GABA signalling: therapeutic targets for epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease

Mathematical derivation and mechanism analysis of beta oscillations in a cortex-pallidum model

In this paper, we develop a new cortex-pallidum model to study the origin mechanism of Parkinson's oscillations in the cortex. In contrast to many previous models, the globus pallidus internal (GPi) and externa (GPe) both exert direct inhibitory feedback to the cortex. Using Hopf bifurcation analysis, two new critical conditions for oscillations, which can include the self-feedback projection of GPe, are obtained. In this paper, we find that the average discharge rate (ADR) is an important marker of oscillations, which can divide Hopf bifurcations into two types that can uniformly be used to explain the oscillation mechanism. Interestingly, the ADR of the cortex first increases and then decreases with increasing coupling weights that are projected to the GPe. Regarding the Hopf bifurcation critical conditions, the quantitative relationship between the inhibitory projection and excitatory projection to the GPe is monotonically increasing; in contrast, the relationship between different coupling weights in the cortex is monotonically decreasing. In general, the oscillation amplitude is the lowest near the bifurcation points and reaches the maximum value with the evolution of oscillations. The GPe is an effective target for deep brain stimulation to alleviate oscillations in the cortex.

A Mutual Nexus Between Epilepsy and α-Synuclein: A Puzzle Pathway

Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a specific neuronal protein that regulates neurotransmitter release and trafficking of synaptic vesicles. Exosome-associated α-Syn which is specific to the central nervous system (CNS) is involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Therefore, this review aimed to elucidate the possible link between α-Syn and epilepsy, and how it affects the pathophysiology of epilepsy. A neurodegenerative protein such as α-Syn is implicated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies revealed that upregulation of α-Syn induces progressive neuronal dysfunctions through induction of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and inhibition of autophagy in a vicious cycle with subsequent development of severe epilepsy. In addition, accumulation of α-Syn in epilepsy could be secondary to the different cellular alterations including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, reduction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and progranulin (PGN), and failure of the autophagy pathway. However, the mechanism of α-Syn-induced-epileptogenesis is not well elucidated. Therefore, α-Syn could be a secondary consequence of epilepsy. Preclinical and clinical studies are warranted to confirm this causal relationship.

Aneuploidy is Linked to Neurological Phenotypes Through Oxidative Stress

Aneuploidy, having an aberrant genome, is gaining increasing attention in neurodegenerative diseases. It gives rise to proteotoxic stress as well as a stereotypical oxidative shift which makes these cells sensitive to internal and environmental stresses. A growing body of research from numerous laboratories suggests that many neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, are characterised by neuronal aneuploidy and the ensuing apoptosis, which may contribute to neuronal loss. Using Drosophila as a model, we investigated the effect of induced aneuploidy in GABAergic neurons. We found an increased proportion of aneuploidy due to Mad2 depletion in the third-instar larval brain and increased cell death. Depletion of Mad2 in GABAergic neurons also gave a defective climbing and seizure phenotype. Feeding animals an antioxidant rescued the climbing and seizure phenotype. These findings suggest that increased aneuploidy leads to higher oxidative stress in GABAergic neurons which causes cell death, climbing defects, and seizure phenotype. Antioxidant feeding represents a potential therapy to reduce the aneuploidy-driven neurological phenotype.

The Interplay Between Epilepsy and Parkinson's Disease: Gene Expression Profiling and Functional Analysis

The results of many epidemiological studies suggest a bidirectional causality may exist between epilepsy and Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the underlying molecular landscape linking these two diseases remains largely unknown. This study aimed to explore this possible bidirectional causality by identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each disease as well as their intersection based on two respective disease-related datasets. We performed enrichment analyses and explored immune cell infiltration based on an intersection of the DEGs. Identifying a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network between epilepsy and PD, and this network was visualised using Cytoscape software to screen key modules and hub genes. Finally, exploring the diagnostic values of the identified hub genes. NetworkAnalyst 3.0 and Cytoscape software were also used to construct and visualise the transcription factor-micro-RNA regulatory and co-regulatory networks, the gene-microRNA interaction network, as well as gene-disease association. Based on the enrichment results, the intersection of the DEGs mainly revealed enrichment in immunity-, phosphorylation-, metabolism-, and inflammation-related pathways. The boxplots revealed similar trends in infiltration of many immune cells in epilepsy and Parkinson's disease, with greater infiltration in patients than in controls. A complex PPI network comprising 186 nodes and 512 edges were constructed. According to node connection degree, top 15 hub genes were considered the kernel targets of epilepsy and PD. The area under curve values of hub gene expression profiles confirmed their excellent diagnostic values. This study is the first to analyse the molecular landscape underlying the epidemiological link between epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. The two diseases are closely linked through immunity-, inflammation-, and metabolism-related pathways. This information was of great help in understanding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases. The present results may provide guidance for further in-depth analysis about molecular mechanisms of epilepsy and PD and novel potential targets.

Cell type characterization of spatiotemporal gene co-expression modules in Down syndrome brain

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and increases the risk of other brain-related dysfunctions, like seizures, early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and autism. To reveal the molecular profiles of DS-associated brain phenotypes, we performed a meta-data analysis of the developmental DS brain transcriptome at cell type and co-expression module levels. In the DS brain, astrocyte-, microglia-, and endothelial cell-associated genes show upregulated patterns, whereas neuron- and oligodendrocyte-associated genes show downregulated patterns. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified cell type-enriched co-expressed gene modules. We present eight representative cell-type modules for neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. We classified the neuron modules into glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons and associated them with detailed subtypes. Cell type modules were interpreted by analyzing spatiotemporal expression patterns, functional annotations, and co-expression networks of the modules. This study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying brain abnormalities in DS and related disorders.

