Structure and function of serotonin G protein-coupled receptors

Serotonin receptors are prevalent throughout the nervous system and the periphery, and remain one of the most lucrative and promising drug discovery targets for disorders ranging from migraine headaches to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. There are 14 distinct serotonin receptors, of which 13 are G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are targets for approximately 40% of the approved medicines. Recent crystallographic and biochemical evidence has provided a converging understanding of the basic structure and functional mechanics of GPCR activation. Currently, two GPCR crystal structures exist for the serotonin family, the 5-HT1B and 5-HT2B receptor, with the antimigraine and valvulopathic drug ergotamine bound. The first serotonin crystal structures not only provide the first evidence of serotonin receptor topography but also provide mechanistic explanations into functional selectivity or biased agonism. This review will detail the findings of these crystal structures from a molecular and mutagenesis perspective for driving rational drug design for novel therapeutics incorporating biased signaling

Experimental evaluation of the generalized vibrational theory of G protein-coupled receptor activation

Herein, we test the present iteration of the vibrational theory of protein activation by comparing predictions obtained from Turin’s vibrational theory for the activation of olfactory receptors measuring affinity and activation at a nonolfactory receptor family of G protein-coupled receptors. This was done at the CNS serotonin receptor family h5-HT2 and with both the 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine and N,N-dimethyllysergamide agonists. Invalidation was performed through a comparative analysis of agonist behavior between isotopologues

A Miniaturized Screen of a Schistosoma mansoni Serotonergic G Protein-Coupled Receptor Identifies Novel Classes of Parasite-Selective Inhibitors

Schistosomiasis is a tropical parasitic disease afflicting ~200 million people worldwide and current therapy depends on a single drug (praziquantel) which exhibits several non-optimal features. These shortcomings underpin the need for next generation anthelmintics, but the process of validating physiologically relevant targets (‘target selection’) and pharmacologically profiling them is challenging. Remarkably, even though over a quarter of current human therapeutics target rhodopsin-like G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), no library screen of a flatworm GPCR has yet been reported. Here, we have pharmacologically profiled a schistosome serotonergic GPCR (Sm.5HTR) implicated as a downstream modulator of PZQ efficacy, in a miniaturized screening assay compatible with high content screening. This approach employs a split luciferase based biosensor sensitive to cellular cAMP levels that resolves the proximal kinetics of GPCR modulation in intact cells. Data evidence a divergent pharmacological signature between the parasitic serotonergic receptor and the closest human GPCR homolog (Hs.5HTR7), supporting the feasibility of optimizing parasitic selective pharmacophores. New ligands, and chemical series, with potency and selectivity for Sm.5HTR over Hs.5HTR7 are identified in vitro and validated for in vivo efficacy against schistosomules and adult worms. Sm.5HTR also displayed a property resembling irreversible inactivation, a phenomenon discovered at Hs.5HTR7, which enhances the appeal of this abundantly expressed parasite GPCR as a target for anthelmintic ligand design. Overall, these data underscore the feasibility of profiling flatworm GPCRs in a high throughput screening format competent to resolve different classes of GPCR modulators. Further, these data underscore the promise of Sm.5HTR as a chemotherapeutically vulnerable node for development of next generation anthelmintics

The anthelmintic praziquantel is a human serotoninergic G-protein-coupled receptor ligand

Schistosomiasis is a debilitating tropical disease caused by infection with parasitic blood flukes. Approximately 260 million people are infected worldwide, underscoring the clinical and socioeconomic impact of this chronic infection. Schistosomiasis is treated with the drug praziquantel (PZQ), which has proved the therapeutic mainstay for over three decades of clinical use. However, the molecular target(s) of PZQ remain undefined. Here we identify a molecular target for the antischistosomal eutomer - (R)-PZQ - which functions as a partial agonist of the human serotoninergic 5HT2B receptor. (R)-PZQ modulation of serotoninergic signaling occurs over a concentration range sufficient to regulate vascular tone of the mesenteric blood vessels where the adult parasites reside within their host. These data establish (R)-PZQ as a G-protein-coupled receptor ligand and suggest that the efficacy of this clinically important anthelmintic is supported by a broad, cross species polypharmacology with PZQ modulating signaling events in both host and parasite

trans -2-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)cyclopropylamine and trans -2-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenyl)cyclopropylamine as potent agonists for the 5-HT 2 receptor family

