno André
- Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
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28
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Targeting of dopamine transporter to filopodia requires an outward-facing conformation of the transporter. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5399. [PMID: 28710426 PMCID: PMC5511133 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05637-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine transporter (DAT) has been shown to accumulate in filopodia in neurons and non-neuronal cells. To examine the mechanisms of DAT filopodial targeting, we used quantitative live-cell fluorescence microscopy, and compared the effects of the DAT inhibitor cocaine and its fluorescent analog JHC1-64 on the plasma membrane distribution of wild-type DAT and two non-functional DAT mutants, R60A and W63A, that do not accumulate in filopodia. W63A did not bind JHC1-64, whereas R60A did, although less efficiently compared to the wild-type DAT. Molecular dynamics simulations predicted that R60A preferentially assumes an outward-facing (OF) conformation through compensatory intracellular salt bridge formation, which in turn favors binding of cocaine. Imaging analysis showed that JHC1-64-bound R60A mutant predominantly localized in filopodia, whereas free R60A molecules were evenly distributed within the plasma membrane. Cocaine binding significantly increased the density of R60A, but not that of W63A, in filopodia. Further, zinc binding, known to stabilize the OF state, also increased R60A concentration in filopodia. Finally, amphetamine, that is thought to disrupt DAT OF conformation, reduced the concentration of wild-type DAT in filopodia. Altogether, these data indicate that OF conformation is required for the efficient targeting of DAT to, and accumulation in, filopodia.
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29
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Jean B, Surratt CK, Madura JD. Molecular dynamics of conformation-specific dopamine transporter-inhibitor complexes. J Mol Graph Model 2017; 76:143-151. [PMID: 28734204 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The recreational psychostimulant cocaine inhibits dopamine reuptake from the synapse, resulting in excessive stimulation of postsynaptic dopamine receptors in brain areas associated with reward and addiction. Cocaine binds to and stabilizes the outward- (extracellular-) facing conformation of the dopamine transporter (DAT) protein, while the low abuse potential DAT inhibitor benztropine prefers the inward- (cytoplasmic-) facing conformation. A correlation has been previously postulated between psychostimulant abuse potential and preference for the outward-facing DAT conformation. The 3β-aryltropane cocaine analogs LX10 and LX11, however, differ only in stereochemistry and share a preference for the outward-facing DAT, yet are reported to vary widely in abuse potential in an animal model. In search of the molecular basis for DAT conformation preference, complexes of cocaine, benztropine, LX10 or LX11 bound to each DAT conformation were subjected to 100ns of all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Results were consistent with previous findings from cysteine accessibility assays used to assess an inhibitor's DAT conformation preference. The respective 2β- and 2α-substituted phenyltropanes of LX10 and LX11 interacted with hydrophobic regions of the DAT S1 binding site that were inaccessible to cocaine. Solvent accessibility measurements also revealed subtle differences in inhibitor positioning within a given DAT conformation. This work serves to advance our understanding of the conformational selectivity of DAT inhibitors and suggests that MD may be useful in antipsychostimulant therapeutic design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernandie Jean
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, United States
| | - Christopher K Surratt
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, United States.
| | - Jeffry D Madura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, United States
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30
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Sun WL, Quizon PM, Yuan Y, Zhang W, Ananthan S, Zhan CG, Zhu J. Allosteric modulatory effects of SRI-20041 and SRI-30827 on cocaine and HIV-1 Tat protein binding to human dopamine transporter. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28623359 PMCID: PMC5473888 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03771-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine transporter (DAT) is the target of cocaine and HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein. Identifying allosteric modulatory molecules with potential attenuation of cocaine and Tat binding to DAT are of great scientific and clinical interest. We demonstrated that tyrosine 470 and 88 act as functional recognition residues in human DAT (hDAT) for Tat-induced inhibition of DA transport and transporter conformational transitions. Here we investigated the allosteric modulatory effects of two allosteric ligands, SRI-20041 and SRI-30827 on cocaine binding on wild type (WT) hDAT, Y470 H and Y88 F mutants. Effect of SRI-30827 on Tat-induced inhibition of [3H]WIN35,428 binding was also determined. Compared to a competitive DAT inhibitor indatraline, both SRI-compounds displayed a similar decrease (30%) in IC50 for inhibition of [3H]DA uptake by cocaine in WT hDAT. The addition of SRI-20041 or SRI-30827 following cocaine slowed the dissociation rate of [3H]WIN35,428 binding in WT hDAT relative to cocaine alone. Moreover, Y470H and Y88F hDAT potentiate the inhibitory effect of cocaine on DA uptake and attenuate the effects of SRI-compounds on cocaine-mediated dissociation rate. SRI-30827 attenuated Tat-induced inhibition of [3H]WIN35,428 binding. These observations demonstrate that tyrosine 470 and 88 are critical for allosteric modulatory effects of SRI-compounds on the interaction of cocaine with hDAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Lun Sun