The feedback loop between calcineurin, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, and nuclear factor of activated T-cells regulates the number of GABAergic neurons during planarian head regeneration

Disturbances in the excitatory/inhibitory balance of brain neural circuits are the main source of encephalopathy during neurodevelopment. Changes in the function of neural circuits can lead to depolarization or repeat rhythmic firing of neurons in a manner similar to epilepsy. GABAergic neurons are inhibitory neurons found in all the main domains of the CNS. Previous studies suggested that DjCamkII and DjCaln play a crucial role in the regulation of GABAergic neurons during planarian regeneration. However, the mechanisms behind the regeneration of GABAergic neurons have not been fully explained. Herein, we demonstrated that DjCamkII and DjCaln were mutual negative regulation during planarian head regeneration. DjNFAT exerted feedback positive regulation on both DjCaln and DjCamkII. Whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed that DjNFAT was predominantly expressed in the pharynx and parenchymal cells in intact planarian. Interestingly, during planarian head regeneration, DjNFAT was predominantly located in the newborn brain. Down-regulation of DjNFAT led to regeneration defects in the brain including regenerative brain became small and the lateral nerves cannot be regenerated completely, and a decreasein the number of GABAergic neurons during planarian head regeneration. These findings suggest that the feedback loop between DjCaln, DjCamkII, and DjNFAT is crucial for the formation of GABAergic neurons during planarian head regeneration.

Potent γ-amino butyric acid producing psychobiotic Lactococcus lactis LP-68 from non-rhizospheric soil of Syzygium cumini (Black plum)

Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) is a chemical messenger that plays a significant role in muscle relaxation and brain health. Certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce significant levels of GABA and thus act as potential psychobiotic cultures. In the present study, LAB were isolated from non-rhizospheric soil sample of Syzygium cumini (Black plum). A total of 57 LAB were isolated on the basis of their morphological and acid producing characteristic on de Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) agar. Only seven isolates were found to produce GABA (0.09-1.13 gL^-1) in MRS broth and were identified as Lactococcus. However, L. lactis LP-68 produced highest amount of GABA and was selected for further optimization of culture conditions (pH, temperature and MSG) by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimization resulted in approximately four-fold increase in GABA production (4.11 gL^-1). The results indicate that the L. lactis LP-68 can be used as starter culture for production of GABA-enriched functional foods.

Nipecotic-Acid-Tethered, Naphthalene-Diimide-Based, Orange-Emitting Organic Nanoparticles as Targeted Delivery Vehicle and Diagnostic Probe toward GABAA-Receptor-Enriched Cancer Cells

This article demonstrates target-specific cellular imaging of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptor (GABA_AR)-enriched cells (SH-SY5Y and A549) with therapeutic efficacy by naphthalene diimide (NDI)-derived fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONPs). Self-assembly-driven formation of spherical organic particles by nipecotic-acid-tethered l-aspartic acid appended NDI derivative (NDI-nip) took place in DMSO-water through J-type aggregation. NDI-nip having a naphthyl residue and a nipecotic acid unit at both terminals exhibited aggregation-induced emission (AIE) at and above 60% water content in DMSO because of excimer formation at λ_em = 579 nm. The orange-emitting NDI-nip FONPs (1:99 v/v DMSO-water) having excellent cell viability and high photostability were used for selective bioimaging and killing of GABA_AR-overexpressed cancer cells through target-specific delivery of the anticancer drug curcumin. The fluorescence intensity of NDI-nip FONPs were quenched in GABA_AR-enriched neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) and cancerous cells (A549). Notably, in the presence of GABA, the NDI-nip FONPs exhibited their native fluorescence within the same cell lines. Importantly, no such quenching and regaining of NDI-nip FONP emission in the presence of GABA was noted in the case of the noncancerous cell NIH3T3. The killing efficiency of curcumin-loaded NDI-nip FONPs ([curcumin] = 100 μM and [NDI-nip FONPs] = 50 μM) was significantly higher in the cases of SH-SY5Y (88 ± 3%) and A549 (72 ± 2%) than in NIH3T3 (37 ± 2). The presence of a nipecotic acid moiety facilitated the selective cellular internalization of NDI-nip FONPs into GABA_AR-overexpressing cells. Hence, these orange-emitting NDI-nip FONPs may be exploited as a targeted diagnostic probe as well as a drug delivery vehicle for GABA_AR-enriched cancer cells.

Neuronal excitatory-to-inhibitory balance is altered in cerebral organoid models of genetic neurological diseases

