1. |
- Gharpure, Anant, et al.
(author)
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Agonist Selectivity and Ion Permeation in the alpha 3 beta 4 Ganglionic Nicotinic Receptor
- 2019
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In: Neuron. - : CELL PRESS. - 0896-6273 .- 1097-4199. ; 104:3, s. 501-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are pentameric ion channels that mediate fast chemical neurotransmission. The alpha 3 beta 4 nicotinic receptor subtype forms the principal relay between the central and peripheral nervous systems in the autonomic ganglia. This receptor is also expressed focally in brain areas that affect reward circuits and addiction. Here, we present structures of the alpha 3 beta 4 nicotinic receptor in lipidic and detergent environments, using functional reconstitution to define lipids appropriate for structural analysis. The structures of the receptor in complex with nicotine, as well as the alpha 3 beta 4-selective ligand AT-1001, complemented by molecular dynamics, suggest principles of agonist selectivity. The structures further reveal much of the architecture of the intracellular domain, where mutagenesis experiments and simulations define residues governing ion conductance.
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2. |
- Legesse, Dagimhiwat H., et al.
(author)
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Structural insights into opposing actions of neurosteroids on GABAA receptors
- 2023
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors mediate fast inhibitory signaling in the brain and are targets of numerous drugs and endogenous neurosteroids. A subset of neurosteroids are GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators; one of these, allopregnanolone, is the only drug approved specifically for treating postpartum depression. There is a consensus emerging from structural, physiological and photolabeling studies as to where positive modulators bind, but how they potentiate GABA activation remains unclear. Other neurosteroids are negative modulators of GABAA receptors, but their binding sites remain debated. Here we present structures of a synaptic GABAA receptor bound to allopregnanolone and two inhibitory sulfated neurosteroids. Allopregnanolone binds at the receptor-bilayer interface, in the consensus potentiator site. In contrast, inhibitory neurosteroids bind in the pore. MD simulations and electrophysiology support a mechanism by which allopregnanolone potentiates channel activity and suggest the dominant mechanism for sulfated neurosteroid inhibition is through pore block.
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3. |
- Zhu, Shaotong, et al.
(author)
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Structural and dynamic mechanisms of GABA(A) receptor modulators with opposing activities
- 2022
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- gamma-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptors are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels abundant in the central nervous system and are prolific drug targets for treating anxiety, sleep disorders and epilepsy. Diverse small molecules exert a spectrum of effects on gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptors by acting at the classical benzodiazepine site. They can potentiate the response to GABA, attenuate channel activity, or counteract modulation by other ligands. Structural mechanisms underlying the actions of these drugs are not fully understood. Here we present two high-resolution structures of GABA(A) receptors in complex with zolpidem, a positive allosteric modulator and heavily prescribed hypnotic, and DMCM, a negative allosteric modulator with convulsant and anxiogenic properties. These two drugs share the extracellular benzodiazepine site at the alpha/gamma subunit interface and two transmembrane sites at beta/alpha interfaces. Structural analyses reveal a basis for the subtype selectivity of zolpidem that underlies its clinical success. Molecular dynamics simulations provide insight into how DMCM switches from a negative to a positive modulator as a function of binding site occupancy. Together, these findings expand our understanding of how GABA(A) receptor allosteric modulators acting through a common site can have diverging activities. GABA(A) receptors are important targets for anxiety, sedation and anesthesia. Here, the authors present structures bound by zolpidem (Ambien), the most prescribed hypnotic in the US, and DMCM, a negative modulator, providing insights into receptor modulation.
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