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Hale WD, Montaño Romero A, Gonzalez CU, Jayaraman V, Lau AY, Huganir RL, Twomey EC. Allosteric competition and inhibition in AMPA receptors. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01328-0. [PMID: 38834914 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01328-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Excitatory neurotransmission is principally mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-subtype ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs). Negative allosteric modulators are therapeutic candidates that inhibit AMPAR activation and can compete with positive modulators to control AMPAR function through unresolved mechanisms. Here we show that allosteric inhibition pushes AMPARs into a distinct state that prevents both activation and positive allosteric modulation. We used cryo-electron microscopy to capture AMPARs bound to glutamate, while a negative allosteric modulator, GYKI-52466, and positive allosteric modulator, cyclothiazide, compete for control of the AMPARs. GYKI-52466 binds in the ion channel collar and inhibits AMPARs by decoupling the ligand-binding domains from the ion channel. The rearrangement of the ligand-binding domains ruptures the cyclothiazide site, preventing positive modulation. Our data provide a framework for understanding allostery of AMPARs and for rational design of therapeutics targeting AMPARs in neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Dylan Hale
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alejandra Montaño Romero
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cuauhtemoc U Gonzalez
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vasanthi Jayaraman
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Albert Y Lau
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Richard L Huganir
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Edward C Twomey
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Beckman Center for Cryo-EM at Johns Hopkins, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Diana Helis Henry Medical Research Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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2
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Lee Y, Buchheim J, Hellenkamp B, Lynall D, Yang K, Young EF, Penkov B, Sia S, Stojanovic MN, Shepard KL. Carbon-nanotube field-effect transistors for resolving single-molecule aptamer-ligand binding kinetics. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:660-667. [PMID: 38233588 PMCID: PMC11229667 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01591-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Small molecules such as neurotransmitters are critical for biochemical functions in living systems. While conventional ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and mass spectrometry lack portability and are unsuitable for time-resolved measurements in situ, techniques such as amperometry and traditional field-effect detection require a large ensemble of molecules to reach detectable signal levels. Here we demonstrate the potential of carbon-nanotube-based single-molecule field-effect transistors (smFETs), which can detect the charge on a single molecule, as a new platform for recognizing and assaying small molecules. smFETs are formed by the covalent attachment of a probe molecule, in our case a DNA aptamer, to a carbon nanotube. Conformation changes on binding are manifest as discrete changes in the nanotube electrical conductance. By monitoring the kinetics of conformational changes in a binding aptamer, we show that smFETs can detect and quantify serotonin at the single-molecule level, providing unique insights into the dynamics of the aptamer-ligand system. In particular, we show the involvement of G-quadruplex formation and the disruption of the native hairpin structure in the conformational changes of the serotonin-aptamer complex. The smFET is a label-free approach to analysing molecular interactions at the single-molecule level with high temporal resolution, providing additional insights into complex biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonhee Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Electronics & Information System, ICT Research Institute, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jakob Buchheim
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Institute of Quantum Technologies, Ulm, Germany
| | - Björn Hellenkamp
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Lynall
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kyungae Yang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erik F Young
- Quicksilver Biosciences, Inc., New York, NY, USA
| | - Boyan Penkov
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel Sia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Kenneth L Shepard
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Bender PA, Chakraborty S, Durham RJ, Berka V, Carrillo E, Jayaraman V. Bi-directional allosteric pathway in NMDA receptor activation and modulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.16.589813. [PMID: 38659769 PMCID: PMC11042370 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.16.589813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are ionotropic glutamate receptors involved in learning and memory. NMDA receptors primarily comprise two GluN1 and two GluN2 subunits. The GluN2 subunit dictates biophysical receptor properties, including the extent of receptor activation and desensitization. GluN2A- and GluN2D-containing receptors represent two functional extremes. To uncover the conformational basis of their functional divergence, we utilized single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer to probe the extracellular domains of these receptor subtypes under resting and ligand-bound conditions. We find that the conformational profile of the GluN2 amino-terminal domain correlates with the disparate functions of GluN2A- and GluN2D-containing receptors. Changes at the pre-transmembrane segments inversely correlate with those observed at the amino-terminal domain, confirming direct allosteric communication between these domains. Additionally, binding of a positive allosteric modulator at the transmembrane domain shifts the conformational profile of the amino-terminal domain towards the active state, revealing a bidirectional allosteric pathway between extracellular and transmembrane domains.