The neuro-physiological properties of individuals with genetic pre-disposition to neurological disorders are largely unknown. Here we aimed to explore these properties using cerebral organoids (COs) derived from fibroblasts of individuals with confirmed genetic mutations including PRNP^E200K, trisomy 21 (T21), and LRRK2^G2019S, which are associated with Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, Down Syndrome, and Parkinson's disease. We utilized no known disease/healthy COs (HC) as normal function controls. At 3-4 and 6-10 months post-differentiation, COs with mutations showed no evidence of disease-related pathology. Electrophysiology assessment showed that all COs exhibited mature neuronal firing at 6-10 months old. At this age, we observed significant changes in the electrophysiology of the COs with disease-associated mutations (dCOs) as compared with the HC, including reduced neuronal network communication, slowing neuronal oscillations, and increased coupling of delta and theta phases to the amplitudes of gamma oscillations. Such changes were linked with the detection of hypersynchronous events like spike-and-wave discharges. These dysfunctions were associated with altered production and release of neurotransmitters, compromised activity of excitatory ionotropic receptors including receptors of kainate, AMPA, and NMDA, and changed levels and function of excitatory glutamatergic synapses and inhibitory GABAergic synapses. Neuronal properties that modulate GABAergic inhibition including the activity of Na-K-Cl cotransport 1 (NKCC1) in Cl^- homeostasis and the levels of synaptic and extra-synaptic localization of GABA receptors (GABARs) were altered in the T21 COs only. The neurosteroid allopregnanolone, a positive modulator of GABARs, was downregulated in all the dCOs. Treatment with this neurosteroid significantly improved the neuronal communication in the dCOs, possibly through improving the GABAergic inhibition. Overall, without the manifestation of any disease-related pathology, the genetic mutations PRNP^E200K, T21, and LRRK2^G2019S significantly altered the neuronal network communication in dCOs by disrupting the excitatory-to-inhibitory balance.

A Brief History and the Significance of the GABAB Receptor

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA type B (GABA_B) receptors (GABA_BRs) are the only metabotropic G protein-coupled receptors for GABA and can be found distributed not only in the central nervous system, but also in the periphery. This chapter introduces important, fundamental knowledge related to GABA_BR function and the various potential therapeutic applications of the development of novel GABA_BR-active compounds, as documented through extensive studies presented in subsequent chapters of this Current Topic in Behavioral Neurosciences volume on the role of the neurobiology of GABA_BR function. The compounds that have received increased attention in the last few years compared to GABA_BR agonists and antagonists - the positive allosteric modulators - exhibit better pharmacological profiles and fewer side effects. As we continue to unveil the mystery of GABA_BRs at the molecular and cellular levels, we further understand the significance of these receptors. Future directions should aim for developing highly selective GABA_BR compounds for treating neuropsychiatric disorders and their symptomatology.

ATP and spontaneous calcium oscillations control neural stem cell fate determination in Huntington's disease: a novel approach for cell clock research

Calcium, the most versatile second messenger, regulates essential biology including crucial cellular events in embryogenesis. We investigated impacts of calcium channels and purinoceptors on neuronal differentiation of normal mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), with outcomes being compared to those of in vitro models of Huntington's disease (HD). Intracellular calcium oscillations tracked via real-time fluorescence and luminescence microscopy revealed a significant correlation between calcium transient activity and rhythmic proneuronal transcription factor expression in ESCs stably expressing ASCL-1 or neurogenin-2 promoters fused to luciferase reporter genes. We uncovered that pharmacological manipulation of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and purinoceptors induced a two-step process of neuronal differentiation. Specifically, L-type calcium channel-mediated augmentation of spike-like calcium oscillations first promoted stable expression of ASCL-1 in differentiating ESCs, which following P2Y2 purinoceptor activation matured into GABAergic neurons. By contrast, there was neither spike-like calcium oscillations nor responsive P2Y2 receptors in HD-modeling stem cells in vitro. The data shed new light on mechanisms underlying neurogenesis of inhibitory neurons. Moreover, our approach may be tailored to identify pathogenic triggers of other developmental neurological disorders for devising targeted therapies.

GABAB Receptor Chemistry and Pharmacology: Agonists, Antagonists, and Allosteric Modulators

The GABA_B receptors are metabotropic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that mediate the actions of the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In the CNS, GABA plays an important role in behavior, learning and memory, cognition, and stress. GABA is also located throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and is involved in the autonomic control of the intestine and esophageal reflex. Consequently, dysregulated GABA_B receptor signaling is associated with neurological, mental health, and gastrointestinal disorders; hence, these receptors have been identified as key therapeutic targets and are the focus of multiple drug discovery efforts for indications such as muscle spasticity disorders, schizophrenia, pain, addiction, and gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD). Numerous agonists, antagonists, and allosteric modulators of the GABA_B receptor have been described; however, Lioresal^® (Baclofen; β-(4-chlorophenyl)-γ-aminobutyric acid) is the only FDA-approved drug that selectively targets GABA_B receptors in clinical use; undesirable side effects, such as sedation, muscle weakness, fatigue, cognitive deficits, seizures, tolerance and potential for abuse, limit their therapeutic use. Here, we review GABA_B receptor chemistry and pharmacology, presenting orthosteric agonists, antagonists, and positive and negative allosteric modulators, and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting GABA_B receptor modulation for the treatment of various CNS and peripheral disorders.

"Nano": An Emerging Avenue in Electrochemical Detection of Neurotransmitters

The growing importance of nanomaterials toward the detection of neurotransmitter molecules has been chronicled in this review. Neurotransmitters (NTs) are chemicals that serve as messengers in synaptic transmission and are key players in brain functions. Abnormal levels of NTs are associated with numerous psychotic and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, their sensitive and robust detection is of great significance in clinical diagnostics. For more than three decades, electrochemical sensors have made a mark toward clinical detection of NTs. The superiority of these electrochemical sensors lies in their ability to enable sensitive, simple, rapid, and selective determination of analyte molecules while remaining relatively inexpensive. Additionally, these sensors are capable of being integrated in robust, portable, and miniaturized devices to establish point-of-care diagnostic platforms. Nanomaterials have emerged as promising materials with significant implications for electrochemical sensing due to their inherent capability to achieve high surface coverage, superior sensitivity, and rapid response in addition to simple device architecture and miniaturization. Considering the enormous significance of the levels of NTs in biological systems and the advances in sensing ushered in with the integration of nanotechnology in electrochemistry, the analysis of NTs by employing nanomaterials as interface materials in various matrices has emerged as an active area of research. This review explores the advancements made in the field of electrochemical sensors for the sensitive and selective determination of NTs which have been described in the past two decades with a distinctive focus on extremely innovative attributes introduced by nanotechnology.

