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Managò F, Scheggia D, Pontillo M, Mereu M, Mastrogiacomo R, Udayan G, Valentini P, Tata MC, Weinberger DR, Weickert CS, Pompa PP, De Luca MA, Vicari S, Papaleo F. Dopaminergic signalling and behavioural alterations by Comt-Dtnbp1 genetic interaction and their clinical relevance. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2514-2531. [PMID: 37218669 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cognitive and motor functions are modulated by dopaminergic signalling, which is shaped by several genetic factors. The biological effects of single genetic variants might differ depending on epistatic interactions that can be functionally multi-directional and non-linear. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We performed behavioural and neurochemical assessments in genetically modified mice and behavioural assessments and genetic screening in human patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). KEY RESULTS Here, we confirm a genetic interaction between the Comt (catechol-O-methyltransferase, human orthologue: COMT) and Dtnbp1 (dystrobrevin binding protein 1, alias dysbindin, human orthologue: DTNBP1) genes that modulate cortical and striatal dopaminergic signalling in a manner not predictable by the effects of each single gene. In mice, Comt-by-Dtnbp1 concomitant reduction leads to a hypoactive mesocortical and a hyperactive mesostriatal dopamine pathway, associated with specific cognitive abnormalities. Like mice, in subjects with the 22q11.2DS (characterized by COMT hemideletion and dopamine alterations), COMT-by-DTNBP1 concomitant reduction was associated with analogous cognitive disturbances. We then developed an easy and inexpensive colourimetric kit for the genetic screening of common COMT and DTNBP1 functional genetic variants for clinical application. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These findings illustrate an epistatic interaction of two dopamine-related genes and their functional effects, supporting the need to address genetic interaction mechanisms at the base of complex behavioural traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Managò
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Diego Scheggia
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Pontillo
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Maddalena Mereu
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Rosa Mastrogiacomo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gayatri Udayan
- Nanobiointeractions and Nanodiagnostics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Paola Valentini
- Nanobiointeractions and Nanodiagnostics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Cynthia S Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Pier Paolo Pompa
- Nanobiointeractions and Nanodiagnostics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria A De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Laus A, Kumar A, Caboni P, De Luca MA, Baumann MH, Pieroni E, Tocco G. In silico characterization of ligand-receptor interactions for U-47700, N,N-didesmethyl-U-47700, U-50488 at mu- and kappa-opioid receptors. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2300256. [PMID: 37452407 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The increasing misuse of novel synthetic opioids (NSOs) represents a serious public health concern. In this regard, U-47700 (trans-3,4-dichloro-N-[2-(dimethylamino)cyclohexyl]-N-methylbenzamide) and related "U-compounds" emerged on recreational drug markets as synthetic substitutes for illicit heroin and constituents of counterfeit pain medications. While the pharmacology of U-compounds has been investigated using in vitro and in vivo methods, there is still a lack of understanding about the details of ligand-receptor interactions at the molecular level. To this end, we have developed a molecular modeling protocol based on docking and molecular dynamics simulations to assess the nature of ligand-receptor interactions for U-47700, N,N-didesmethyl U-47700, and U-50488 at the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) and kappa-opioid receptor (KOR). The evaluation of ligand-receptor and ligand-receptor-membrane interaction energies enabled the identification of subtle conformational shifts in the receptors induced by ligand binding. Interestingly, the removal of two key methyl groups from U-47700, to form N,N-didesmethyl U-47700, caused a loss of hydrogen bond contact with tryptophan (Trp)229, which may underlie the lower interaction energy and reduced MOR affinity for the compound. Taken together, our results are consistent with the reported biological findings for U-compounds and provide a molecular basis for the MOR selectivity of U-47700 and KOR selectivity of U-50488.
