scholarly journals A critical residue in the α1M2–M3 linker regulating mammalian GABAA receptor pore gating by diazepam

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W Nors ◽  
Shipra Gupta ◽  
Marcel P Goldschen-Ohm
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Psychotropic Drugs ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Critical Residue ◽  
Positive Modulator ◽  
Pore Opening ◽  
Important Residue

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are a class of widely prescribed psychotropic drugs that modulate activity of GABAA receptors (GABAARs), neurotransmitter-gated ion channels critical for synaptic transmission. However, the physical basis of this modulation is poorly understood. We explore the role of an important gating domain, the α1M2–M3 linker, in linkage between the BZD site and pore gate. To probe energetics of this coupling without complication from bound agonist, we use a gain of function mutant (α1L9'Tβ2γ2L) directly activated by BZDs. We identify a specific residue whose mutation (α1V279A) more than doubles the energetic contribution of the BZD positive modulator diazepam (DZ) to pore opening and also enhances DZ potentiation of GABA-evoked currents in a wild-type background. In contrast, other linker mutations have little effect on DZ efficiency, but generally impair unliganded pore opening. Our observations reveal an important residue regulating BZD-pore linkage, thereby shedding new light on the molecular mechanism of these drugs.

scholarly journals A critical residue in the α1M2-M3 linker regulating GABAA receptor pore gating by diazepam

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Nors ◽  
Shipra Gupta ◽  
Marcel P. Goldschen-Ohm
Keyword(s):  
Psychotropic Drugs ◽  
Channel Gating ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Inhibitory Neurotransmitter ◽  
Channel Pore ◽  
Critical Residue ◽  
Positive Modulator ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Pore Opening ◽  
Important Residue

AbstractBenzodiazepines (BZDs) are a class of widely prescribed psychotropic drugs. Their anxiolytic and sedative effects are conferred by modulating the activity of GABAA receptors (GABAARs), which are the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors throughout the central nervous system. However, the physical mechanism by which BZDs exert their effects on the receptor is poorly understood. In particular, BZDs require coapplication with an agonist to effectively open the channel pore, making it difficult to dissect whether the drug has altered either agonist binding or channel gating as these two processes are intimately coupled. To isolate effects on gating we used a spontaneously active gain of function mutant (α1L9’Tβ2γ2L) that is directly gated by BZDs alone in the absence of agonist. In the α1L9’T background we explored effects of alanine substitutions throughout the α1M2-M3 linker on modulation of the channel pore by the BZD positive modulator diazepam (DZ). The M2-M3 linker is known to be an important element for channel activation. Linker mutations generally impaired unliganded pore opening, indicating that side chain interactions are important for channel gating in the absence of bound agonist. All but one mutation had no effect on the transduction of chemical energy from DZ binding to pore gating. Strikingly, α1V279A doubles DZ’s energetic contribution to gating, whereas larger side chains at this site do not. In a wild-type background α1V279A enhances DZ-potentiation of currents evoked by saturating GABA, consistent with a direct effect on the pore closed/open equilibrium. Our observations identify an important residue regulating coupling between the BZD site and the pore gate, thereby shedding new light on the molecular mechanism of a frequently prescribed class of psychotropic drugs.

Arginine 595 is duplicated in patients with acute leukemias carrying internal tandem duplications of FLT3 and modulates its transforming potential

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 686-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sridhar Vempati ◽  
Carola Reindl ◽  
Seshu Kumar Kaza ◽  
Ruth Kern ◽  
Theodora Malamoussi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Positive Charge ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Heterogeneous Group ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Acute Leukemias ◽  
Juxtamembrane Region ◽  
Tandem Duplications