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Pamela M Quizon
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Yaxia Yuan
- Molecular Modeling and Biopharmaceutical Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Subramaniam Ananthan
- Department of Chemistry, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Chang-Guo Zhan
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.,Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
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31
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Cheng MH, Garcia-Olivares J, Wasserman S, DiPietro J, Bahar I. Allosteric modulation of human dopamine transporter activity under conditions promoting its dimerization. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:12471-12482. [PMID: 28584050 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.763565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT) is a key regulator of neurotransmission and a target for antidepressants and addictive drugs. Despite the recent resolution of dDAT structures from Drosophila melanogaster, complete understanding of its mechanism of function and even information on its biological assembly is lacking. The resolved dDAT structures are monomeric, but growing evidence suggests that hDAT might function as a multimer, and its oligomerization may be relevant to addictive drug effects. Here, using structure-based computations, we examined the possible mechanisms of hDAT dimerization and its dynamics in a lipid bilayer. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, DA-uptake, and cross-linking experiments that exploited the capacity of Cys-306 to form intermonomeric disulfide bridges in the presence of an oxidizing agent, we tested the effects of mutations at transmembrane segment (TM) 6 and 12 helices in HEK293 cells. The most probable structural model for hDAT dimer suggested by computations and experiments differed from the dimeric structure resolved for the bacterial homolog, LeuT, presumably because of a kink at TM12 preventing favorable monomer packing. Instead, TM2, TM6, and TM11 line the dimer interface. Molecular dynamics simulations of the dimeric hDAT indicated that the two subunits tend to undergo cooperative structural changes, both on local (extracellular gate opening/closure) and global (transition between outward-facing and inward-facing states) scales. These observations suggest that hDAT transport properties may be allosterically modulated under conditions promoting dimerization. Our study provides critical insights into approaches for examining the oligomerization of neurotransmitter transporters and sheds light on their drug modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Hongying Cheng
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Jennie Garcia-Olivares
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Steven Wasserman
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Jennifer DiPietro
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260.
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32
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Sahai MA, Davidson C, Khelashvili G, Barrese V, Dutta N, Weinstein H, Opacka-Juffry J. Combined in vitro and in silico approaches to the assessment of stimulant properties of novel psychoactive substances - The case of the benzofuran 5-MAPB. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 75:1-9. [PMID: 27890676 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are increasingly prevalent world-wide although their pharmacological characteristics are largely unknown; those with stimulant properties, due to interactions with the dopamine transporter (DAT), have addictive potential which their users may not realise. We evaluated the binding of 1-(1-benzofuran-5-yl)-N-methylpropan-2-amine (5-MAPB) to rat striatal DAT by means of quantitative autoradiography with [125I]RTI-121, and the effects of 5-MAPB on electrically-evoked dopamine efflux by fast-cyclic voltammetry in rat brain slices. 5-MAPB displaced [125I]RTI-121 in a concentration-dependent manner, with significant effects at 10 and 30μM. The voltammetry data suggest that 5-MAPB reduces the rate of dopamine reuptake; while the peak dopamine efflux was not increased, the area under the curve was augmented. 5-MAPB can also cause reverse dopamine transport consistent with stimulant properties, more similar to amphetamine than cocaine. Molecular modelling and docking studies compared the binding site of DAT in complex with 5-MAPB to dopamine, amphetamine, 5-APB, MDMA, cocaine and RTI-121. This structural comparison reveals a binding mode for 5-MAPB found in the primary binding (S1) site, central to transmembrane domains 1, 3, 6 and 8, which overlaps with the binding modes of dopamine, cocaine and its analogues. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations further show that, when in complex with 5-MAPB, DAT can exhibit conformational transitions that spontaneously isomerize the transporter into inward-facing state, similarly to that observed in dopamine-bound DAT. These novel insights, offered by the combination of computational methods of biophysics with neurobiological procedures, provide structural context for NPS at DAT and relate them with their functional properties at DAT as the molecular target of stimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colin Davidson