A QM/MM simulation study of transamination reaction at the active site of aspartate aminotransferase: Free energy landscape and proton transfer pathways

Transaminase is a key enzyme for amino acid metabolism, which reversibly catalyzes the transamination reaction with the help of PLP (pyridoxal 5^' -phosphate) as its cofactor. Here we have investigated the mechanism and free energy landscape of the transamination reaction involving the aspartate transaminase (AspTase) enzyme and aspartate-PLP (Asp-PLP) complex using QM/MM simulation and metadynamics methods. The reaction is found to follow a stepwise mechanism where the active site residue Lys258 acts as a base to shuttle a proton from α-carbon (CA) to imine carbon (C4A) of the PLP-Asp Schiff base. In the first step, the Lys258 abstracts the CA proton of the substrate leading to the formation of a carbanionic intermediate which is followed by the reprotonation of the Asp-PLP Schiff base at C4A atom by Lys258. It is found that the free energy barrier for the proton abstraction by Lys258 and that for the reprotonation are 17.85 and 3.57 kcal/mol, respectively. The carbanionic intermediate is 7.14 kcal/mol higher in energy than the reactant. Hence, the first step acts as the rate limiting step. The present calculations also show that the Lys258 residue undergoes a conformational change after the first step of transamination reaction and becomes proximal to C4A atom of the Asp-PLP Schiff base to favor the second step. The active site residues Tyr70* and Gly38 anchor the Lys258 in proper position and orientation during the first step of the reaction and stabilize the positive charge over Lys258 generated at the intermediate step.

A Computational Model to Investigate GABA-Activated Astrocyte Modulation of Neuronal Excitation

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is critical for proper neural network function and can activate astrocytes to induce neuronal excitability; however, the mechanism by which astrocytes transform inhibitory signaling to excitatory enhancement remains unclear. Computational modeling can be a powerful tool to provide further understanding of how GABA-activated astrocytes modulate neuronal excitation. In the present study, we implemented a biophysical neuronal network model to investigate the effects of astrocytes on excitatory pre- and postsynaptic terminals following exposure to increasing concentrations of external GABA. The model completely describes the effects of GABA on astrocytes and excitatory presynaptic terminals within the framework of glutamatergic gliotransmission according to neurophysiological findings. Utilizing this model, our results show that astrocytes can rapidly respond to incoming GABA by inducing Ca²⁺ oscillations and subsequent gliotransmitter glutamate release. Elevation in GABA concentrations not only naturally decreases neuronal spikes but also enhances astrocytic glutamate release, which leads to an increase in astrocyte-mediated presynaptic release and postsynaptic slow inward currents. Neuronal excitation induced by GABA-activated astrocytes partly counteracts the inhibitory effect of GABA. Overall, the model helps to increase knowledge regarding the involvement of astrocytes in neuronal regulation using simulated bath perfusion of GABA, which may be useful for exploring the effects of GABA-type antiepileptic drugs.

N-Substituted Nipecotic Acids as (S)-SNAP-5114 Analogues with Modified Lipophilic Domains

Potential mGAT4 inhibitors derived from the lead substance (S)-SNAP-5114 have been synthesized and characterized for their inhibitory potency. Variations from the parent compound included the substitution of one of its aromatic 4-methoxy and 4-methoxyphenyl groups, respectively, with a more polar moiety, including a carboxylic acid, alcohol, nitrile, carboxamide, sulfonamide, aldehyde or ketone function, or amino acid partial structures. Furthermore, it was investigated how the substitution of more than one of the aromatic 4-methoxy groups affects the potency and selectivity of the resulting compounds. Among the synthesized test substances (S)-1-{2-[(4-formylphenyl)bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-methoxy]ethyl}piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, that features a carbaldehyde function in place of one of the aromatic 4-methoxy moieties of (S)-SNAP-5114, was found to have a pIC50 value of 5.89±0.07, hence constituting a slightly more potent mGAT4 inhibitor than the parent substance while showing comparable subtype selectivity.

Allopregnanolone Treatment Improves Plasma Metabolomic Profile Associated with GABA Metabolism in Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome: a Pilot Study

Currently, there is no effective treatment for the fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder. In this pilot study, we evaluated whether allopregnanolone, a natural neurosteroid that exerts beneficial effects in neurodegenerative diseases, nervous system injury, and peripheral neuropathies, could improve lymphocytic bioenergetics and plasma pharmacometabolomics in six males with FXTAS (68 ± 3 years old; FMR1 CGG repeats 94 ± 4; FXTAS stages ranging from 3 to 5) enrolled in a 12-week open-label intervention study conducted at the University of California Davis from December 2015 through July 2016. Plasma pharmacometabolomics and lymphocytic mitochondria function were assessed at baseline (on the day of the first infusion) and at follow-up (within 48 h from the last infusion). In parallel, quantitative measurements of tremor and ataxia and neuropsychological evaluations of mental state, executive function, learning, memory, and psychological symptoms were assessed at the same time points. Allopregnanolone treatment impacted significantly GABA metabolism, oxidative stress, and some of the mitochondria-related outcomes. Notably, the magnitude of the individual metabolic response, as well as the correlation with some of the behavioral tests, was overwhelmingly carrier-specific. Based on this pilot study, allopregnanolone treatment has the potential for improving cognitive and GABA metabolism in FXTAS aligned with the concept of precision medicine.