Abstract FLT3–internal tandem duplications (FLT3-ITDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of mutations in patients with acute leukemias that are prognostically important. To characterize the mechanism of transformation by FLT3-ITDs, we sequenced the juxtamembrane region (JM) of FLT3 from 284 patients with acute leukemias. The length of FLT3-ITDs varied from 2 to 42 amino acids (AAs) with a median of 17 AAs. The analysis of duplicated AAs showed that in the majority of patients, the duplications localize between AAs 591 to 599 (YVDFREYEY). Arginine 595 (R595) within this region is duplicated in 77% of patients. Single duplication of R595 in FLT3 conferred factor-independent growth to Ba/F3 cells and activated STAT5. Moreover, deletion or substitution of the duplicated R595 in 2 FLT3-ITD constructs as well as the deletion of wild-type R595 in FLT3-ITD substantially reduced the transforming potential and STAT5 activation, pointing to a critical role of the positive charge of R595 in stabilizing the active confirmation of FLT3-ITDs. Deletion of R595 in FLT3-WT nearly abrogated the ligand-dependent activation of FLT3-WT. Our data provide important insights into the molecular mechanism of transformation by FLT3-ITDs and show that duplication of R595 is important for the leukemic potential of FLT3-ITDs.

Structural requirements of KTS-disintegrins for inhibition of α1β1 integrin

2008 ◽  
Vol 417 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan C. Brown ◽  
Johannes A. Eble ◽  
Juan J. Calvete ◽  
Cezary Marcinkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Specific Inhibition ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Triple Mutant ◽  
Inhibitory Potency ◽  
Structural Requirements ◽  
Critical Residue ◽  
Blocking Activity

Obtustatin and viperistatin represent the shortest known snake venom monomeric disintegrins. In the present study, we have produced recombinant full-length wild-type and site-directed mutants of obtustatin to assess the role of the K21TS23 tripeptide and C-terminal residues for specific inhibition of the α1β1 integrin. Thr22 appeared to be the most critical residue for disintegrin activity, whereas substitution of the flanking lysine or serine residues for alanine resulted in a less pronounced decrease in the anti-α1β1 integrin activity of the disintegrin. The triple mutant A21AA23 was devoid of blocking activity towards α1β1 integrin-mediated cell adhesion. The potency of recombinant KTS-disintegrins also depended on the residue C-terminally adjacent to the active motif. Substitution of Leu24 of wild-type obtustatin for an alanine residue slightly decreased the inhibitory activity of the mutant, whereas an arginine residue in this position enhanced the potency of the mutant over wild-type obtustatin by 6-fold. In addition, the replacements L38V and P40Q may account for a further 25-fold increase in α1β1 inhibitory potency of viperistatin over KTSR-obtustatin.

scholarly journals Asp-89: a critical residue in maintaining the oligomeric structure of sheep liver cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase

1999 ◽  
Vol 343 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. V. KRISHNA RAO ◽  
Junutula R. JAGATH ◽  
Balasubramanya SHARMA ◽  
N. APPAJI RAO ◽  
H. S. SAVITHRI
Keyword(s):  
Specific Activity ◽  
Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Ionic Interactions ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Sheep Liver ◽  
Critical Residue ◽  
Similar Kinetic

Aspartate residues function as proton acceptors in catalysis and are involved in ionic interactions stabilizing subunit assembly. In an attempt to unravel the role of a conserved aspartate (D89) in sheep-liver tetrameric serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), it was converted into aspargine by site-directed mutagenesis. The purified D89N mutant enzyme had a lower specific activity compared with the wild-type enzyme. It was a mixture of dimers and tetramers with the proportion of tetramers increasing with an increase in the pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP) concentration used during purification. The D89N mutant tetramer was as active as the wild-type enzyme and had similar kinetic and spectral properties in the presence of 500 μM PLP. The quinonoid spectral intermediate commonly seen in the case of SHMT was also seen in the case of D89N mutant tetramer, although the amount of intermediate formed was lower. Although the purified dimer exhibited visible absorbance at 425 nm, it had a negligible visible CD spectrum at 425 nm and was only 5% active. The apo-D89N mutant tetramer was a dimer unlike the apo-form of the wild-type enzyme which was present predominantly as a tetramer. Furthermore the apo mutant dimer could not be reconstituted to the holo-form by the addition of excess PLP, suggesting that dimer-dimer interactions are weak in this mutant. The recently published crystal structure of human liver cytosolic recombinant SHMT indicates that this residue (D90 in the human enzyme) is located at the N-terminal end of the fourth helix of one subunit and packs against K39 from the second N-terminal helix of the other symmetry related subunit forming the tight dimer. D89 is at the interface of tight dimers where the PLP 5′-phosphate is also bound. Mutation of D89 could lead to weakened ionic interactions in the tight dimer interface, resulting in decreased affinity of the enzyme for the cofactor.

