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Andreyanov M, Heinrich R, Berlin S. Design of Ultrapotent Genetically Encoded Inhibitors of Kv4.2 for Gating Neural Plasticity. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2295222023. [PMID: 38154956 PMCID: PMC10869153 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2295-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Kv4.2 potassium channel plays established roles in neuronal excitability, while also being implicated in plasticity. Current means to study the roles of Kv4.2 are limited, motivating us to design a genetically encoded membrane tethered Heteropodatoxin-2 (MetaPoda). We find that MetaPoda is an ultrapotent and selective gating-modifier of Kv4.2. We narrow its site of contact with the channel to two adjacent residues within the voltage sensitive domain (VSD) and, with docking simulations, suggest that the toxin binds the VSD from within the membrane. We also show that MetaPoda does not require an external linker of the channel for its activity. In neurons (obtained from female and male rat neonates), MetaPoda specifically, and potently, inhibits all Kv4 currents, leaving all other A-type currents unaffected. Inhibition of Kv4 in hippocampal neurons does not promote excessive excitability, as is expected from a simple potassium channel blocker. We do find that MetaPoda's prolonged expression (1 week) increases expression levels of the immediate early gene cFos and prevents potentiation. These findings argue for a major role of Kv4.2 in facilitating plasticity of hippocampal neurons. Lastly, we show that our engineering strategy is suitable for the swift engineering of another potent Kv4.2-selective membrane-tethered toxin, Phrixotoxin-1, denoted MetaPhix. Together, we provide two uniquely potent genetic tools to study Kv4.2 in neuronal excitability and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Andreyanov
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525433, Israel
| | - Ronit Heinrich
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525433, Israel
| | - Shai Berlin
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525433, Israel
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2
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Song BJ, Sharp SJ, Rogulja D. Daily rewiring of a neural circuit generates a predictive model of environmental light. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/13/eabe4284. [PMID: 33762336 PMCID: PMC7990339 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral responsiveness to external stimulation is shaped by context. We studied how sensory information can be contextualized, by examining light-evoked locomotor responsiveness of Drosophila relative to time of day. We found that light elicits an acute increase in locomotion (startle) that is modulated in a time-of-day-dependent manner: Startle is potentiated during the nighttime, when light is unexpected, but is suppressed during the daytime. The internal daytime-nighttime context is generated by two interconnected and functionally opposing populations of circadian neurons-LNvs generating the daytime state and DN1as generating the nighttime state. Switching between the two states requires daily remodeling of LNv and DN1a axons such that the maximum presynaptic area in one population coincides with the minimum in the other. We propose that a dynamic model of environmental light resides in the shifting connectivities of the LNv-DN1a circuit, which helps animals evaluate ongoing conditions and choose a behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J Song
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Slater J Sharp
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dragana Rogulja
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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3
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Mondoloni S, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Mourot A. Cell-Specific Neuropharmacology. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:696-710. [PMID: 31400823 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal communication involves a multitude of neurotransmitters and an outstanding diversity of receptors and ion channels. Linking the activity of cell surface receptors and ion channels in defined neural circuits to brain states and behaviors has been a key challenge in neuroscience, since cell targeting is not possible with traditional neuropharmacology. We review here recent technologies that enable the effect of drugs to be restricted to specific cell types, thereby allowing acute manipulation of the brain's own proteins with circuit specificity. We highlight the importance of developing cell-specific neuropharmacology strategies for decoding the nervous system with molecular and circuit precision, and for developing future therapeutics with reduced side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Mondoloni
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Center for Affective Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
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Shen J, Xiao R, Bair J, Wang F, Vandenberghe LH, Dartt D, Baranov P, Ng YSE. Novel engineered, membrane-localized variants of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protect retinal ganglion cells: a proof-of-concept study. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:1018. [PMID: 30282966 PMCID: PMC6170416 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-1049-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) can protect retinal ganglion cells (RGC) from stress-induced cell death in ocular hypertensive glaucoma. To exploit the neuroprotective function of VEGF-A for therapeutic application in ocular disorders such as glaucoma while minimizing unwanted vascular side effects, we engineered two novel VEGF variants, eVEGF-38 and eVEGF-53. These variants of the diffusible VEGF-A isoform VEGF121 are expressed as dimeric concatamers and remain tethered to the cell membrane, thus restricting the effects of the engineered VEGF to the cells expressing the protein. For comparison, we tested a Myc-tagged version of VEGF189, an isoform that binds tightly to the extracellular matrix and heparan sulfate proteoglycans at the cell surface, supporting only autocrine and localized juxtacrine signaling. In human retinal endothelial cells (hREC), expression of eVEGF-38, eVEGF-53, or VEGF189 increased VEGFR2 phosphorylation without increasing expression of pro-inflammatory markers, relative to VEGF165 protein and vector controls. AAV2-mediated transduction of eVEGF-38, eVEGF-53, or VEGF189 into primary mouse RGC promoted synaptogenesis and increased the average total length of neurites and axons per RGC by ~ 12-fold, an increase that was mediated by VEGFR2 and PI3K/AKT signaling. Expression of eVEGF-38 in primary RGC enhanced expression of genes associated with neuritogenesis, axon outgrowth, axon guidance, and cell survival. Transduction of primary RGC with any of the membrane-associated VEGF constructs increased survival both under normal culture conditions and in the presence of the cytotoxic chemicals H2O2 (via VEGFR2/PI3K/AKT signaling) and N-methyl-d-aspartate (via reduced Ca2+ influx). Moreover, RGC number was increased in mouse embryonic stem cell-derived retinal organoid cultures transduced with the eVEGF-53 construct. The novel, engineered VEGF variants eVEGF-38 and eVEGF-53 show promise as potential therapeutics for retinal RGC neuroprotection when delivered using a gene therapy approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Shen
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Eye Center of the 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ru Xiao
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Bair
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Luk H Vandenberghe
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA.,Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Ocular Genomics Institute, Mass Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA.,The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Darlene Dartt
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petr Baranov
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yin Shan Eric Ng
- Harvard Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA.