- St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK; Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Vincenzo Barrese
- St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Neelakshi Dutta
- St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, NY, 10065, USA; HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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33
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Stolzenberg S, Li Z, Quick M, Malinauskaite L, Nissen P, Weinstein H, Javitch JA, Shi L. The role of transmembrane segment 5 (TM5) in Na2 release and the conformational transition of neurotransmitter:sodium symporters toward the inward-open state. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:7372-7384. [PMID: 28320858 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.757153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) terminate neurotransmission by the reuptake of released neurotransmitters. This active accumulation of substrate against its concentration gradient is driven by the transmembrane Na+ gradient and requires that the transporter traverses several conformational states. LeuT, a prokaryotic NSS homolog, has been crystallized in outward-open, outward-occluded, and inward-open states. Two crystal structures of another prokaryotic NSS homolog, the multihydrophobic amino acid transporter (MhsT) from Bacillus halodurans, have been resolved in novel inward-occluded states, with the extracellular vestibule closed and the intracellular portion of transmembrane segment 5 (TM5i) in either an unwound or a helical conformation. We have investigated the potential involvement of TM5i in binding and unbinding of Na2, i.e. the Na+ bound in the Na2 site, by carrying out comparative molecular dynamics simulations of the models derived from the two MhsT structures. We find that the helical TM5i conformation is associated with a higher propensity for Na2 release, which leads to the repositioning of the N terminus and transition to an inward-open state. By using comparative interaction network analysis, we also identify allosteric pathways connecting TM5i and the Na2 binding site to the extracellular and intracellular regions. Based on our combined computational and mutagenesis studies of MhsT and LeuT, we propose that TM5i plays a key role in Na2 binding and release associated with the conformational transition toward the inward-open state, a role that is likely to be shared across the NSS family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Stolzenberg
- From the Computational Molecular Biology Group, Institute for Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and.,the Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850
| | - Zheng Li
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and
| | - Matthias Quick
- the Departments of Psychiatry and.,the Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Lina Malinauskaite
- the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark, and
| | - Poul Nissen
- the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark, and
| | - Harel Weinstein
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and.,the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- the Departments of Psychiatry and.,the Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, 10032.,Pharmacology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, 10032
| | - Lei Shi
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and .,the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, 10065.,the Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
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34
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Conformational dynamics of a neurotransmitter:sodium symporter in a lipid bilayer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E1786-E1795. [PMID: 28223522 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613293114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) are integral membrane proteins responsible for the sodium-dependent reuptake of small-molecule neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft. The symporters for the biogenic amines serotonin (SERT), dopamine (DAT), and norepinephrine (NET) are targets of multiple psychoactive agents, and their dysfunction has been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric ailments. LeuT, a thermostable eubacterial NSS homolog, has been exploited as a model protein for NSS members to canvass the conformational mechanism of transport with a combination of X-ray crystallography, cysteine accessibility, and solution spectroscopy. Despite yielding remarkable insights, these studies have primarily been conducted with protein in the detergent-solubilized state rather than embedded in a membrane mimic. In addition, solution spectroscopy has required site-specific labeling of nonnative cysteines, a labor-intensive process occasionally resulting in diminished transport and/or binding activity. Here, we overcome these limitations by reconstituting unlabeled LeuT in phospholipid bilayer nanodiscs, subjecting them to hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), and facilitating interpretation of the data with molecular dynamics simulations. The data point to changes of accessibility and dynamics of structural elements previously implicated in the transport mechanism, in particular transmembrane helices (TMs) 1a and 7 as well as extracellular loops (ELs) 2 and 4. The results therefore illuminate the value of this strategy for interrogating the conformational mechanism of the more clinically significant mammalian membrane proteins including SERT and DAT, neither of which tolerates complete removal of endogenous cysteines, and whose activity is heavily influenced by neighboring lipids.