scholarly journals Satb2 is required for the regionalization of retrosplenial cortex

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1604-1617
Author(s):  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Ning-Ning Song ◽  
Qiong Zhang ◽  
Wan-Ying Mei ◽  
Chun-Hui He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Retrosplenial Cortex ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Efferent Projection ◽  
Mutant Cells

Abstract The retrosplenial cortex (Rsp) is a transitional cortex located between the neocortex and archicortex, but the molecular mechanism specifying Rsp from the archicortex remains elusive. We here report that the transcription factor Satb2 is required for specifying Rsp identity during its morphogenesis. In Satb2 CKO mice, the boundary between the Rsp and archicortex [i.e., subiculum (SubC)] disappears as early as E17.5, and Rsp efferent projection is aberrant. Rsp-specific genes are lost, whereas SubC-specific genes are ectopically expressed in Rsp of Satb2 CKO mice. Furthermore, cell-autonomous role of Satb2 in maintaining Rsp neuron identity is revealed by inactivation of Satb2 in Rsp neurons. Finally, Satb2 represses the transcription of Nr4a2. The misexpression of Nr4a2 together with Ctip2 induces expression of SubC-specific genes in wild-type Rsp, and simultaneous knockdown of these two genes in Rsp Satb2-mutant cells prevents their fate transition to SubC identity. Thus, Satb2 serves as a determinant gene in the Rsp regionalization by repressing Nr4a2 and Ctip2 during cortical development.

scholarly journals Probing the Role of Sigma π Interaction and Energetics in the Catalytic Efficiency of Endo-1,4-β-Xylanase

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (24) ◽  
pp. 8817-8821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raushan Kumar Singh ◽  
Manish Kumar Tiwari ◽  
In-Won Kim ◽  
Zhilei Chen ◽  
Jung-Kul Lee
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Catalytic Efficiency ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Important Residue

ABSTRACTChaetomium globosumendo-1,4-β-xylanase (XylCg) is distinguished from other xylanases by its high turnover rate (1,860 s−1), the highest ever reported for fungal xylanases. One conserved amino acid, W48, in the substrate binding pocket of wild-type XylCg was identified as an important residue affecting XylCg's catalytic efficiency.

scholarly journals Site-directed mutagenesis of mouse steroid 7α-hydroxylase (cytochrome P-4507α): role of residue-209 in determining steroid-cytochrome P-450 interaction

1993 ◽  
Vol 291 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Iwasaki ◽  
R L P Lindberg ◽  
R O Juvonen ◽  
M Negishi
Keyword(s):  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Hydroxylase Activity ◽  
Steroid Hydroxylase ◽  
Kd Values ◽  
Important Residue ◽  
Steroid Binding ◽  
Cytochrome P 450

We have cloned a cDNA encoding mouse steroid 7 alpha-hydroxylase P450(7) alpha (cytochrome P-450(7) alpha) and expressed it in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mouse P450(7) alpha is 70% identical in its amino acid sequence with the mouse steroid 15 alpha-hydroxylase P450(15) alpha (2A4). The Leu at position 209 of P450(15) alpha is the most important residue to determine the steroid hydroxylase activity of the P450 [Lindberg and Negishi (1989) Nature (London) 339, 632-634]. The P450(7) alpha contains Asn at the position corresponding to the Leu-209 of P450(15) alpha, although both P450s hydroxylate testosterone. The CO-reduced P450(7) alpha complex is unstable, so that it is quickly converted into the inactive P420, whereas the P450(15) alpha is very stable. The P450(7) alpha, however, is stabilized either by addition of testosterone or by a mutation of Asn-209 to Leu. The mutant P450(7) alpha displays a 17-fold lower Vmax. value than the wild-type enzyme. Unexpectedly, it also has 3-fold lower Km and Kd values. Residue 209 in P450(7) alpha, therefore, appears to be located at a critical site of the haem-substrate-binding pocket. Corticosterone inhibits the testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity of the wild-type P450(7) alpha, whereas it does not inhibit the mutant P450(7) alpha. Conversely, the P450(15) alpha activity becomes inhibited by corticosterone upon the replacement of Leu-209 by Asn. In addition, this mutation increases the corticosterone 15 alpha-hydroxylase activity of P450(15) alpha at least 20-fold. Whereas the inhibition by corticosterone depends on the presence of Asn at position 209, deoxycorticosterone inhibits the activities of the P450s regardless of the type of residue at 209. The results indicate, therefore, that the identity of residue 209 determines the affinity as well as specificity of steroid binding to both P450(7) alpha and P450(15) alpha.

