scholarly journals Structure-based design of a chemical probe set for the 5-HT5A serotonin receptor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anat Levit Kaplan ◽  
Ryan T. Strachan ◽  
Joao M. Braz ◽  
Veronica Craik ◽  
Samuel Slocum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Serotonin Receptor ◽  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Chemical Probe ◽  
Selective Ligands ◽  
Selective Agonists ◽  
Design And Testing ◽  
Pharmacological Testing ◽  
Probe Set

ABSTRACTThe 5-HT5A receptor (5-HT5AR), for which no selective agonists and only a few antagonists exist, remains the least understood serotonin (5-HT) receptor. A single commercial antagonist (SB-699551) has been widely used to investigate central nervous system (CNS) 5-HT5AR function in neurological disorders, including pain. However, because SB-699551 has affinity for many 5-HTRs, lacks inactive property-matched controls, and has assay interference concerns, it has liabilities as a chemical probe. To better illuminate 5-HT5AR function, we developed a probe set through iterative rounds of molecular docking, pharmacological testing, and optimization. Docking over six million lead-like molecules against a 5-HT5AR homology model identified five mid-μM ligand starting points with unique scaffolds. Over multiple rounds of structure-based design and testing, a new quinoline scaffold with high affinity and enhanced selectivity for the 5-HT5AR was developed, leading to UCSF678, a 42 nM arrestin-biased partial agonist at the 5-HT5AR with a much more restricted off-target profile and decreased assay liabilities vs. SB-699551. Site-directed mutagenesis supported the docked pose of UCSF678, which was also consistent with recent published 5-HTR structures. Surprisingly, property-matched analogs of UCSF678 that were either inactive across 5-HTRs or retained affinity for UCSF678’s off-targets revealed that 5-HT5AR engagement is nonessential for alleviating pain in a mouse model, contrary to previous studies using less-selective ligands. Relative to SB-699551, these molecules constitute a well-characterized and more selective probe set with which to study the function of the 5-HT5A receptor. Table of Contents Graphic

scholarly journals Versatile Fungal Polyphenol Oxidase with Chlorophenol Bioremediation Potential: Characterization and Protein Engineering

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstratios Nikolaivits ◽  
Maria Dimarogona ◽  
Ioanna Karagiannaki ◽  
Angelina Chalima ◽  
Ayelet Fishman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substrate Specificity ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Polyphenol Oxidases ◽  
Increased Activity ◽  
Work Knowledge

ABSTRACTPolyphenol oxidases (PPOs) have been mostly associated with the undesirable postharvest browning in fruits and vegetables and have implications in human melanogenesis. Nonetheless, they are considered useful biocatalysts in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The aim of the present work was to characterize a novel PPO and explore its potential as a bioremediation agent. A gene encoding an extracellular tyrosinase-like enzyme was amplified from the genome ofThermothelomyces thermophilaand expressed inPichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme (TtPPO) was purified and biochemically characterized. Its production reached 40 mg/liter, and it appeared to be a glycosylated and N-terminally processed protein.TtPPO showed broad substrate specificity, as it could oxidize 28/30 compounds tested, including polyphenols, substituted phenols, catechols, and methoxyphenols. Its optimum temperature was 65°C, with a half-life of 18.3 h at 50°C, while its optimum pH was 7.5. The homology model ofTtPPO was constructed, and site-directed mutagenesis was performed in order to increase its activity on mono- and dichlorophenols (di-CPs). The G292N/Y296V variant ofTtPPO 5.3-fold increased activity on 3,5-dichlorophenol (3,5-diCP) compared to the wild type.IMPORTANCEA novel fungal PPO was heterologously expressed and biochemically characterized. Construction of single and double mutants led to the generation of variants with altered specificity against CPs. Through this work, knowledge is gained regarding the effect of mutations on the substrate specificity of PPOs. This work also demonstrates that more potent biocatalysts for the bioremediation of harmful CPs can be developed by applying site-directed mutagenesis.