Advantages of Structure-Based Drug Design Approaches in Neurological Disorders

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the review is to portray the theoretical concept on neurological disorders from research data.

BACKGROUND

The freak changes in chemical response of nerve impulse causes neurological disorders. The research evidence of the effort done in the older history suggests that the biological drug targets and their effective feature with responsive drugs could be valuable in promoting the future development of health statistics structure for improved treatment for curing the nervous disorders.

METHODS

In this review, we summarized the most iterative theoretical concept of structure based drug design approaches in various neurological disorders to unfathomable understanding of reported information for future drug design and development.

RESULTS

On the premise of reported information we analyzed the model of theoretical drug designing process for understanding the mechanism and pathology of the neurological diseases which covers the development of potentially effective inhibitors against the biological drug targets. Finally, it also suggests the management and implementation of the current treatment in improving the human health system behaviors.

CONCLUSION

With the survey of reported information we concluded the development strategies of diagnosis and treatment against neurological diseases which leads to supportive progress in the drug discovery.

Stereochemical Control of Enzymatic Carbon-Carbon Bond-Forming Michael-Type Additions by "Substrate Engineering"

The enzyme 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4-OT) promiscuously catalyzes the Michael-type addition of acetaldehyde to β-nitrostyrene derivatives to yield chiral γ-nitroaldehydes, which are important precursors for pharmaceutically active γ-aminobutyric acids. In this study, we investigated the effect of different substituents at the aromatic ring of the Michael acceptor on the catalytic efficiency and stereoselectivity of the 4-OT-catalyzed acetaldehyde addition reactions. Highly enantioenriched (R)- and (S)-γ-nitroaldehydes and 4-substituted chroman-2-ol could be obtained in good to excellent yields by applying different substituents at appropriate positions of the aromatic substrate. Stereochemical control of these enzymatic Michael-type additions by "substrate engineering" allowed the enantioselective synthesis of valuable γ-aminobutyric acid precursors. In addition, the results suggest a novel enzymatic synthesis route towards precursors for chromans and derivatives, which are valuable scaffolds for preparing biologically active natural products.

Inactivation of GABAA receptor is related to heat shock stress response in organism model Caenorhabditis elegans

The mechanisms underlying oxidative stress (OS) resistance are not completely clear. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a good organism model to study OS because it displays stress responses similar to those in mammals. Among these mechanisms, the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway is thought to affect GABAergic neurotransmission. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of heat shock stress (HS) on GABAergic activity in C. elegans. For this purpose, we tested the effect of exposure to picrotoxin (PTX), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), hydrogen peroxide, and HS on the occurrence of a shrinking response (SR) after nose touch stimulus in N2 (WT) worms. Moreover, the effect of HS on the expression of UNC-49 (GABAA receptor ortholog) in the EG1653 strain and the effect of GABA and PTX exposure on HSP-16.2 expression in the TJ375 strain were analyzed. PTX 1 mM- or H2O2 0.7 mM-exposed worms displayed a SR in about 80 % of trials. GABA exposure did not cause a SR. HS prompted the occurrence of a SR as did PTX 1 mM or H2O2 0.7 mM exposure. In addition, HS increased UNC-49 expression, and PTX augmented HSP-16.2 expression. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that oxidative stress, through either H2O2 exposure or application of heat shock, inactivates the GABAergic system, which subsequently would affect the oxidative stress response, perhaps by enhancing the activity of transcription factors DAF-16 and HSF-1, both regulated by the IIS pathway and related to hsp-16.2 expression.

Binding interaction of a gamma-aminobutyric acid derivative with serum albumin: an insight by fluorescence and molecular modeling analysis

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a naturally occurring inhibitory neurotransmitter and some of its derivatives showed potential to act as neuroprotective agents. With the aim of developing potential leads for anti-Alzheimer’s drugs, in this study we synthesized a novel GABA derivative, methyl 4-(4-((2-(tert-butoxy)-2-oxoethyl)(4-methoxyphenyl)amino)benzamido)butanoate by a unique method of Buchwald–Hartwig cross coupling synthesis; with some modification the yield was significant (97 %) and spectroscopic analysis confirmed that the compound was highly pure (98.8 % by HPLC). The druglikeness properties such as logP, logS, and polar surface area were 3.87, −4.86 and 94.17 Ų respectively and it satisfied the Lipinski’s rule of five. We examined the binding behavior of the molecule to human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) which are known as universal drug carrier proteins. The molecule binds to the proteins with low micromolar efficiency and the calculated binding constants were 3.85 and 2.75 micromolar for BSA and HSA, respectively. Temperature dependent study using van’t Hoff equation established that the binding was thermodynamically favorable and the changes in the Gibb’s free energy, ΔG for the binding process was negative. However, the binding of the molecule to HSA was enthalpy driven and the change of enthalpy (ΔH) was −10.63 kJ/mol, whereas, the binding to BSA was entropy driven and the change in entropy ΔS was 222 J/mol. The molecular docking analysis showed that the binding sites of the molecule lie in the groove between domain I and domain III of BSA, whereas it is within the domain I in case of HSA, which also supported the different thermodynamic nature of binding with HSA and BSA. Molecular dynamics analysis suggested that the binding was stable with time and provided further details of the binding interaction. Molecular dynamics study also highlighted the effect of this ligand binding on the serum albumin structure.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Imidazo[1,5-a]quinoline as Highly Potent Ligands of Central Benzodiazepine Receptors