A strategy to replace the ethylamine side chain of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI, 1a), and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine (DOB, 1b) with a cyclopropylamine moiety was successful in leading to compounds with high affinity at the 5-HT2 family of receptors; and the more potent stereoisomer of the cyclopropane analogues had the expected (−)-(1R,2S)-configuration. Screening for affinity at various serotonin receptor subtypes, however, revealed that the cyclopropane congeners also had increased affinity at several sites in addition to the 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptors. Therefore, at appropriate doses – although (−)-4 and (−)-5 may be useful as tools to probe 5-HT2 receptor function – one would need to be mindful that their selectivity for 5-HT2A receptors is somewhat less than for DOI itself

D 4 dopamine receptor high-resolution structures enable the discovery of selective agonists

Dopamine receptors are G protein-coupled receptors implicated in many neurological disorders. Different families of dopamine receptors are involved in different signaling pathways, so specificity is a key goal of therapeutics. Wang et al. present high-resolution crystal structures of the DRD4 dopamine receptor bound to the antipsychotic drug nemonapride. The high resolution of the structures facilitated ligand docking, and a DRD4-selective agonist was identified by computational screening of a large library, experimental testing of compounds with the best docking scores, and iterative cycles of docking and testing analogs of those compounds. The identified agonist had a high affinity for DRD4 and no measurable affinity for DRD2 or DRD3. Science , this issue p. [381][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aan546

Crystal Structure of an LSD-Bound Human Serotonin Receptor

SummaryThe prototypical hallucinogen LSD acts via serotonin receptors, and here we describe the crystal structure of LSD in complex with the human serotonin receptor 5-HT2B. The complex reveals conformational rearrangements to accommodate LSD, providing a structural explanation for the conformational selectivity of LSD's key diethylamide moiety. LSD dissociates exceptionally slow from both 5-HT2BR and 5-HT2AR—a major target for its psychoactivity. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggest that LSD's slow binding kinetics may be due to a "lid" formed by extracellular loop 2 (EL2) at the entrance to the binding pocket. A mutation predicted to increase the mobility of this lid greatly accelerates LSD's binding kinetics and selectively dampens LSD-mediated β-arrestin2 recruitment. This study thus reveals an unexpected binding mode of LSD; illuminates key features of its kinetics, stereochemistry, and signaling; and provides a molecular explanation for LSD's actions at human serotonin receptors.PaperCli

PRESTO-Tango as an open-source resource for interrogation of the druggable human GPCRome

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are essential mediators of cellular signaling and important targets of drug action. Of the approximately 350 non-olfactory human GPCRs, more than 100 are still considered “orphans” as their endogenous ligand(s) remain unknown. Here, we describe a unique open-source resource that provides the capacity to interrogate the druggable human GPCR-ome via a G protein-independent β-arrestin recruitment assay. We validate this unique platform at more than 120 non-orphan human GPCR targets, demonstrate its utility for discovering new ligands for orphan human GPCRs, and describe a method (PRESTO-TANGO; Parallel Receptor-ome Expression and Screening via Transcriptional Output - TANGO) for the simultaneous and parallel interrogation of the entire human GPCR-ome

Bioisosteric analogs of MDMA: improving the pharmacological profile?

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') is re-emerging in clinical settings as a candidate for the treatment of specific neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder) in combination with psychotherapy. MDMA is a psychoactive drug, typically regarded as an empathogen or entactogen, which leads to transporter-mediated monoamine release. Despite its therapeutic potential, MDMA can induce dose-, individual-, and context-dependent untoward effects outside safe settings. In this study, we investigated whether three new methylenedioxy bioisosteres of MDMA improve its off-target profile. In vitro methods included radiotracer assays, transporter electrophysiology, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and fluorescence-based assays, pooled human liver microsome/S9 fraction incubations, metabolic stability studies, isozyme mapping, and liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. In silico methods included molecular docking. Compared with MDMA, all three MDMA bioisosteres (ODMA, TDMA, and SeDMA) showed similar pharmacological activity at human serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine transporters (hSERT, hDAT, and hNET, respectively) but decreased agonist activity at 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptors. Regarding their hepatic metabolism, they differed from MDMA, with N-demethylation being the only metabolic route shared, and without forming phase II metabolites. In addition, TDMA showed an enhanced intrinsic clearance in comparison to its congeners. Additional screening for their interaction with human organic cation transporters (hOCTs) and plasma membrane monoamine transporter (hPMAT) revealed a weaker interaction of the MDMA analogs with hOCT1, hOCT2, and hPMAT. Our findings suggest that these new MDMA bioisosteres might constitute appealing therapeutic alternatives to MDMA, sparing the primary pharmacological activity at hSERT, hDAT, and hNET, but displaying a reduced activity at 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptors and alternative hepatic metabolism. Whether these MDMA bioisosteres may pose lower risk alternatives to the clinically re-emerging MDMA warrants further studies