Serotonin Receptor Subtypes: Implications for Psychopharmacology

1991 ◽  
Vol 159 (S12) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Cowen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Serotonin Receptor ◽  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Receptor Subtypes ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trials ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Selective Ligands ◽  
Coupling Mechanisms ◽  
Therapeutic Possibilities

Serotonin (5-HT) interacts with multiple brain 5-HT receptor subtypes to influence a wide range of behaviours. Three main families of 5-HT receptors (5-HT1, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3) have been described which differ in their binding affinity for selective ligands, their receptor-effector coupling mechanisms, and the behavioural processes they regulate. Nevertheless, manipulation of several different 5-HT receptor subtypes (5-HT1A, 5-HT1c, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3) may produce anxiolytic effects; 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors may be involved in the aetiology of major depression and the therapeutic effects of antidepressant treatment; and 5-HT3 receptors have been linked to reward mechanisms and cognitive processes. These advances offer therapeutic possibilities, the value of which can only be satisfactorily assessed by controlled clinical trials.

scholarly journals Structure–Activity Relationships of the Tetrapeptide Ac-His-Arg-(pI)DPhe-Tic-NH2 at the Mouse Melanocortin Receptors: Modification at the (pI)DPhe Position Leads to mMC3R Versus mMC4R Selective Ligands

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1463
Author(s):  
Katherine N. Schlasner ◽  
Mark D. Ericson ◽  
Skye R. Doering ◽  
Katie T. Freeman ◽  
Mary Weinrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Biological Pathways ◽  
Melanocortin Receptors ◽  
Lead Compounds ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Selective Ligands ◽  
Selective Agonists

The five melanocortin receptors (MC1R–MC5R) are involved in numerous biological pathways, including steroidogenesis, pigmentation, and food intake. In particular, MC3R and MC4R knockout mice suggest that the MC3R and MC4R regulate energy homeostasis in a non-redundant manner. While MC4R-selective agonists have been utilized as appetite modulating agents, the lack of MC3R-selective agonists has impeded progress in modulating this receptor in vivo. In this study, the (pI)DPhe position of the tetrapeptide Ac-His-Arg-(pI)DPhe-Tic-NH2 (an MC3R agonist/MC4R antagonist ligand) was investigated with a library of 12 compounds. The compounds in this library were found to have higher agonist efficacy and potency at the mouse (m) MC3R compared to the MC4R, indicating that the Arg-DPhe motif preferentially activates the mMC3R over the mMC4R. This observation may be used in the design of new MC3R-selective ligands, leading to novel probe and therapeutic lead compounds that will be useful for treating metabolic disorders.

scholarly journals Different Serotonin Receptor Agonists Have Distinct Effects on Sound-Evoked Responses in Inferior Colliculus

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 2177-2188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Colliculus ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Serotonin Receptors ◽  
Serotonin Receptor ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Receptor Subtypes ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Selective Agonists ◽  
Auditory Nucleus

The neuromodulator serotonin has a complex set of effects on the auditory responses of neurons within the inferior colliculus (IC), a midbrain auditory nucleus that integrates a wide range of inputs from auditory and nonauditory sources. To determine whether activation of different types of serotonin receptors is a source of the variability in serotonergic effects, four selective agonists of serotonin receptors in the serotonin (5-HT) 1 and 5-HT2 families were iontophoretically applied to IC neurons, which were monitored for changes in their responses to auditory stimuli. Different agonists had different effects on neural responses. The 5-HT1A agonist had mixed facilitatory and depressive effects, whereas 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C agonists were both largely facilitatory. Different agonists changed threshold and frequency tuning in ways that reflected their effects on spike count. When pairs of agonists were applied sequentially to the same neurons, selective agonists sometimes affected neurons in ways that were similar to serotonin, but not to other selective agonists tested. Different agonists also differentially affected groups of neurons classified by the shapes of their frequency-tuning curves, with serotonin and the 5-HT1 receptors affecting proportionally more non-V-type neurons relative to the other agonists tested. In all, evidence suggests that the diversity of serotonin receptor subtypes in the IC is likely to account for at least some of the variability of the effects of serotonin and that receptor subtypes fulfill specialized roles in auditory processing.

scholarly journals Identification of essential residues for binding and activation in the human 5-HT7(a) serotonin receptor by molecular modeling and site-directed mutagenesis

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Antonina Rita Impellizzeri ◽  
Matteo Pappalardo ◽  
Livia Basile ◽  
Ornella Manfra ◽  
Kjetil Wessel Andressen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Modeling ◽  
Serotonin Receptor ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis

scholarly journals Probing the Molecular Determinant for the Catalytic Efficiency of l-Arabinose Isomerase from Bacillus licheniformis

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 1653-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ponnandy Prabhu ◽  
Marimuthu Jeya ◽  
Jung-Kul Lee
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Bacillus Licheniformis ◽  
Catalytic Efficiency ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Arabinose Isomerase