A series of imidazo[1,5-a]quinoline derivatives was designed and synthesized as central benzodiazepine receptor (CBR) ligands. Most of the compounds showed high CBR affinity with Ki values within the submicromolar and subnanomolar ranges with interesting modulations in their structure-affinity relationships. In particular, fluoroderivative 7w (Ki = 0.44 nM) resulted in the most potent ligand among the imidazo[1,5-a]quinoline derivatives described so far. Overall, these observations confirmed the assumption concerning the presence of a large though apparently saturable lipophilic pocket in the CBR binding site region interacting with positions 4 and 5 of the imidazo[1,5-a]quinoline nucleus. The in vivo biological characterization revealed that compounds 7a,c,d,l,m,q,r,w show anxiolytic and antiamnestic activities without the unpleasant myorelaxant side effects of the classical 1,4-BDZ. Furthermore, the effect of 7l,q,r, and 8i in lowering lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release induced by ischemia-like conditions in rat brain slices suggested neuroprotective properties for these imidazo[1,5-a]quinoline derivatives.

Synthesis of 4-substituted nipecotic acid derivatives and their evaluation as potential GABA uptake inhibitors

In this study, we disclose the design and synthesis of novel 4-susbtituted nipecotic acid derivatives as inhibitors of the GABA transporter mGAT1. Based on molecular modeling studies the compounds are assumed to adopt a binding pose similar to that of the potent mGAT1 inhibitor nipecotic acid. As substitution in 4-position should not cause an energetically unfavorable orientation of nipecotic acid as it is the case for N-substituted derivatives this is expected to lead to highly potent binders. For the synthesis of novel 4-substituted nipecotic acid derivatives a linear synthetic strategy was employed. As a key step, palladium catalyzed cross coupling reactions were used to attach the required biaryl moieties to the ω-position of the alkenyl- or alkynyl spacers of varying length in the 4-position of the nipecotic acid scaffold. The resulting amino acids were characterized with respect to their binding affinities and inhibitory potencies at mGAT1. Though the biological activities found were generally insignificant to poor, two compounds, one of which possesses a reasonable binding affinity for mGAT1, rac-57, the other a notable inhibitory potency at mGAT4, rac-84, both displaying a slight subtype selectivity for the individual transporters, could be identified.

Anterior insula GABA levels correlate with emotional aspects of empathy: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

BACKGROUND

Empathy is a multidimensional construct referring to the capacity to understand and share the emotional and affective states of another person. Cerebral γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic levels are associated with a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the role of the GABA system in different dimensions of empathy has not been investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two right-handed healthy volunteers took part in this study. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine GABA concentrations in the anterior insula (AI) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and to examine the relationship between the GABA concentrations and the subcomponents of empathy evaluated by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI).

RESULT

Pearson correlation analyses (two-tailed) showed that AI GABA was significantly associated with the empathy concern score (r = 0.584, p<0.05) and the personal distress score (r = 0.538, p<0.05) but not significantly associated with other empathy subscales. No significant correlation was found between ACC GABA and empathy subscores.

CONCLUSION

Left AI GABA was positively correlated with the emotional aspects of empathy. These preliminary findings call into question whether AI GABA alterations might predict empathy dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, which have been described as deficits in emotional empathic abilities.

Delayed transplantation of precursor cell-derived astrocytes provides multiple benefits in a rat model of Parkinsons

In addition to dopaminergic neuron loss, it is clear that Parkinson disease includes other pathological changes, including loss of additional neuronal populations. As a means of addressing multiple pathological changes with a single therapeutically-relevant approach, we employed delayed transplantation of a unique class of astrocytes, GDAs(BMP), that are generated in vitro by directed differentiation of glial precursors. GDAs(BMP) produce multiple agents of interest as treatments for PD and other neurodegenerative disorders, including BDNF, GDNF, neurturin and IGF1. GDAs(BMP) also exhibit increased levels of antioxidant pathway components, including levels of NADPH and glutathione. Delayed GDA(BMP) transplantation into the 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rat striatum restored tyrosine hydroxylase expression and promoted behavioral recovery. GDA(BMP) transplantation also rescued pathological changes not prevented in other studies, such as the rescue of parvalbumin(+) GABAergic interneurons. Consistent with expression of the synaptic modulatory proteins thrombospondin-1 and 2 by GDAs(BMP), increased expression of the synaptic protein synaptophysin was also observed. Thus, GDAs(BMP) offer a multimodal support cell therapy that provides multiple benefits without requiring prior genetic manipulation.

Therapeutic potential of GABA(B) receptor ligands in drug addiction, anxiety, depression and other CNS disorders

Glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are the major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems, respectively in the central nervous system (CNS). Dysregulation, in any of these or both, has been implicated in various CNS disorders. GABA acts via ionotropic (GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptor) and metabotropic (GABA(B)) receptor. Dysregulation of GABAergic signaling and alteration in GABA(B) receptor expression has been implicated in various CNS disorders. Clinically, baclofen-a GABA(B) receptor agonist is available for the treatment of spasticity, dystonia etc., associated with various neurological disorders. Moreover, GABAB receptor ligands has also been suggested to be beneficial in various neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The present review is aimed to discuss the role of GABA(B) receptors and the possible outcomes of GABA(B) receptor modulation in CNS disorders.