scholarly journals Site-directed mutagenesis of β-lactamase I: role of Glu-166

1994 ◽  
Vol 299 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y C Leung ◽  
C V Robinson ◽  
R T Aplin ◽  
S G Waley
Keyword(s):  
Active Site ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Kinetic Properties ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Beta Lactamase ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Important Residue

Two Glu-166 mutants of beta-lactamase I from Bacillus cereus 569/H were constructed: one with a lengthened side chain (E166Cmc, the S-carboxymethylcysteine mutant) and the other with the side chain shortened and made non-polar (E166A). Their kinetic properties were studied and compared with those of the wild-type and the E166D mutant (with a shortened side chain) previously made by Gibson, Christensen and Waley (1990) (Biochem. J. 272, 613-619). Surprisingly, with good penicillin substrates, Km, kcat. and kcat./Km of the two conservative mutants (E166Cmc and E166D) are similar to those of the non-conservative mutant E166A. Their kcat. values are 3000-fold lower than that of the wild-type enzyme, showing that Glu-166 is a very important residue. The acylenzyme intermediate of E166A and a good substrate, penicillin V, was trapped by acid-quench and observed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, suggesting that Glu-166 is more important in catalysing the deacylation step than the acylation step. The beta-lactamase I E166A mutant is about 200-fold more active than the Bacillus licheniformis E166A mutant with nitrocefin or 6 beta-furylacryloyl-amidopenicillanic acid as substrate. This suggested that other groups in the active site of the beta-lactamase I mutant may activate the catalytic water molecule for deacylation.

scholarly journals A population of gut epithelial enterochromaffin cells is mechanosensitive and requires Piezo2 to convert force into serotonin release

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (32) ◽  
pp. E7632-E7641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constanza Alcaino ◽  
Kaitlyn R. Knutson ◽  
Anthony J. Treichel ◽  
Gulcan Yildiz ◽  
Peter R. Strege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Ionic Current ◽  
Serotonin Release ◽  
Lineage Tracing ◽  
Conditional Knockout ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial ◽  
Mechanosensitive Ion Channels ◽  
Ec Cells

Enterochromaffin (EC) cells constitute the largest population of intestinal epithelial enteroendocrine (EE) cells. EC cells are proposed to be specialized mechanosensory cells that release serotonin in response to epithelial forces, and thereby regulate intestinal fluid secretion. However, it is unknown whether EE and EC cells are directly mechanosensitive, and if so, what the molecular mechanism of their mechanosensitivity is. Consequently, the role of EE and EC cells in gastrointestinal mechanobiology is unclear. Piezo2 mechanosensitive ion channels are important for some specialized epithelial mechanosensors, and they are expressed in mouse and human EC cells. Here, we use EC and EE cell lineage tracing in multiple mouse models to show that Piezo2 is expressed in a subset of murine EE and EC cells, and it is distributed near serotonin vesicles by superresolution microscopy. Mechanical stimulation of a subset of isolated EE cells leads to a rapid inward ionic current, which is diminished by Piezo2 knockdown and channel inhibitors. In these mechanosensitive EE cells force leads to Piezo2-dependent intracellular Ca2+increase in isolated cells as well as in EE cells within intestinal organoids, and Piezo2-dependent mechanosensitive serotonin release in EC cells. Conditional knockout of intestinal epithelial Piezo2 results in a significant decrease in mechanically stimulated epithelial secretion. This study shows that a subset of primary EE and EC cells is mechanosensitive, uncovers Piezo2 as their primary mechanotransducer, defines the molecular mechanism of their mechanotransduction and mechanosensitive serotonin release, and establishes the role of epithelial Piezo2 mechanosensitive ion channels in regulation of intestinal physiology.

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