ABSTRACT Bacillus licheniformis l-arabinose isomerase (l-AI) is distinguished from other l-AIs by its high degree of substrate specificity for l-arabinose and its high turnover rate. A systematic strategy that included a sequence alignment-based first screening of residues and a homology model-based second screening, followed by site-directed mutagenesis to alter individual screened residues, was used to study the molecular determinants for the catalytic efficiency of B. licheniformis l-AI. One conserved amino acid, Y333, in the substrate binding pocket of the wild-type B. licheniformis l-AI was identified as an important residue affecting the catalytic efficiency of B. licheniformis l-AI. Further insights into the function of residue Y333 were obtained by replacing it with other aromatic, nonpolar hydrophobic amino acids or polar amino acids. Replacing Y333 with the aromatic amino acid Phe did not alter catalytic efficiency toward l-arabinose. In contrast, the activities of mutants containing a hydrophobic amino acid (Ala, Val, or Leu) at position 333 decreased as the size of the hydrophobic side chain of the amino acid decreased. However, mutants containing hydrophilic and charged amino acids, such as Asp, Glu, and Lys, showed almost no activity with l-arabinose. These data and a molecular dynamics simulation suggest that Y333 is involved in the catalytic efficiency of B. licheniformis l-AI.

scholarly journals Estrogen and Estrogen Receptor-β (ERβ)-Selective Ligands Induce Galanin Expression within Gonadotropin Hormone-Releasing Hormone-Immunoreactive Neurons in the Female Rat Brain

Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 2760-2765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Istvan Merchenthaler ◽  
Gloria E. Hoffman ◽  
Malcolm V. Lane
Keyword(s):  
Ovariectomized Rats ◽  
Female Rat ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Neuronal System ◽  
Selective Ligands ◽  
Gnrh Neurons ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
Selective Agonists ◽  
The Many

Abstract Among the many factors that integrate the activity of the GnRH neuronal system, estrogens play the most important role. In females, estrogen, in addition to the negative feedback, also exhibits a positive feedback influence upon the activity and output of GnRH neurons to generate the preovulatory LH surge and ovulation. Until recently, the belief has been that the GnRH neurons do not contain estrogen receptors (ERs) and that the action of estrogen upon GnRH neurons is indirect involving several, estrogen-sensitive neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems that trans-synaptically regulate the activity of the GnRH neurons. Based on our recent findings that GnRH neurons of the female rat coexpress galanin, that galanin is a potent GnRH-releasing peptide, and that ERβ is present in GnRH neurons, we have evaluated the effect of 17β-estradiol and two ERβ-selective agonists (WAY-200070, WAY-166818) on the expression of galanin within GnRH neurons. By combining immunocytochemistry for GnRH and in situ hybridization histochemistry for galanin, we demonstrate that 17β-estradiol (20 μg/kg, sc) stimulates galanin expression within GnRH-immunoreactive neurons in a time-dependent manner. A significant increase was observed 2 h after its administration to ovariectomized rats. However, a more robust expression required 3-d treatment regimen. Treatment with the β-selective ligands resulted in similar observations, although no statistical analysis is available for the 2 hr survival. These observations strongly suggest that estrogen and the ERβ-selective ligands stimulate galanin expression within GnRH neurons via ERβ, although an indirect mechanism via interneurons still cannot be ruled out.

scholarly journals Identification of Selective Agonists and Positive Allosteric Modulators for µ- and δ-Opioid Receptors from a Single High-Throughput Screen

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1255-1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil T. Burford ◽  
Tom Wehrman ◽  
Daniel Bassoni ◽  
Jonathan O’Connell ◽  
Martyn Banks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Opioid Receptors ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Allosteric Modulators ◽  
High Throughput Screen ◽  
Selective Ligand ◽  
Selective Ligands ◽  
Allosteric Sites ◽  
Selective Agonists ◽  
Positive Allosteric Modulators ◽  
Δ Opioid Receptor

Hetero-oligomeric complexes of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) may represent novel therapeutic targets exhibiting different pharmacology and tissue- or cell-specific site of action compared with receptor monomers or homo-oligomers. An ideal tool for validating this concept pharmacologically would be a hetero-oligomer selective ligand. We set out to develop and execute a 1536-well high-throughput screen of over 1 million compounds to detect potential hetero-oligomer selective ligands using a β-arrestin recruitment assay in U2OS cells coexpressing recombinant µ- and δ-opioid receptors. Hetero-oligomer selective ligands may bind to orthosteric or allosteric sites, and we might anticipate that the formation of hetero-oligomers may provide novel allosteric binding pockets for ligand binding. Therefore, our goal was to execute the screen in such a way as to identify positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) as well as agonists for µ, δ, and hetero-oligomeric receptors. While no hetero-oligomer selective ligands were identified (based on our selection criteria), this single screen did identify numerous µ- and δ-selective agonists and PAMs as well as nonselective agonists and PAMs. To our knowledge, these are the first µ- and δ-opioid receptor PAMs described in the literature.

