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Kost V, Sukhov D, Ivanov I, Kasheverov I, Ojomoko L, Shelukhina I, Mozhaeva V, Kudryavtsev D, Feofanov A, Ignatova A, Utkin Y, Tsetlin V. Comparison of Conformations and Interactions with Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors for E. coli-Produced and Synthetic Three-Finger Protein SLURP-1. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16950. [PMID: 38069271 PMCID: PMC10707033 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
SLURP-1 is a three-finger human protein targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The recombinant forms of SLURP-1 produced in E. coli differ in added fusion fragments and in activity. The closest in sequence to the naturally occurring SLURP-1 is the recombinant rSLURP-1, differing by only one additional N-terminal Met residue. sSLURP-1 can be prepared by peptide synthesis and its amino acid sequence is identical to that of the natural protein. In view of recent NMR analysis of the conformational mobility of rSLURP-1 and cryo-electron microscopy structures of complexes of α-bungarotoxin (a three-finger snake venom protein) with Torpedo californica and α7 nAChRs, we compared conformations of sSLURP-1 and rSLURP-1 by Raman spectroscopy and CD-controlled thermal denaturation, analyzed their competition with α-bungarotoxin for binding to the above-mentioned nAChRs, compared the respective receptor complexes with computer modeling and compared their inhibitory potency on the α9α10 nAChR. The CD revealed a higher thermostability of sSLURP-1; some differences between sSLURP-1 and rSLURP-1 were observed in the regions of disulfides and tyrosine residues by Raman spectroscopy, but in binding, computer modeling and electrophysiology, the proteins were similar. Thus, sSLURP-1 and rSLURP-1 with only one additional Met residue appear close in structure and functional characteristics, being appropriate for research on nAChRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Kost
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Dmitry Sukhov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Igor Ivanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Igor Kasheverov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Lucy Ojomoko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Irina Shelukhina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Vera Mozhaeva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis Kudryavtsev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
- Department of Biology and General Genetics, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 8, bldg. 2 Trubetskaya Str., 119048 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Feofanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Anastasia Ignatova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Yuri Utkin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
| | - Victor Tsetlin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.K.); (D.S.); (I.I.); (I.K.); (L.O.); (I.S.); (V.M.); (D.K.); (A.F.); (Y.U.)
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Palumbo TB, Miwa JM. Lynx1 and the family of endogenous mammalian neurotoxin-like proteins and their roles in modulating nAChR function. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106845. [PMID: 37437646 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The promise of nicotinic receptors as a therapeutic target has yet to be fully realized, despite solid data supporting their involvement in neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. The reasons for this are likely complex and manifold, having to do with the widespread action of the cholinergic system and the biophysical mechanism of action of nicotinic receptors leading to fast desensitization and down-regulation. Conventional drug development strategies tend to focus on receptor subtype-specific action of candidate therapeutics, although the broad agonist, nicotine, is being explored in the clinic. The potential negative effects of nicotine make the search for alternate strategies warranted. Prototoxins are a promising yet little-explored avenue of nicotinic receptor drug development. Nicotinic receptors in the brain belong to a complex of proteins, including those that bind to the extracellular face of the receptor, as well as chaperones that bind the intracellular domain, etc. Lynx prototoxins have allosteric modularity effects on receptor function and number and have been implicated in complex in vivo processes such as neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Their mechanism of action and binding specificity on sets of nAChR subtypes present intriguing possibilities for more efficacious and nuanced therapeutic targeting than nicotinic receptor subtypes alone. An allosteric drug may restrict its actions to physiologically relevant time points, which tend to be correlated with salient events which would be encoded into long-term memory storage. Rather than blanketing the brain with a steady and prolonged elevation of agonist, an allosteric nAChR compound could avoid side effects and loss of efficacy over time. This review details the potential strengths and challenges of prototoxin proteins as therapeutic targets, and some of the utility of such therapeutics based on the emerging understanding of cholinergic signaling in a growing number of complex neural processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talulla B Palumbo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, 111 Research Dr., Iacocca Hall, B-217, Bethlehem PA, USA.
| | - Julie M Miwa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, 111 Research Dr., Iacocca Hall, B-217, Bethlehem PA, USA.