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35
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Razavi AM, Khelashvili G, Weinstein H. A Markov State-based Quantitative Kinetic Model of Sodium Release from the Dopamine Transporter. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40076. [PMID: 28059145 PMCID: PMC5216462 DOI: 10.1038/srep40076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) belongs to the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter (NSS) family of membrane proteins that are responsible for reuptake of neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft to terminate a neuronal signal and enable subsequent neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic neuron. The release of one sodium ion from the crystallographically determined sodium binding site Na2 had been identified as an initial step in the transport cycle which prepares the transporter for substrate translocation by stabilizing an inward-open conformation. We have constructed Markov State Models (MSMs) from extensive molecular dynamics simulations of human DAT (hDAT) to explore the mechanism of this sodium release. Our results quantify the release process triggered by hydration of the Na2 site that occurs concomitantly with a conformational transition from an outward-facing to an inward-facing state of the transporter. The kinetics of the release process are computed from the MSM, and transition path theory is used to identify the most probable sodium release pathways. An intermediate state is discovered on the sodium release pathway, and the results reveal the importance of various modes of interaction of the N-terminus of hDAT in controlling the pathways of release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asghar M Razavi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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36
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Sweeney CG, Tremblay BP, Stockner T, Sitte HH, Melikian HE. Dopamine Transporter Amino and Carboxyl Termini Synergistically Contribute to Substrate and Inhibitor Affinities. J Biol Chem 2016; 292:1302-1309. [PMID: 27986813 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.762872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular dopamine and serotonin concentrations are determined by the presynaptic dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT) transporters, respectively. Numerous studies have investigated the DAT and SERT structural elements contributing to inhibitor and substrate binding. To date, crystallographic studies have focused on conserved transmembrane domains, where multiple substrate binding and translocation features are conserved. However, it is unknown what, if any, role the highly divergent intracellular N and C termini contribute to these processes. Here, we used chimeric proteins to test whether DAT and SERT N and C termini contribute to transporter substrate and inhibitor affinities. Replacing the DAT N terminus with that of SERT had no effect on DA transport Vmax but significantly decreased DAT substrate affinities for DA and amphetamine. Similar losses in uptake inhibition were observed for small DAT inhibitors, whereas substituting the DAT C terminus with that of SERT affected neither substrate nor inhibitor affinities. In contrast, the N-terminal substitution was completely tolerated by the larger DAT inhibitors, which exhibited no loss in apparent affinity. Remarkably, all affinity losses were rescued in DAT chimeras encoding both SERT N and C termini. The sensitivity to amino-terminal substitution was specific for DAT, because replacing the SERT N and/or C termini affected neither substrate nor inhibitor affinities. Taken together, these findings provide compelling experimental evidence that DAT N and C termini synergistically contribute to substrate and inhibitor affinities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn G Sweeney
- From the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604 and
| | - Bradford P Tremblay
- From the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604 and
| | - Thomas Stockner
- the Institute for Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald H Sitte
- the Institute for Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Haley E Melikian
- From the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604 and
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37
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Transition metal ion FRET uncovers K + regulation of a neurotransmitter/sodium symporter. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12755. [PMID: 27678200 PMCID: PMC5052704 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter/sodium symporters (NSSs) are responsible for Na+-dependent reuptake of neurotransmitters and represent key targets for antidepressants and psychostimulants. LeuT, a prokaryotic NSS protein, constitutes a primary structural model for these transporters. Here we show that K+ inhibits Na+-dependent binding of substrate to LeuT, promotes an outward-closed/inward-facing conformation of the transporter and increases uptake. To assess K+-induced conformational dynamics we measured fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between fluorescein site-specifically attached to inserted cysteines and Ni2+ bound to engineered di-histidine motifs (transition metal ion FRET). The measurements supported K+-induced closure of the transporter to the outside, which was counteracted by Na+ and substrate. Promoting an outward-open conformation of LeuT by mutation abolished the K+-effect. The K+-effect depended on an intact Na1 site and mutating the Na2 site potentiated K+ binding by facilitating transition to the inward-facing state. The data reveal an unrecognized ability of K+ to regulate the LeuT transport cycle. The neurotransmitter transporter SERT counter transport K+ to transport serotonin. Here the authors show that the activity of the prokaryotic orthologue LeuT is also modulated by this cation, suggesting a general regulatory role for K+ on neutrotrasmitter:sodium symporters function.