Induced, selective proteolysis of MLK3 negatively regulates MLK3/JNK signalling

2010 ◽  
Vol 427 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geou-Yarh Liou ◽  
Hua Zhang ◽  
Eva M. Miller ◽  
Steve A. Seibold ◽  
Weiqin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cleavage Site ◽  
Active Form ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Kinase Domain ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Proteolytic Processing ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Mixed Lineage Kinase 3

MLK3 (mixed lineage kinase 3) is a MAP3K [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinase kinase] that activates multiple MAPK pathways, including the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) pathway. Immunoblotting of lysates from cells ectopically expressing active MLK3 revealed an additional immunoreactive band corresponding to a CTF (C-terminal fragment) of MLK3. In the present paper we provide evidence that MLK3 undergoes proteolysis to generate a stable CTF in response to different stimuli, including PMA and TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α). The cleavage site was deduced by Edman sequencing as between Gln251 and Pro252, which is within the kinase domain of MLK3. Based on our homology model of the kinase domain of MLK3, the region containing the cleavage site is predicted to reside on a flexible solvent-accessible loop. Site-directed mutagenesis studies revealed that Leu250 and Gln251 are required for recognition by the ‘MLK3 protease’, reminiscent of the substrate specificity of the coronavirus 3C and 3CL proteases. Whereas numerous mammalian protease inhibitors have no effect on MLK3 proteolysis, blockade of the proteasome through epoxomicin or MG132 abolishes PMA-induced production of the CTF of MLK3. This CTF is able to heterodimerize with full-length MLK3, and interact with the active form of the small GTPase Cdc42, resulting in diminished activation loop phosphorylation of MLK3 and reduced signalling to JNK. Thus this novel proteolytic processing of MLK3 may negatively control MLK3 signalling to JNK.

scholarly journals Two Key Amino Acids Variant of α-l-arabinofuranosidase from Bacillus subtilis Str. 168 with Altered Activity for Selective Conversion Ginsenoside Rc to Rd

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1733
Author(s):  
Ru Zhang ◽  
Shi Quan Tan ◽  
Bian Ling Zhang ◽  
Zi Yu Guo ◽  
Liang Yu Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Homology Model ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Glycoside Hydrolases ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Efficient Expression ◽  
Ginsenoside Rc

α-l-arabinofuranosidase is a subfamily of glycosidases involved in the hydrolysis of l-arabinofuranosidic bonds, especially in those of the terminal non-reducing arabinofuranosyl residues of glycosides, from which efficient glycoside hydrolases can be screened for the transformation of ginsenosides. In this study, the ginsenoside Rc-hydrolyzing α-l-arabinofuranosidase gene, BsAbfA, was cloned from Bacilus subtilis, and its codons were optimized for efficient expression in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant protein BsAbfA fused with an N-terminal His-tag was overexpressed and purified, and then subjected to enzymatic characterization. Site-directed mutagenesis of BsAbfA was performed to verify the catalytic site, and the molecular mechanism of BsAbfA catalyzing ginsenoside Rc was analyzed by molecular docking, using the homology model of sequence alignment with other β-glycosidases. The results show that the purified BsAbfA had a specific activity of 32.6 U/mg. Under optimal conditions (pH 5, 40 °C), the kinetic parameters Km of BsAbfA for pNP-α-Araf and ginsenoside Rc were 0.6 mM and 0.4 mM, while the Kcat/Km were 181.5 s−1 mM−1 and 197.8 s−1 mM−1, respectively. More than 90% of ginsenoside Rc could be transformed by 12 U/mL purified BsAbfA at 40 °C and pH 5 in 24 h. The results of molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis suggested that the E173 and E292 variants for BsAbfA are important in recognizing ginsenoside Rc effectively, and to make it enter the active pocket to hydrolyze the outer arabinofuranosyl moieties at C20 position. These remarkable properties and the catalytic mechanism of BsAbfA provide a good alternative for the effective biotransformation of the major ginsenoside Rc into Rd.

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