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Podewin T, Ast J, Broichhagen J, Fine NHF, Nasteska D, Leippe P, Gailer M, Buenaventura T, Kanda N, Jones BJ, M’Kadmi C, Baneres JL, Marie J, Tomas A, Trauner D, Hoffmann-Röder A, Hodson DJ. Conditional and Reversible Activation of Class A and B G Protein-Coupled Receptors Using Tethered Pharmacology. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2018; 4:166-179. [PMID: 29532016 PMCID: PMC5832994 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.7b00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the activation and internalization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) using conditional approaches is paramount to developing new therapeutic strategies. Here, we describe the design, synthesis, and testing of ExONatide, a benzylguanine-linked peptide agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a class B GPCR required for maintenance of glucose levels in humans. ExONatide covalently binds to SNAP-tagged GLP-1R-expressing cells, leading to prolonged cAMP generation, Ca2+ rises, and intracellular retention of the receptor. These effects were readily switched OFF following cleavage of the introduced disulfide bridge using the cell-permeable reducing agent beta-mercaptoethanol (BME). A similar approach could be extended to a class A GPCR using GhrelON, a benzylguanine-linked peptide agonist of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a), which is involved in food intake and growth. Thus, ExONatide and GhrelON allow SNAP-tag-directed activation of class A and B GPCRs involved in gut hormone signaling in a reversible manner. This tactic, termed reductively cleavable agONist (RECON), may be useful for understanding GLP-1R and GHS-R1a function both in vitro and in vivo, with applicability across GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Podewin
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Ast
- Institute
of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham
Health Partners, Birmingham, B15 2TH, United Kingdom, and COMPARE University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham
Midlands
| | - Johannes Broichhagen
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Nicholas H. F. Fine
- Institute
of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham
Health Partners, Birmingham, B15 2TH, United Kingdom, and COMPARE University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham
Midlands
| | - Daniela Nasteska
- Institute
of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham
Health Partners, Birmingham, B15 2TH, United Kingdom, and COMPARE University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham
Midlands
| | - Philipp Leippe
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Manuel Gailer
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Teresa Buenaventura
- Section
of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Nisha Kanda
- Section
of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Ben J. Jones
- Section
of Investigative Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and
Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Celine M’Kadmi
- Institut des Biomolécules
Max Mousseron, UMR 5247 CNRS-Université Montpellier-ENSCM,
Faculté de Pharmacie, 15 Avenue
Charles Flahault, BP 14491, 34093 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Jean-Louis Baneres
- Institut des Biomolécules
Max Mousseron, UMR 5247 CNRS-Université Montpellier-ENSCM,
Faculté de Pharmacie, 15 Avenue
Charles Flahault, BP 14491, 34093 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Jacky Marie
- Institut des Biomolécules
Max Mousseron, UMR 5247 CNRS-Université Montpellier-ENSCM,
Faculté de Pharmacie, 15 Avenue
Charles Flahault, BP 14491, 34093 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Alejandra Tomas
- Section
of Cell Biology and Functional Genomics, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Trauner
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- (D.T.) E-mail:
| | - Anja Hoffmann-Röder
- Department
of Chemistry and Center for Integrated Protein Science, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- (A.H.-R.) E-mail:
| | - David J. Hodson
- Institute
of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham
Health Partners, Birmingham, B15 2TH, United Kingdom, and COMPARE University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham
Midlands
- (D.J.H.)
E-mail:
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Nedrud D, Schmidt D. Combinatorial Assembly of Lumitoxins. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1684:193-209. [PMID: 29058193 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7362-0_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ion channels are among the most important proteins in neuroscience and serve as drug targets for many brain disorders. During development, learning, disease progression, and other processes, the activity levels of specific ion channels are tuned in a cell-type specific manner. However, it is difficult to assess how cell-specific changes in ion channel activity alter emergent brain functions. We have developed a protein architecture for fully genetically encoded light-activated modulation of endogenous ion channel activity. Fusing a genetically encoded photoswitch and an ion channel-modulating peptide toxin in a computationally designed fashion, this reagent, which we call Lumitoxins, can mediate light-modulation of specific endogenous ion channel activities in targeted cells. The modular lumitoxin architecture may be useful in a diversity of neuroscience tools. Here, we delineate how to construct lumitoxin genes from synthesized components, and provide a general outline for how to test their function in mammalian cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nedrud
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Daniel Schmidt
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 321 Church Street SE, 6-160 Jackson, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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7
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Sieck G. Exploring how cells communicate. Physiology (Bethesda) 2013; 28:140-1. [PMID: 23636259 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00018.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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