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Khelashvili G, Schmidt SG, Shi L, Javitch JA, Gether U, Loland CJ, Weinstein H. Conformational Dynamics on the Extracellular Side of LeuT Controlled by Na+ and K+ Ions and the Protonation State of Glu290. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19786-99. [PMID: 27474737 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.731455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ions play key mechanistic roles in the gating dynamics of neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs). In recent microsecond scale molecular dynamics simulations of a complete model of the dopamine transporter, a NSS protein, we observed a partitioning of K(+) ions from the intracellular side toward the unoccupied Na2 site of dopamine transporter following the release of the Na2-bound Na(+) Here we evaluate with computational simulations and experimental measurements of ion affinities under corresponding conditions, the consequences of K(+) binding in the Na2 site of LeuT, a bacterial homolog of NSS, when both Na(+) ions and substrate have left, and the transporter prepares for a new cycle. We compare the results with the consequences of binding Na(+) in the same apo system. Analysis of >50-μs atomistic molecular dynamics and enhanced sampling trajectories of constructs with Glu(290), either charged or neutral, point to the Glu(290) protonation state as a main determinant in the structural reconfiguration of the extracellular vestibule of LeuT in which a "water gate" opens through coordinated motions of residues Leu(25), Tyr(108), and Phe(253) The resulting water channel enables the binding/dissociation of the Na(+) and K(+) ions that are prevalent, respectively, in the extracellular and intracellular environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065,
| | - Solveig Gaarde Schmidt
- the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Lei Shi
- From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, the Computational Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- the Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, and
| | - Ulrik Gether
- the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Claus J Loland
- the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Harel Weinstein
- From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065
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Affiliation(s)
- David Drew
- Centre for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Olga Boudker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065;
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40
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LeVine MV, Cuendet MA, Khelashvili G, Weinstein H. Allosteric Mechanisms of Molecular Machines at the Membrane: Transport by Sodium-Coupled Symporters. Chem Rev 2016; 116:6552-87. [PMID: 26892914 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Solute transport across cell membranes is ubiquitous in biology as an essential physiological process. Secondary active transporters couple the unfavorable process of solute transport against its concentration gradient to the energetically favorable transport of one or several ions. The study of such transporters over several decades indicates that their function involves complex allosteric mechanisms that are progressively being revealed in atomistic detail. We focus on two well-characterized sodium-coupled symporters: the bacterial amino acid transporter LeuT, which is the prototype for the "gated pore" mechanism in the mammalian synaptic monoamine transporters, and the archaeal GltPh, which is the prototype for the "elevator" mechanism in the mammalian excitatory amino acid transporters. We present the evidence for the role of allostery in the context of a quantitative formalism that can reconcile biochemical and biophysical data and thereby connects directly to recent insights into the molecular structure and dynamics of these proteins. We demonstrate that, while the structures and mechanisms of these transporters are very different, the available data suggest a common role of specific models of allostery in their functions. We argue that such allosteric mechanisms appear essential not only for sodium-coupled symport in general but also for the function of other types of molecular machines in the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V LeVine
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, ‡HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University , New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Michel A Cuendet
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, ‡HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University , New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, ‡HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University , New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, ‡HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University , New York, New York 10065, United States
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41
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Computational approaches to detect allosteric pathways in transmembrane molecular machines. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:1652-62. [PMID: 26806157 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Many of the functions of transmembrane proteins involved in signal processing and transduction across the cell membrane are determined by allosteric couplings that propagate the functional effects well beyond the original site of activation. Data gathered from breakthroughs in biochemistry, crystallography, and single molecule fluorescence have established a rich basis of information for the study of molecular mechanisms in the allosteric couplings of such transmembrane proteins. The mechanistic details of these couplings, many of which have therapeutic implications, however, have only become accessible in synergy with molecular modeling and simulations. Here, we review some recent computational approaches that analyze allosteric coupling networks (ACNs) in transmembrane proteins, and in particular the recently developed Protein Interaction Analyzer (PIA) designed to study ACNs in the structural ensembles sampled by molecular dynamics simulations. The power of these computational approaches in interrogating the functional mechanisms of transmembrane proteins is illustrated with selected examples of recent experimental and computational studies pursued synergistically in the investigation of secondary active transporters and GPCRs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Proteins edited by J.C. Gumbart and Sergei Noskov.
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Vuorenpää A, Jørgensen TN, Newman AH, Madsen KL, Scheinin M, Gether U. Differential Internalization Rates and Postendocytic Sorting of the Norepinephrine and Dopamine Transporters Are Controlled by Structural Elements in the N Termini. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:5634-5651. [PMID: 26786096 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.702050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The norepinephrine transporter (NET) mediates reuptake of synaptically released norepinephrine in central and peripheral noradrenergic neurons. The molecular processes governing availability of NET in the plasma membrane are poorly understood. Here we use the fluorescent cocaine analogue JHC 1-64, as well as several other approaches, to investigate the trafficking itinerary of NET in live noradrenergic neurons. Confocal imaging revealed extensive constitutive internalization of JHC 1-64-labeled NET in the neuronal somata, proximal extensions and presynaptic boutons. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate increased intracellular accumulation of JHC 1-64-labeled NET and caused a parallel reduction in uptake capacity. Internalized NET strongly colocalized with the "long loop" recycling marker Rab11, whereas less overlap was seen with the "short loop" recycling marker Rab4 and the late endosomal marker Rab7. Moreover, mitigating Rab11 function by overexpression of dominant negative Rab11 impaired NET function. Sorting of NET to the Rab11 recycling compartment was further supported by confocal imaging and reversible biotinylation experiments in transfected differentiated CATH.a cells. In contrast to NET, the dopamine transporter displayed markedly less constitutive internalization and limited sorting to the Rab11 recycling compartment in the differentiated CATH.a cells. Exchange of domains between the two homologous transporters revealed that this difference was determined by non-conserved structural elements in the intracellular N terminus. We conclude that NET displays a distinct trafficking itinerary characterized by continuous shuffling between the plasma membrane and the Rab11 recycling compartment and that the functional integrity of the Rab11 compartment is critical for maintaining proper presynaptic NET function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Vuorenpää
- From the Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute 18.6, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark,; the Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development, and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland,; the Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Turku University Hospital, Turku FI-20520, Finland, and
| | - Trine N Jørgensen
- From the Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute 18.6, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amy H Newman
- the Medicinal Chemistry Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Kenneth L Madsen
- From the Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute 18.6, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mika Scheinin
- the Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development, and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland,; the Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Turku University Hospital, Turku FI-20520, Finland, and
| | - Ulrik Gether
- From the Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute 18.6, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark,.