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Durham RJ, Jayaraman V. Single-Molecule FRET Analyses of NMDA Receptors. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2799:225-242. [PMID: 38727910 PMCID: PMC11164542 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3830-9_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) enables the real-time observation of conformational changes in a single protein molecule of interest. These observations are achieved by attaching fluorophores to proteins of interest in a site-specific manner and investigating the FRET between the fluorophores. Here we describe the method wherein the FRET is studied by adhering the protein molecules to a slide using affinity-based interactions and measuring the fluorophores' fluorescence intensity from a single molecule over time. The resulting information can be used to derive distance values for a point-to-point measurement within a protein or to calculate kinetic transition rates between various conformational states of a protein. Comparing these parameters between different conditions such as the presence of protein binding partners, application of ligands, or changes in the primary sequence of the protein can provide insights into protein structural changes as well as kinetics of these changes (if in the millisecond to second timescale) that underlie functional effects. Here we describe the procedure for conducting analyses of NMDA receptor conformational changes using the above methodology and provide a discussion of various considerations that affect the design, execution, and interpretation of similar smFRET studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Durham
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vasanthi Jayaraman
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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Hale WD, Romero AM, Gonzalez CU, Jayaraman V, Lau AY, Huganir RL, Twomey EC. Allosteric Competition and Inhibition in AMPA Receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.28.569057. [PMID: 38076818 PMCID: PMC10705377 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.569057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Excitatory neurotransmission is principally mediated by AMPA-subtype ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs). Dysregulation of AMPARs is the cause of many neurological disorders and how therapeutic candidates such as negative allosteric modulators inhibit AMPARs is unclear. Here, we show that non-competitive inhibition desensitizes AMPARs to activation and prevents positive allosteric modulation. We dissected the noncompetitive inhibition mechanism of action by capturing AMPARs bound to glutamate and the prototypical negative allosteric modulator, GYKI-52466, with cryo-electron microscopy. Noncompetitive inhibition by GYKI-52466, which binds in the transmembrane collar region surrounding the ion channel, negatively modulates AMPARs by decoupling glutamate binding in the ligand binding domain from the ion channel. Furthermore, during allosteric competition between negative and positive modulators, negative allosteric modulation by GKYI-52466 outcompetes positive allosteric modulators to control AMPAR function. Our data provide a new framework for understanding allostery of AMPARs and foundations for rational design of therapeutics targeting AMPARs in neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Dylan Hale
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Alejandra Montaño Romero
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Cuauhtemoc U. Gonzalez
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vasanthi Jayaraman
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Albert Y. Lau
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Richard L. Huganir
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Edward C. Twomey
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- The Beckman Center for Cryo-EM at Johns Hopkins, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Diana Helis Henry Medical Research Foundation, New Orleans, LA USA
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Paudyal N, Das A, Carrillo E, Berka V, Jayaraman V. Partial agonism in heteromeric GLUK2/GLUK5 kainate receptor. Proteins 2023:10.1002/prot.26565. [PMID: 37526035 PMCID: PMC10830895 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Kainate receptors are a subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors that form transmembrane channels upon binding glutamate. Here, we have investigated the mechanism of partial agonism in heteromeric GluK2/K5 receptors, where the GluK2 and GluK5 subunits have distinct agonist binding profiles. Using single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer, we found that at the bi-lobed agonist-binding domain, the partial agonist AMPA-bound receptor occupied intermediate cleft closure conformational states at the GluK2 cleft, compared to the more open cleft conformations in apo form and more closed cleft conformations in the full agonist glutamate-bound form. In contrast, there is no significant difference in cleft closure states at the GluK5 agonist-binding domain between the partial agonist AMPA- and full agonist glutamate-bound states. Additionally, unlike the glutamate-bound state, the dimer interface at the agonist-binding domain is not decoupled in the AMPA-bound state. Our findings suggest that partial agonism observed with AMPA binding is mediated primarily due to differences in the GluK2 subunit, highlighting the distinct contributions of the subunits towards activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabina Paudyal
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
- MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Anindita Das
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Elisa Carrillo
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Vladimir Berka
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Vasanthi Jayaraman
- Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
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Gating intermediates reveal inhibitory role of the voltage sensor in a cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channel. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6919. [PMID: 36376326 PMCID: PMC9663499 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34673-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how ion channels gate is important for elucidating their physiological roles and targeting them in pathophysiological states. Here, we used SthK, a cyclic nucleotide-modulated channel from Spirochaeta thermophila, to define a ligand-gating trajectory that includes multiple on-pathway intermediates. cAMP is a poor partial agonist for SthK and depolarization increases SthK activity. Tuning the energy landscape by gain-of-function mutations in the voltage sensor domain (VSD) allowed us to capture multiple intermediates along the ligand-activation pathway, highlighting the allosteric linkage between VSD, cyclic nucleotide-binding (CNBD) and pore domains. Small, lateral displacements of the VSD S4 segment were necessary to open the intracellular gate, pointing to an inhibitory VSD at rest. We propose that in wild-type SthK, depolarization leads to such VSD displacements resulting in release of inhibition. In summary, we report conformational transitions along the activation pathway that reveal allosteric couplings between key sites integrating to open the intracellular gate.
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Murphy KJ, Reed DA, Trpceski M, Herrmann D, Timpson P. Quantifying and visualising the nuances of cellular dynamics in vivo using intravital imaging. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 72:41-53. [PMID: 34091131 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Intravital imaging is a powerful technology used to quantify and track dynamic changes in live cells and tissues within an intact environment. The ability to watch cell biology in real-time 'as it happens' has provided novel insight into tissue homeostasis, as well as disease initiation, progression and response to treatment. In this minireview, we highlight recent advances in the field of intravital microscopy, touching upon advances in awake versus anaesthesia-based approaches, as well as the integration of biosensors into intravital imaging. We also discuss current challenges that, in our opinion, need to be overcome to further advance the field of intravital imaging at the single-cell, subcellular and molecular resolution to reveal nuances of cell behaviour that can be targeted in complex disease settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendelle J Murphy
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Cancer Theme, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Daniel A Reed
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Cancer Theme, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Michael Trpceski
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Cancer Theme, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - David Herrmann
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Cancer Theme, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
| | - Paul Timpson
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research & The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Cancer Theme, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
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