Rescue of inhibitory synapse strength following developmental hearing loss

Inhibitory synapse dysfunction may contribute to many developmental brain disorders, including the secondary consequences of sensory deprivation. In fact, developmental hearing loss leads to a profound reduction in the strength of inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in the auditory cortex, and this deficit persists into adulthood. This finding is consistent with the general theory that the emergence of mature synaptic properties requires activity during development. Therefore, we tested the prediction that inhibitory strength can be restored following developmental hearing loss by boosting GABAergic transmission in vivo. Conductive or sensorineural hearing loss was induced surgically in gerbils prior to hearing onset and GABA agonists were then administered for one week. IPSCs were subsequently recorded from pyramidal neurons in a thalamocortical brain slice preparation. Administration of either a GABA_A receptor a1 subunit specific agonist (zolpidem), or a selective GABA reuptake inhibitor (SGRI), rescued IPSC amplitude in hearing loss animals. Furthermore, this restoration persisted in adults, long after drug treatment ended. In contrast, a GABA_B receptor agonist baclofen did not restore inhibitory strength. IPSCs could also be restored when SGRI administration began 3 weeks after sensory deprivation. Together, these results demonstrate long-lasting restoration of cortical inhibitory strength in the absence of normal experience. This suggests that in vivo GABA_A receptor activation is sufficient to promote maturation, and this principle may extend to other developmental disorders associated with diminished inhibitory function.

Calpain cleavage of brain glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 is pathological and impairs GABA neurotransmission

Previously, we have shown that the GABA synthesizing enzyme, L-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) is cleaved to form its truncated form (tGAD65) which is 2-3 times more active than the full length form (fGAD65). The enzyme responsible for cleavage was later identified as calpain. Calpain is known to cleave its substrates either under a transient physiological stimulus or upon a sustained pathological insult. However, the precise role of calpain cleavage of fGAD65 is poorly understood. In this communication, we examined the cleavage of fGAD65 under diverse pathological conditions including rats under ischemia/reperfusion insult as well as rat brain synaptosomes and primary neuronal cultures subjected to excessive stimulation with high concentration of KCl. We have shown that the formation of tGAD65 progressively increases with increasing stimulus concentration both in rat brain synaptosomes and primary rat embryo cultures. More importantly, direct cleavage of synaptic vesicle - associated fGAD65 by calpain was demonstrated and the resulting tGAD65 bearing the active site of the enzyme was detached from the synaptic vesicles. Vesicular GABA transport of the newly synthesized GABA was found to be reduced in calpain treated SVs. Furthermore, we also observed that the levels of tGAD65 in the focal cerebral ischemic rat brain tissue increased corresponding to the elevation of local glutamate as indicated by microdialysis. Moreover, the levels of tGAD65 was also proportional to the degree of cell death when the primary neuronal cultures were exposed to high KCl. Based on these observations, we conclude that calpain-mediated cleavage of fGAD65 is pathological, presumably due to decrease in the activity of synaptic vesicle - associated fGAD65 resulting in a decrease in the GABA synthesis - packaging coupling process leading to reduced GABA neurotransmission.

GABAergic neuronal precursor grafting: implications in brain regeneration and plasticity

Numerous neurological disorders are caused by a dysfunction of the GABAergic system that impairs or either stimulates its inhibitory action over its neuronal targets. Pharmacological drugs have generally been proved very effective in restoring its normal function, but their lack of any sort of spatial or cell type specificity has created some limitations in their use. In the last decades, cell-based therapies using GABAergic neuronal grafts have emerged as a promising treatment, since they may restore the lost equilibrium by cellular replacement of the missing/altered inhibitory neurons or modulating the hyperactive excitatory system. In particular, the discovery that embryonic ganglionic eminence-derived GABAergic precursors are able to disperse and integrate in large areas of the host tissue after grafting has provided a strong rationale for exploiting their use for the treatment of diseased brains. GABAergic neuronal transplantation not only is efficacious to restore normal GABAergic activities but can also trigger or sustain high neuronal plasticity by promoting the general reorganization of local neuronal circuits adding new synaptic connections. These results cast new light on dynamics and plasticity of adult neuronal assemblies and their associated functions disclosing new therapeutic opportunities for the near future.

Huntington's disease: pathogenesis to animal models

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited genetic disorder, characterized by cognitive dysfunction and abnormal body movements called chorea. George Huntington, an Ohio physician, described the disease precisely in 1872. HD is a dominantly inherited disorder, characterized by progressive neurodegeneration of the striatum but also involves other regions, primarily the cerebral cortex. The mutation responsible for this fatal disease is an abnormally expanded and unstable CAG repeat within the coding region of the gene encoding the huntingtin protein. Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain the pathogenic mechanisms of mutant huntingtin-induced neuronal dysfunction and cell death. None of these hypotheses, however, offers a clear explanation; thus, it remains a topic of research interest. HD is considered to be an important disease, embodying many of the major themes in modern neuroscience, including molecular genetics, selective neuronal vulnerability, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and transcriptional dysregulation. A number of recent reports have concluded that oxidative stress plays a key role in HD pathogenesis. Although there is no specific treatment available to block disease progression, treatments are available to help in controlling the chorea symptoms. As animal models are the best tools to evaluate any therapeutic agent, there are also different animal models available, mimicking a few or a larger number of symptoms. Each model has its own advantages and limitations. The present review deals with the pathophysiology and various cascades contributing to HD pathogenesis and progression as well as drug targets, such as dopaminergic, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)ergic, glutamate adenosine receptor, peptidergic pathways, cannabinoid receptor, and adjuvant therapeutic drug targets such as oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction that can be targeted for future experimental study. The present review also focuses on the animal models (behavioral and genetic) used to unravel pathogenetic mechanisms and the identification of novel drug targets.