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43
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Function and Regulation of Fungal Amino Acid Transporters: Insights from Predicted Structure. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 892:69-106. [PMID: 26721271 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-25304-6_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amino acids constitute a major nutritional source for probably all fungi. Studies of model species such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans have shown that they possess multiple amino acid transporters. These proteins belong to a limited number of superfamilies, now defined according to protein fold in addition to sequence criteria, and differ in subcellular location, substrate specificity range, and regulation. Structural models of several of these transporters have recently been built, and the detailed molecular mechanisms of amino acid recognition and translocation are now being unveiled. Furthermore, the particular conformations adopted by some of these transporters in response to amino acid binding appear crucial to promoting their ubiquitin-dependent endocytosis and/or to triggering signaling responses. We here summarize current knowledge, derived mainly from studies on S. cerevisiae and A. nidulans, about the transport activities, regulation, and sensing role of fungal amino acid transporters, in relation to predicted structure.
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44
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Tavoulari S, Margheritis E, Nagarajan A, DeWitt DC, Zhang YW, Rosado E, Ravera S, Rhoades E, Forrest LR, Rudnick G. Two Na+ Sites Control Conformational Change in a Neurotransmitter Transporter Homolog. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:1456-71. [PMID: 26582198 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.692012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In LeuT, a prokaryotic homolog of neurotransmitter transporters, Na(+) stabilizes outward-open conformational states. We examined how each of the two LeuT Na(+) binding sites contributes to Na(+)-dependent closure of the cytoplasmic pathway using biochemical and biophysical assays of conformation. Mutating either of two residues that contribute to the Na2 site completely prevented cytoplasmic closure in response to Na(+), suggesting that Na2 is essential for this conformational change, whereas Na1 mutants retained Na(+) responsiveness. However, mutation of Na1 residues also influenced the Na(+)-dependent conformational change in ways that varied depending on the position mutated. Computational analyses suggest those mutants influence the ability of Na1 binding to hydrate the substrate pathway and perturb an interaction network leading to the extracellular gate. Overall, the results demonstrate that occupation of Na2 stabilizes outward-facing conformations presumably through a direct interaction between Na(+) and transmembrane helices 1 and 8, whereas Na(+) binding at Na1 influences conformational change through a network of intermediary interactions. The results also provide evidence that N-terminal release and helix motions represent distinct steps in cytoplasmic pathway opening.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anu Nagarajan
- the Computational Structural Biology Section, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852
| | - David C DeWitt
- Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 and
| | | | | | | | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 and
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- the Computational Structural Biology Section, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852
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45
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Khelashvili G, Stanley N, Sahai MA, Medina J, LeVine MV, Shi L, De Fabritiis G, Weinstein H. Spontaneous inward opening of the dopamine transporter is triggered by PIP2-regulated dynamics of the N-terminus. ACS Chem Neurosci 2015; 6:1825-37. [PMID: 26255829 PMCID: PMC4653762 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5b00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
We
present the dynamic mechanism of concerted motions in a full-length
molecular model of the human dopamine transporter (hDAT), a member
of the neurotransmitter/sodium symporter (NSS) family, involved in
state-to-state transitions underlying function. The findings result
from an analysis of unbiased atomistic molecular dynamics simulation
trajectories (totaling >14 μs) of the hDAT molecule immersed
in lipid membrane environments with or without phosphatidylinositol
4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) lipids. The N-terminal region of
hDAT (N-term) is shown to have an essential mechanistic role in correlated
rearrangements of specific structural motifs relevant to state-to-state
transitions in the hDAT. The mechanism involves PIP2-mediated
electrostatic interactions between the N-term and the intracellular
loops of the transporter molecule. Quantitative analyses of collective
motions in the trajectories reveal that these interactions correlate
with the inward-opening dynamics of hDAT and are allosterically coupled
to the known functional sites of the transporter. The observed large-scale
motions are enabled by specific reconfiguration of the network of
ionic interactions at the intracellular end of the protein. The isomerization
to the inward-facing state in hDAT is accompanied by concomitant movements
in the extracellular vestibule and results in the release of an Na+ ion from the Na2 site and destabilization of the substrate
dopamine in the primary substrate binding S1 site. The dynamic mechanism
emerging from the findings highlights the involvement of the PIP2-regulated interactions between the N-term and the intracellular
loop 4 in the functionally relevant conformational transitions that
are also similar to those found to underlie state-to-state transitions
in the leucine transporter (LeuT), a prototypical bacterial homologue
of the NSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Nathaniel Stanley
- Computational