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3
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Hone AJ, McIntosh JM. Alkaloid ligands enable function of homomeric human α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:981760. [PMID: 36188578 PMCID: PMC9523446 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.981760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the nervous system, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) rapidly transduce a chemical signal into one that is electrical via ligand-gated ion flux through the central channel of the receptor. However, some nAChR subunits are expressed by non-excitable cells where signal transduction apparently occurs through non-ionic mechanisms. One such nAChR subunit, α10, is present in a discreet subset of immune cells and has been implicated in pathologies including cancer, neuropathic pain, and chronic inflammation. Longstanding convention holds that human α10 subunits require co-assembly with α9 subunits for function. Here we assessed whether cholinergic ligands can enable or uncover ionic functions from homomeric α10 nAChRs. Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing human α10 subunits were exposed to a panel of ligands and examined for receptor activation using voltage-clamp electrophysiology. Functional expression of human α10 nAChRs was achieved by exposing the oocytes to the alkaloids strychnine, brucine, or methyllycaconitine. Furthermore, acute exposure to the alkaloid ligands significantly enhanced ionic responses. Acetylcholine-gated currents mediated by α10 nAChRs were potently inhibited by the snake toxins α-bungarotoxin and α-cobratoxin but not by α-conotoxins that target α9 and α9α10 nAChRs. Our findings indicate that human α10 homomers are expressed in oocytes and exposure to certain ligands can enable ionic functions. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that human α10 subunits can assemble as functional homomeric nAChRs. These findings have potential implications for receptor regulatory-mechanisms and will enable structural, functional, and further pharmacological characterization of human α10 nAChRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arik J. Hone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- MIRECC, George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - J. Michael McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Doss SV, Barbat-Artigas S, Lopes M, Pradhan BS, Prószyński TJ, Robitaille R, Valdez G. Expression and Roles of Lynx1, a Modulator of Cholinergic Transmission, in Skeletal Muscles and Neuromuscular Junctions in Mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:838612. [PMID: 35372356 PMCID: PMC8967655 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.838612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lynx1 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked protein shown to affect synaptic plasticity through modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes in the brain. Because of this function and structural similarity to α-bungarotoxin, which binds muscle-specific nAChRs with high affinity, Lynx1 is a promising candidate for modulating nAChRs in skeletal muscles. However, little is known about the expression and roles of Lynx1 in skeletal muscles and neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Here, we show that Lynx1 is expressed in skeletal muscles, increases during development, and concentrates at NMJs. We also demonstrate that Lynx1 interacts with muscle-specific nAChR subunits. Additionally, we present data indicating that Lynx1 deletion alters the response of skeletal muscles to cholinergic transmission and their contractile properties. Based on these findings, we asked if Lynx1 deletion affects developing and adult NMJs. Loss of Lynx1 had no effect on NMJs at postnatal day 9 (P9) and moderately increased their size at P21. Thus, Lynx1 plays a minor role in the structural development of NMJs. In 7- and 12-month-old mice lacking Lynx1, there is a marked increase in the incidence of NMJs with age- and disease-associated morphological alterations. The loss of Lynx1 also reduced the size of adult muscle fibers. Despite these effects, Lynx1 deletion did not alter the rate of NMJ reinnervation and stability following motor axon injury. These findings suggest that Lynx1 is not required during fast remodeling of the NMJ, as is the case during reformation following crushing of motor axons and development. Instead, these data indicate that the primary role of Lynx1 may be to maintain the structure and function of adult and aging NMJs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney V. Doss
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | | | - Mikayla Lopes
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Bhola Shankar Pradhan
- Laboratory of Synaptogenesis, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Synaptogenesis, Łukasiewicz Research Network—PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Tomasz J. Prószyński
- Laboratory of Synaptogenesis, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Synaptogenesis, Łukasiewicz Research Network—PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Richard Robitaille
- Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur le Cerveau et L’Apprentissage (CIRCA), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gregorio Valdez