Combined extrinsic and intrinsic manipulations exert complementary neuronal enrichment in embryonic rat neural precursor cultures: an in vitro and in vivo analysis

Numerous central nervous system (CNS) disorders share a common pathology in dysregulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory signaling. Transplantation of GABA-releasing cells at the site of disinhibition holds promise for alleviating disease symptoms with fewer side effects than traditional drug therapies. We manipulated fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 deprivation and mammalian achaete-scute homolog (MASH)1 transcription factor levels in an attempt to amplify the default GABAergic neuronal fate in cultured rat embryonic neural precursor cells (NPCs) for use in transplantation studies. Naïve and MASH1 lentivirus-transduced NPCs were maintained in FGF-2 or deprived of FGF-2 for varying lengths of time. Immunostaining and quantitative analysis showed that GABA- and beta-III-tubulin-immunoreactive cells generally decreased through successive passages, suggesting a loss of neurogenic potential in rat neurospheres expanded in vitro. However, FGF-2 deprivation resulted in a small, but significantly increased population of GABAergic cells derived from passaged neurospheres. In contrast to naïve and GFP lentivirus-transduced clones, MASH1 transduction resulted in increased bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and clonal colony size. Western blotting showed that MASH1 overexpression and FGF-2 deprivation additively increased beta-III-tubulin and decreased cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPase) expression, whereas FGF-2 deprivation alone attenuated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression. These results suggest that low FGF-2 signaling and MASH1 activity can operate in concert to enrich NPC cultures for a GABA neuronal phenotype. When transplanted into the adult rat spinal cord, this combination also yielded GABAergic neurons. These findings indicate that, even for successful utilization of the default GABAergic neuronal precursor fate, a combination of both extrinsic and intrinsic manipulations will likely be necessary to realize the full potential of NSC grafts in restoring function.

Enantiomers of 4-amino-3-fluorobutanoic acid as substrates for gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase. Conformational probes for GABA binding

Gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT), a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent enzyme, catalyzes the degradation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to succinic semialdehyde with concomitant conversion of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) to pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (PMP). The enzyme then catalyzes the conversion of alpha-ketoglutarate to the excitatory neurotransmitter L-glutamate. Racemic 4-amino-3-fluorobutanoic acid (3-F-GABA) was shown previously to act as a substrate for GABA-AT, not for transamination, but for HF elimination. Here we report studies of the reaction catalyzed by GABA-AT on (R)- and (S)-3-F-GABA. Neither enantiomer is a substrate for transamination. Very little elimination from the (S)-enantiomer was detected using a coupled enzyme assay; The rate of elimination of HF from the (R)-enantiomer is at least 10 times greater than that for the (S)-enantiomer. The (R)-enantiomer is about 20 times more efficient as a substrate for GABA-AT catalyzed HF elimination than GABA is a substrate for transamination. The (R)-enantiomer also inhibits the transamination of GABA 10 times more effectively than the (S)-enantiomer. Using a combination of computer modeling and the knowledge that vicinal C-F and C-NH3+ bonds have a strong preference to align gauche rather than anti to each other, it is concluded that on binding of free 3-F-GABA to GABA-AT the optimal conformation places the C-NH3+ and C-F bonds gauche in the (R)-enantiomer but anti in the (S)-enantiomer. Furthermore, the dynamic binding process and the bioactive conformation of GABA bound to GABA-AT have been inferred on the basis of the different biological behavior of the two enantiomers of 3-F-GABA when they bind to the enzyme. The present study suggests that the C-F bond can be utilized as a conformational probe to explore the dynamic binding process and provide insight into the bioactive conformation of substrates, which cannot be easily determined by other biophysical approaches.

Homeostatic plasticity of GABAergic synaptic transmission in mice lacking GAT1

GABA transporter-1 (GAT1) plays a key role in GABA reuptake, and deletion of GAT1 leads to a largely increased GABA-induced tonic conductance in the GAT1(-/-) mice. We hypothesized that homeostatic plasticity of GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibition takes place to balance the increased tonic inhibition and maintains stability of the nervous system. In this study, we employed the loss of righting reflex assay and compared the behavioral difference of three animal models, mice with acute, partial, and permanent GAT1 deficiency, to confirm our hypothesis. Our data demonstrated that both acute and partial block of GAT1 increased the sensitivity of mice to GABAergic sedative/hypnotic drugs, whereas permanent GAT1 dysfunction in the GAT1(-/-) mice decreased the sensitivity to some extent. These results confirmed our presumption about the down-regulation of phasic GABAergic transmission in the GAT1 knockout mice. Moreover, electrophysiological measurements performed on slices from motor cortex suggested that it was the reduced GABA release, but not change of postsynaptic GABA receptors, which led to the down-regulation of phasic inhibition in GAT1(-/-) mice.

Pyridoxal Phosphate Enzymes: Mechanistic, Structural, and Evolutionary Considerations

Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes are unrivaled in the diversity of reactions that they catalyze. New structural data have paved the way for targeted mutagenesis and mechanistic studies and have provided a framework for interpretation of those results. Together, these complementary approaches yield new insight into function, particularly in understanding the origins of substrate and reaction type specificity. The combination of new sequences and structures enables better reconstruction of their evolutionary heritage and illuminates unrecognized similarities within this diverse group of enzymes. The important metabolic roles of many PLP-dependent enzymes drive efforts to design specific inhibitors, which are now guided by the availability of comprehensive structural and functional databases. Better understanding of the function of this important group of enzymes is crucial not only for inhibitor design, but also for the design of improved protein-based catalysts.