Biophysics Laboratory (GRIB-IMIM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), C/Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michelle A. Sahai
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Jaime Medina
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Michael V. LeVine
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Lei Shi
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, New York 10065, United States
- HRH
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute of Computational
Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Gianni De Fabritiis
- Computational
Biophysics Laboratory (GRIB-IMIM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), C/Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (WCMC), New York, New York 10065, United States
- HRH
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute of Computational
Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
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46
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Grouleff J, Ladefoged LK, Koldsø H, Schiøtt B. Monoamine transporters: insights from molecular dynamics simulations. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:235. [PMID: 26528185 PMCID: PMC4607855 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The human monoamine transporters (MATs) facilitate the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine from the synaptic cleft. Imbalance in monoaminergic neurotransmission is linked to various diseases including major depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. Inhibition of the MATs is thus an important strategy for treatment of such diseases. The MATs are sodium-coupled transport proteins belonging to the neurotransmitter/Na(+) symporter (NSS) family, and the publication of the first high-resolution structure of a NSS family member, the bacterial leucine transporter LeuT, in 2005, proved to be a major stepping stone for understanding this family of transporters. Structural data allows for the use of computational methods to study the MATs, which in turn has led to a number of important discoveries. The process of substrate translocation across the membrane is an intrinsically dynamic process. Molecular dynamics simulations, which can provide atomistic details of molecular motion on ns to ms timescales, are therefore well-suited for studying transport processes. In this review, we outline how molecular dynamics simulations have provided insight into the large scale motions associated with transport of the neurotransmitters, as well as the presence of external and internal gates, the coupling between ion and substrate transport, and differences in the conformational changes induced by substrates and inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Grouleff
- Center for Insoluble Protein Structures and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lucy Kate Ladefoged
- Center for Insoluble Protein Structures and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Heidi Koldsø
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
| | - Birgit Schiøtt
- Center for Insoluble Protein Structures and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University Aarhus, Denmark
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47
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Cheng MH, Bahar I. Molecular Mechanism of Dopamine Transport by Human Dopamine Transporter. Structure 2015; 23:2171-81. [PMID: 26481814 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine transporters (DATs) control neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) homeostasis by reuptake of excess DA, assisted by sodium and chloride ions. The recent resolution of DAT structure (dDAT) from Drosophila permits us for the first time to directly view the sequence of events involved in DA reuptake in human DAT (hDAT) using homology modeling and full-atomic microseconds accelerated simulations. Major observations are spontaneous closure of extracellular gates prompted by DA binding; stabilization of a holo-occluded intermediate; disruption of N82-N353 hydrogen bond and exposure to intracellular (IC) water triggered by Na2 dislocation; redistribution of a network of salt bridges at the IC surface in the inward-facing state; concerted tilting of IC-exposed helices to enable the release of Na(+) and Cl(-) ions; and DA release after protonation of D79. The observed time-resolved interactions confirm the conserved dynamics of LeuT-fold family, while providing insights into the mechanistic role of specific residues in hDAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Hongying Cheng
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3064 Biomedical Science Tower 3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3064 Biomedical Science Tower 3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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48
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Moritz AE, Rastedt DE, Stanislowski DJ, Shetty M, Smith MA, Vaughan RA, Foster JD. Reciprocal Phosphorylation and Palmitoylation Control Dopamine Transporter Kinetics. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:29095-105. [PMID: 26424792 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.667055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine transporter is a neuronal protein that drives the presynaptic reuptake of dopamine (DA) and is the major determinant of transmitter availability in the brain. Dopamine transporter function is regulated by protein kinase C (PKC) and other signaling pathways through mechanisms that are complex and poorly understood. Here we investigate the role of Ser-7 phosphorylation and Cys-580 palmitoylation in mediating steady-state transport kinetics and PKC-stimulated transport down-regulation. Using both mutational and pharmacological approaches, we demonstrate that these post-translational modifications are reciprocally regulated, leading to transporter populations that display high phosphorylation-low palmitoylation or low phosphorylation-high palmitoylation. The balance between the modifications dictates transport capacity, as conditions that promote high phosphorylation or low palmitoylation reduce transport Vmax and enhance PKC-stimulated down-regulation, whereas conditions that promote low phosphorylation or high palmitoylation increase transport Vmax and suppress PKC-stimulated down-regulation. Transitions between these functional states occur when endocytosis is blocked or undetectable, indicating that the modifications kinetically regulate the velocity of surface transporters. These findings reveal a novel mechanism for control of DA reuptake that may represent a point of dysregulation in DA imbalance disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Moritz