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- *Correspondence: Gregorio Valdez,
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Sherafat Y, Bautista M, Fowler CD. Multidimensional Intersection of Nicotine, Gene Expression, and Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:649129. [PMID: 33828466 PMCID: PMC8019722 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.649129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system plays a crucial role in nervous system function with important effects on developmental processes, cognition, attention, motivation, reward, learning, and memory. Nicotine, the reinforcing component of tobacco and e-cigarettes, directly acts on the cholinergic system by targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain. Activation of nAChRs leads to a multitude of immediate and long-lasting effects in specific cellular populations, thereby affecting the addictive properties of the drug. In addition to the direct actions of nicotine in binding to and opening nAChRs, the subsequent activation of circuits and downstream signaling cascades leads to a wide range of changes in gene expression, which can subsequently alter further behavioral expression. In this review, we provide an overview of the actions of nicotine that lead to changes in gene expression and further highlight evidence supporting how these changes can often be bidirectional, thereby inducing subsequent changes in behaviors associated with further drug intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Sherafat
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, Unites States
| | - Malia Bautista
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, Unites States
| | - Christie D Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, Unites States
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6
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Miwa JM. Lynx1 prototoxins: critical accessory proteins of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2020; 56:46-51. [PMID: 33254061 PMCID: PMC8771676 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2020.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic receptors of the cholinergic system are ligand-gated ion channels, responding to the excitatory neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, and the addictive component of tobacco, nicotine. They help to transduce salient information in the environment by activating specific neural circuitry in normal and disease states. While nicotinic receptors are promising neurological and neuropsychiatric disorder targets, they have fallen out of favor after several late-stage clinical failures. Targeting the complex of the nicotinic receptor, including lynx1 accessory proteins, could be the key to unlocking the intractable nAChR for therapeutic development. Lynx1 binds to the extracellular face of the nAChR and acts as a critical modulator, suppressing memory, learning, and plasticity. Lynx1 removal in animal models leads to memory and plasticity enhancements, some of which have therapeutic relevance for neuropsychiatric and neurological disease. A review of the lynx1 accessory modulator and its role in modulating neuronal nAChRs will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Miwa
- Lehigh University, Department of Biological Sciences, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, PA, United States.
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7
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Tsetlin VI, Kasheverov IE, Utkin YN. Three-finger proteins from snakes and humans acting on nicotinic receptors: Old and new. J Neurochem 2020; 158:1223-1235. [PMID: 32648941 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The first toxin to give rise to the three-finger protein (TFP) family was α-bungarotoxin (α-Bgt) from Bungarus multicinctus krait venom. α-Bgt was crucial for research on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and in this Review article we focus on present data for snake venom TFPs and those of the Ly6/uPAR family from mammalians (membrane-bound Lynx1 and secreted SLURP-1) interacting with nAChRs. Recently isolated from Bungarus candidus venom, αδ-bungarotoxins differ from α-Bgt: they bind more reversibly and distinguish two binding sites in Torpedo californica nAChR. Naja kaouthia α-cobratoxin, classical blocker of nAChRs, was shown to inhibit certain GABA-A receptor subtypes, whereas α-cobratoxin dimer with 2 intermolecular disulfides has a novel type of 3D structure. Non-conventional toxin WTX has additional 5th disulfide not in the central loop, as α-Bgt, but in the N-terminal loop, like all Ly6/uPAR proteins, and inhibits α7 and Torpedo nAChRs. A water-soluble form of Lynx1, ws-Lynx1, was expressed in E. coli, its 1 H-NMR structure and binding to several nAChRs determined. For SLURP-1, similar information was obtained with its recombinant analogue rSLURP-1. A common feature of ws-Lynx1, rSLURP-1, and WTX is their activity against nAChRs and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Synthetic SLURP-1, identical to the natural protein, demonstrated some differences from rSLURP-1 in distinguishing nAChR subtypes. The loop II fragment of the Lynx1 was synthesized having the same µM affinity for the Torpedo nAChR as ws-Lynx1. This review illustrates the productivity of parallel research of nAChR interactions with the two TFP groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor I Tsetlin