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MESH Headings
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/chemistry
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/metabolism
- 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer/pharmacology
- Ligands
- Structure-Activity Relationship
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Analgesics, Opioid/chemistry
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Laus
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Caboni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria A De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michael H Baumann
- Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Enrico Pieroni
- CRS4, Modelling, Simulation and Data Analysis Program, Pula, Italy
| | - Graziella Tocco
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
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De Luca MA, Buczynski MW, Di Chiara G. Loren Parsons' contribution to addiction neurobiology. Addict Biol 2018; 23:1207-1222. [PMID: 29949237 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Loren (Larry) H. Parsons passed away at the age of 51. In spite of his premature departure, Larry much contributed to the drug abuse field. Since his graduate studies for the Ph.D. in Chemistry in J.B. Justice lab, microdialysis is the tread that links Larry's research topics, namely, the role of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate and endocannabinoids (eCBs) in drug reinforcement and dependence. Larry was the first to show that abstinence from chronic cocaine reduces extracellular DA in the NAc, consistent with the so called 'dopamine depletion hypothesis' of cocaine addiction. Another Larry's major contributions are the studies on 5-HT and 5-HT receptors' role in cocaine stimulant actions, which resulted in the identification of 5-HT1B receptors as a critical substrate of cocaine reinforcement. By applying mass spectrometry to eCBs analysis in brain dialysates, Larry's lab showed that ethanol, heroin, nicotine and cocaine differentially affect anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglicerol overflow in the NAc shell, a critical site of drugs of abuse DA stimulant actions. Larry also applied microdialysis to study GABA and glutamate's role in ethanol dependence and heroin reinforcement, providing in vivo evidence for a sensitization of corticotropin-releasing factor-dependent release of GABA in the central amygdala in withdrawal from chronic ethanol and for a reduction of GABA transmission in the ventral pallidum in heroin but not cocaine intravenous self-administration. Larry showed the wide possibilities of microdialysis as a general purpose methodology for monitoring neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the brain extracellular compartment. From this viewpoint, he stands as the best advocate for microdialysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A. De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology; University of Cagliari; Cagliari Italy
- National Institute of Neuroscience (INN); University of Cagliari; Cagliari Italy
| | - Matthew W. Buczynski
- School of Neuroscience; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
| | - Gaetano Di Chiara
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology; University of Cagliari; Cagliari Italy
- National Institute of Neuroscience (INN); University of Cagliari; Cagliari Italy
- National Research Council of Italy; Institute of Neuroscience; Cagliari Italy
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Managò F, Mereu M, Mastwal S, Mastrogiacomo R, Scheggia D, Emanuele M, De Luca MA, Weinberger DR, Wang KH, Papaleo F. Genetic Disruption of Arc/Arg3.1 in Mice Causes Alterations in Dopamine and Neurobehavioral Phenotypes Related to Schizophrenia. Cell Rep 2016; 16:2116-2128. [PMID: 27524619 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.07.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human genetic studies have recently suggested that the postsynaptic activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) complex is a convergence signal for several genes implicated in schizophrenia. However, the functional significance of Arc in schizophrenia-related neurobehavioral phenotypes and brain circuits is unclear. Here, we find that, consistent with schizophrenia-related phenotypes, disruption of Arc in mice produces deficits in sensorimotor gating, cognitive functions, social behaviors, and amphetamine-induced psychomotor responses. Furthermore, genetic disruption of Arc leads to concomitant hypoactive mesocortical and hyperactive mesostriatal dopamine pathways. Application of a D1 agonist to the prefrontal cortex or a D2 antagonist in the ventral striatum rescues Arc-dependent cognitive or psychomotor abnormalities, respectively. Our findings demonstrate a role for Arc in the regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and related behaviors. The results also provide initial biological support implicating Arc in dopaminergic and behavioral abnormalities related to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Managò
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maddalena Mereu
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, Largo Meneghetti 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rosa Mastrogiacomo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Diego Scheggia
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Emanuele
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria A De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università di Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neuroscience and McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
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De Luca MA. Habituation of the responsiveness of mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine transmission to taste stimuli. Front Integr Neurosci 2014; 8:21. [PMID: 24624065 PMCID: PMC3941202 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The presentation of novel, remarkable, and unpredictable tastes increases dopamine (DA) transmission in different DA terminal areas such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and core and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as estimated by in vivo microdialysis studies in rats. This effect undergoes adaptive regulation, as there is a decrease in DA responsiveness after a single pre-exposure to the same taste. This phenomenon termed habituation has been described as peculiar to NAc shell but not to NAc core and mPFC DA transmission. On this basis, it has been proposed that mPFC DA codes for generic motivational stimulus value and, together with the NAc core DA, is more consistent with a role in the expression of motivation. Conversely, NAc shell DA is specifically activated by unfamiliar or novel taste stimuli and rewards, and might serve to associate the sensory properties of the rewarding stimulus with its biological effect (Bassareo etal., 2002; Di Chiara etal., 2004). Notably, habituation of the DA response to intraoral sweet or bitter tastes is not associated with a reduction in hedonic or aversive taste reactions, thus indicating that habituation is unrelated to satiety-induced hedonic devaluation and that it is not influenced by DA alteration or depletion. This mini-review describes specific circumstances of disruption of the habituation of NAc shell DA responsiveness (De Luca etal., 2011; Bimpisidis etal., 2013). In particular, we observed an abolishment of NAc shell DA habituation to chocolate (sweet taste) by morphine sensitization and mPFC 6-hydroxy-dopamine hydrochloride (6-OHDA) lesion. Moreover, morphine sensitization was associated with the appearance of the habituation in the mPFC, and with an increased and delayed response of NAc core DA to taste in naive rats, but not in pre-exposed animals. The results here described shed light on the mechanism of the habituation phenomenon of mesolimbic and mesocortical DA transmission, and its putative role as a marker of cortical dysfunction in specific conditions such as addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A De Luca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Neuropsychopharmacology Section, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy ; National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
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