2 research outputs found
5‑HT<sub>4</sub> Receptors Constitutively Promote the Non-Amyloidogenic Pathway of APP Cleavage and Interact with ADAM10
In addition to the amyloidogenic pathway, amyloid precursor
protein
(APP) can be cleaved by α-secretases, producing soluble and
neuroprotective APP alpha (sAPPα) (nonamyloidogenic pathway)
and thus preventing the generation of pathogenic amyloid-β.
However, the mechanisms regulating APP cleavage by α-secretases
remain poorly understood. Here, we showed that expression of serotonin
type 4 receptors (5-HT<sub>4</sub>Rs) constitutively (without agonist
stimulation) induced APP cleavage by the α-secretase ADAM10
and the release of neuroprotective sAPPα in HEK-293 cells and
cortical neurons. This effect was independent of cAMP production.
Interestingly, we demonstrated that 5-HT<sub>4</sub> receptors physically
interacted with the mature form of ADAM10. Stimulation of 5-HT<sub>4</sub> receptors by an agonist further increased sAPPα secretion,
and this effect was mediated by cAMP/Epac signaling. These findings
describe a new mechanism whereby a GPCR constitutively stimulates
the cleavage of APP by α-secretase and promotes the nonamyloidogenic
pathway of APP processing
Structure-Based Design of PDZ Ligands as Inhibitors of 5‑HT<sub>2A</sub> Receptor/PSD-95 PDZ1 Domain Interaction Possessing Anti-hyperalgesic Activity
Disrupting the interaction between
the PDZ protein PSD-95 and the
C-terminal domain of the 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> serotonin receptor has
been shown to reduce hyperalgesia in a rodent model of neuropathic
pain. Here, we designed and synthesized PDZ ligands capable of binding
to the first PDZ domain (PDZ1) of the PSD-95 protein and evaluated
their biological activity <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in
vivo</i>. A series of substituted indoles was identified by docking
simulations, and six novel analogues were synthesized. Three analogues
displayed strong interactions with the first PDZ domain (PDZ1) of
PDZ-95 in <sup>1</sup>H–<sup>15</sup>N heteronuclear single-quantum
coherence (HSQC) experiments and two of them were able to inhibit
the interaction between PSD-95 and the 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor <i>in vitro</i>. We identified compound <b>8b</b> as the
analogue able to significantly suppress mechanical hyperalgesia in
an experimental model of traumatic neuropathic pain in the rat. This
effect was suppressed by the coadministration of the 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor antagonist M100907, consistent with an inhibitory effect
upon 5-HT<sub>2A</sub> receptor/PSD-95 interaction. Finally, we determined
an NMR-restraint driven model structure for the PSD95 PDZ1/<b>8b</b> complex, which confirms that indole <b>8b</b> binds to the
putative PDZ-ligand binding site