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.,PhysBio of MePhi, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Igor E Kasheverov
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Yuri N Utkin
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
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Modulation of cholinergic activity through lynx prototoxins: Implications for cognition and anxiety regulation. Neuropharmacology 2020; 174:108071. [PMID: 32298703 PMCID: PMC7785133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Liu L, Luo T, Dong H, Zhang C, Liu T, Zhang X, Hao W. Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Analysis in Male Methamphetamine Users With Different Addiction Qualities. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:588229. [PMID: 33192735 PMCID: PMC7645035 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.588229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper aimed to explore the genome-wide DNA methylation status of methamphetamine (MA) abusers with different qualities to addiction and to identify differentially methylated candidate genes. A total of 207 male MA abusers with an MA abuse frequency of ≥10 times and an MA abuse duration of ≥1 year were assigned to the high MA addiction quality group (HMAQ group; 168 subjects who met the diagnostic criteria for MA dependence according to the DSM-IV) or to the low MA addictive quality group (LMAQ group; 39 subjects who did not meet the criteria for MA dependence). In addition 105 healthy controls were recruited. Eight HMAQ subjects, eight LMAQ subjects, and eight healthy controls underwent genome-wide DNA methylation scans with an Infinium Human Methylation 450 array (Illumina). The differentially methylated region (DMR) data were entered into pathway analysis, and the differentially methylated position (DMP) data were screened for candidate genes and verified by MethyLight qPCR with all samples. Seven specific pathways with an abnormal methylation status were identified, including the circadian entrainment, cholinergic synapse, glutamatergic synapse, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, GABAergic synapse, morphine addiction and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. SLC1A6, BHLHB9, LYNX1, CAV2, and PCSK9 showed differences in their methylation levels in the three groups. Only the number of methylated copies of CAV2 was significantly higher in the LMAQ group than in the HMAQ group. Our findings suggest that the circadian entrainment pathway and the caveolin-2 gene may play key roles in MA addiction quality. Further studies on their functions and mechanisms will help us to better understand the pathogenesis of MA addiction and to explore new targets for drug intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Liu
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Wuxi Mental Health Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Clinic Psychiatry, Jiangxi Mental Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Huixi Dong
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chenxi Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tieqiao Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Hao
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
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10
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Kryukova EV, Egorova NS, Kudryavtsev DS, Lebedev DS, Spirova EN, Zhmak MN, Garifulina AI, Kasheverov IE, Utkin YN, Tsetlin VI. From Synthetic Fragments of Endogenous Three-Finger Proteins to Potential Drugs. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:748. [PMID: 31333465 PMCID: PMC6616073 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The proteins of the Ly6 family have a three-finger folding as snake venom α-neurotoxins, targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and some of them, like mammalian secreted Ly6/uPAR protein (SLURP1) and membrane-attached Ly-6/neurotoxin (Lynx1), also interact with distinct nAChR subtypes. We believed that synthetic fragments of these endogenous proteins might open new ways for drug design because nAChRs are well-known targets for developing analgesics and drugs against neurodegenerative diseases. Since interaction with nAChRs was earlier shown for synthetic fragments of the α-neurotoxin central loop II, we synthesized a 15-membered fragment of human Lynx1, its form with two Cys residues added at the N- and C-termini and forming a disulfide, as well as similar forms of human SLURP1, SLURP2, and of Drosophila sleepless protein (SSS). The IC50 values measured in competition with radioiodinated α-bungarotoxin for binding to the membrane-bound Torpedo californica nAChR were 4.9 and 7.4 µM for Lynx1 and SSS fragments, but over 300 µM for SLURP1 or SLURP2 fragments. The affinity of these compounds for the α7 nAChR in the rat pituitary tumor-derived cell line GH4C1 was different: 13.1 and 147 µM for SSS and Lynx1 fragments, respectively. In competition for the ligand-binding domain of the α9 nAChR subunit, SSS and Lynx1 fragments had IC50 values of about 40 µM, which correlates with the value found for the latter with the rat α9α10 nAChR expressed in the Xenopus oocytes. Thus, the activity of these synthetic peptides against muscle-type and α9α10 nAChRs indicates that they may be useful in design of novel myorelaxants and analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Kryukova