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
| | - Danielle E Rastedt
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
| | - Daniel J Stanislowski
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
| | - Madhur Shetty
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
| | - Margaret A Smith
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
| | - Roxanne A Vaughan
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
| | - James D Foster
- From the Department of Basic Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9061
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49
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Mortensen OV, Kortagere S. Designing modulators of monoamine transporters using virtual screening techniques. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:223. [PMID: 26483692 PMCID: PMC4586420 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasma-membrane monoamine transporters (MATs), including the serotonin (SERT), norepinephrine (NET) and dopamine (DAT) transporters, serve a pivotal role in limiting monoamine-mediated neurotransmission through the reuptake of their respective monoamine neurotransmitters. The transporters are the main target of clinically used psychostimulants and antidepressants. Despite the availability of several potent and selective MAT substrates and inhibitors the continuing need for therapeutic drugs to treat brain disorders involving aberrant monoamine signaling provides a compelling reason to identify novel ways of targeting and modulating the MATs. Designing novel modulators of MAT function have been limited by the lack of three dimensional structure information of the individual MATs. However, crystal structures of LeuT, a bacterial homolog of MATs, in a substrate-bound occluded, substrate-free outward-open, and an apo inward-open state and also with competitive and non-competitive inhibitors have been determined. In addition, several structures of the Drosophila DAT have also been resolved. Together with computational modeling and experimental data gathered over the past decade, these structures have dramatically advanced our understanding of several aspects of SERT, NET, and DAT transporter function, including some of the molecular determinants of ligand interaction at orthosteric substrate and inhibitor binding pockets. In addition progress has been made in the understanding of how allosteric modulation of MAT function can be achieved. Here we will review all the efforts up to date that has been made through computational approaches employing structural models of MATs to design small molecule modulators to the orthosteric and allosteric sites using virtual screening techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole V Mortensen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine , Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine , Philadelphia, PA, USA
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50
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Billesbølle CB, Krüger MB, Shi L, Quick M, Li Z, Stolzenberg S, Kniazeff J, Gotfryd K, Mortensen JS, Javitch JA, Weinstein H, Loland CJ, Gether U. Substrate-induced unlocking of the inner gate determines the catalytic efficiency of a neurotransmitter:sodium symporter. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:26725-38. [PMID: 26363074 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.677658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) mediate reuptake of neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft and are targets for several therapeutics and psychostimulants. The prokaryotic NSS homologue, LeuT, represents a principal structural model for Na(+)-coupled transport catalyzed by these proteins. Here, we used site-directed fluorescence quenching spectroscopy to identify in LeuT a substrate-induced conformational rearrangement at the inner gate conceivably leading to formation of a structural intermediate preceding transition to the inward-open conformation. The substrate-induced, Na(+)-dependent change required an intact primary substrate-binding site and involved increased water exposure of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane segment 5. The findings were supported by simulations predicting disruption of an intracellular interaction network leading to a discrete rotation of transmembrane segment 5 and the adjacent intracellular loop 2. The magnitude of the spectroscopic response correlated inversely with the transport rate for different substrates, suggesting that stability of the intermediate represents an unrecognized rate-limiting barrier in the NSS transport mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian B Billesbølle
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mie B Krüger
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York 10065
| | - Matthias Quick
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Departments of Psychiatry and Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and
| | | | - Julie Kniazeff
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kamil Gotfryd
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jonas S Mortensen
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Center for Molecular Recognition and Departments of Psychiatry and Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032 Pharmacology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, and
| | - Harel Weinstein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York 10065
| | - Claus J Loland
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Gether
- From the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark,
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