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia S Egorova
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis S Kudryavtsev
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry S Lebedev
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina N Spirova
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim N Zhmak
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aleksandra I Garifulina
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor E Kasheverov
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yuri N Utkin
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor I Tsetlin
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signalling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,PhysBio of MEPhI, Moscow, Russia
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Water-soluble variant of human Lynx1 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in lung cancer cells via modulation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217339. [PMID: 31150435 PMCID: PMC6544245 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lynx1 is the first three-finger prototoxin found in the mammalian central nervous system. It is a GPI-anchored protein modulating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain. Besides the brain, the Lynx1 protein was found in the lung and kidney. Endogenous Lynx1 controls the nicotine-induced up-regulation of the expression of α7 type nAChRs in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as well as the cell growth. Here, we analyzed the Lynx1 expression in the set of human epithelial cells. The Lynx1 expression both at the mRNA and protein level was detected in normal oral keratinocytes, and lung, colon, epidermal, and breast cancer cells, but not in embryonic kidney cells. Co-localization of Lynx1 with α7-nAChRs was revealed in a cell membrane for lung adenocarcinoma A549 and colon carcinoma HT-29 cells, but not for breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 and epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. The recombinant water-soluble variant of Lynx1 without a GPI-anchor (ws-Lynx1) inhibited the growth of A549 cells causing cell cycle arrest via modulation of α7-nAChRs and activation of different intracellular signaling cascades, including PKC/IP3, MAP/ERK, p38, and JNK pathways. A549 cells treatment with ws-Lynx1 resulted in phosphorylation of the proapoptotic tumor suppressor protein p53 and different kinases participated in the regulation of gene transcription, cell growth, adhesion, and differentiation. Externalization of phosphatidylserine, an early apoptosis marker, observed by flow cytometry, confirmed the induction of apoptosis in A549 cells upon the ws-Lynx1 treatment. Our data revealed the ability of ws-Lynx1 to regulate homeostasis of epithelial cancer cells.
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Miwa JM, Anderson KR, Hoffman KM. Lynx Prototoxins: Roles of Endogenous Mammalian Neurotoxin-Like Proteins in Modulating Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function to Influence Complex Biological Processes. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:343. [PMID: 31114495 PMCID: PMC6502960 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system modulates many biological functions, due to the widespread distribution of cholinergic neuronal terminals, and the diffuse release of its neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Several layers of regulation help to refine and control the scope of this excitatory neurotransmitter system. One such regulatory mechanism is imparted through endogenous toxin-like proteins, prototoxins, which largely control the function of nicotinic receptors of the cholinergic system. Prototoxins and neurotoxins share the distinct three finger toxin fold, highly effective as a receptor binding protein, and the former are expressed in the mammalian brain, immune system, epithelium, etc. Prototoxins and elapid snake neurotoxins appear to be related through gene duplication and divergence from a common ancestral gene. Protein modulators can provide a graded response of the cholinergic system, and within the brain, stabilize neural circuitry through direct interaction with nicotinic receptors. Understanding the roles of each prototoxin (e.g., lynx1, lynx2/lypd1, PSCA, SLURP1, SLURP2, Lypd6, lypd6b, lypdg6e, PATE-M, PATE-B, etc.), their binding specificity and unique expression profile, has the potential to uncover many fascinating cholinergic-dependent mechanisms in the brain. Each family member can provide a spatially restricted level of control over nAChR function based on its expression in the brain. Due to the difficulty in the pharmacological targeting of nicotinic receptors in the brain as a result of widespread expression patterns and similarities in receptor sequences, unique interfaces between prototoxin and nicotinic receptor could provide more specific targeting than nicotinic receptors alone. As such, this family is intriguing from a long-term therapeutic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Miwa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Kristin R Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Katie M Hoffman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
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