Anthony G. Hope

Ion permeation and conduction in a human recombinant 5‐HT3 receptor subunit (h5‐HT3A)

1 A human recombinant homo‐oligomeric 5‐HT3 receptor (h5‐HT3A) expressed in a human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK 293) was characterized using the whole‐cell recording configuration of the patch clamp technique. 2 5‐HT evoked transient inward currents (EC50= 3.4 μM; Hill coefficient = 1.8) that were blocked by the 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron (IC50= 103 pM) and by the non‐selective agents metoclopramide (IC50= 69 nM), cocaine (IC50= 459 nM) and (+)‐tubocurarine (IC50= 2.8 μM). 3 5‐HT‐induced currents rectified inwardly and reversed in sign (E5‐HT) at a potential of −2.2 mV. N‐Methyl‐D‐glucamine was finitely permeant. Permeability ratios PNa/PCs and PNMDG/PCs were 0.90 and 0.083, respectively. 4 Permeability towards divalent cations was assessed from measurements of E5‐HT in media where Ca2+ and Mg2+ replaced Na+. PCa/PCs and PMg/PCs were calculated to be 1.00 and 0.61, respectively. 5 Single channel chord conductance (γ) estimated from fluctuation analysis of macroscopic currents increased with membrane hyperpolarization from 243 fS at −40 mV to 742 fS at −100 mV. 6 Reducing [Ca2+]o from 2 to 0.1 mM caused an increase in the whole‐cell current evoked by 5‐HT. A concomitant reduction in [Mg2+]o produced further potentiation. Fluctuation analysis indicates that a voltage‐independent augmentation of γ contributes to this phenomenon. 7 The data indicate that homo‐oligomeric receptors composed of h5‐HT3A subunits form inwardly rectifying cation‐selective ion channels of low conductance that are permeable to Ca2+ and Mg2+.

Binding to serine 65-phosphorylated ubiquitin primes Parkin for optimal PINK1-dependent phosphorylation and activation

Mutations in the mitochondrial protein kinase PINK1 are associated with autosomal recessive Parkinson disease (PD). We and other groups have reported that PINK1 activates Parkin E3 ligase activity both directly via phosphorylation of Parkin serine 65 (Ser65)—which lies within its ubiquitin‐like domain (Ubl)—and indirectly through phosphorylation of ubiquitin at Ser65. How Ser65‐phosphorylated ubiquitin (ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65) contributes to Parkin activation is currently unknown. Here, we demonstrate that ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65 binding to Parkin dramatically increases the rate and stoichiometry of Parkin phosphorylation at Ser65 by PINK1 in vitro. Analysis of the Parkin structure, corroborated by site‐directed mutagenesis, shows that the conserved His302 and Lys151 residues play a critical role in binding of ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65, thereby promoting Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation and activation of its E3 ligase activity in vitro. Mutation of His302 markedly inhibits Parkin Ser65 phosphorylation at the mitochondria, which is associated with a marked reduction in its E3 ligase activity following mitochondrial depolarisation. We show that the binding of ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65 to Parkin disrupts the interaction between the Ubl domain and C‐terminal region, thereby increasing the accessibility of Parkin Ser65. Finally, purified Parkin maximally phosphorylated at Ser65 in vitro cannot be further activated by the addition of ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65. Our results thus suggest that a major role of ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65 is to promote PINK1‐mediated phosphorylation of Parkin at Ser65, leading to maximal activation of Parkin E3 ligase activity. His302 and Lys151 are likely to line a phospho‐Ser65‐binding pocket on the surface of Parkin that is critical for the ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65 interaction. This study provides new mechanistic insights into Parkin activation by ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65, which could aid in the development of Parkin activators that mimic the effect of ubiquitinPhospho‐Ser65.

The interaction of trichloroethanol with murine recombinant 5-HT3 receptors

1 The effects of ethanol, chloral hydrate and trichloroethanol upon the 5‐HT3 receptor have been investigated by use of electrophysiological techniques applied to recombinant 5‐HT3 receptor subunits (5‐HT3R‐A or 5‐HT3R‐As) expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Additionally, the influence of trichloroethanol upon the specific binding of [3H]‐granisetron to membrane preparations of HEK 293 cells stably transfected with the murine 5‐HT3R‐As subunit and 5‐HT3 receptors endogenous to NG 108‐15 cell membranes was assessed. 2 Ethanol (30–300 mM), chloral hydrate (1–30 mM) and trichloroethanol (0.3‐10mM), produced a reversible, concentration‐dependent, enhancement of 5‐HT‐mediated currents recorded from oocytes expressing either the 5‐HT3R‐A, or the 5‐HT3R‐As subunit. 3 Trichloroethanol (5 mM) produced a parallel leftward shift of the 5‐HT concentration‐response curve, reducing the EC50 for 5‐HT from 1 ± 0.04 μm (n = 4) to 0.5 ± 0.01 μm (n = 4) for oocytes expressing the 5‐HT3R‐A. A similar shift, from 2.1 ± 0.05 μm (n = 11) to 1.3 ± 0.1 μm (n = 4), was observed in oocytes expressing the 5‐HT3R‐As subunit. Trichloroethanol (5 mM) had little or no effect upon the maximum current produced by 5‐HT for either recombinant receptor. 4 Trichloroethanol (5 mM) similarly reduced the EC50 for 2‐methyl‐5‐HT from 13 ± 0.4 μm (n = 4) to 4.6 ± 0.2 μm (n = 4) and from 15 ± 2μm (n = 4) to 5 ± 0.4μm (n = 4) for oocytes expressing the 5‐HT3R‐A and 5‐H3R‐As subunit respectively. Additionally, trichloroethanol (5 mM) produced a clear enhancement of the maximal current to 2‐methyl‐5‐HT (expressed as a percentage of the maximal current to 5‐HT) from 63 ± 0.7% (n = 4) to 101 ± 1.6% (n = 4) and from 9 ± 0.2% (n = 4) to 74 ± 2% (n = 4) for oocytes expressing the 5‐HT3R‐A and 5‐HT3R‐As subunit respectively. 5 Trichloroethanol (2.5 mM) had no effect upon the Kd, or Bmax, of specific [3H]‐granisetron binding to membrane homogenates of NG 108‐15 cells or HEK 293 cells. Similarly, competition for [3H]‐granisetron binding by the 5‐HT3 receptor antagonists ondansetron and tropisetron was unaffected. However, competition for [3H]‐granisetron binding by the 5‐HT3 receptor agonists, 5‐HT, 2‐methyl‐5‐HT and phenylbiguanide was enhanced by trichloroethanol (2.5 mM). 6 Unexpectedly, the competition for [3H]‐granisetron binding by the 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist, quipazine, was enhanced by 2.5 mM trichloroethanol. Quipazine (1 nM‐0.3 μm) antagonized 5‐HT‐evoked currents recorded from oocytes expressing the 5‐HT3R‐A subunit with an IC50 of 18 ± 3 nM (n = 4). Additionally, quipazine (30 nM‐0.3 μm) produced a small inward current which was greatly enhanced by 5 mM trichloroethanol and antagonized by 100 nM ondansetron. Collectively, these observations suggest that quipazine may act as a partial agonist. 7 The demonstration that a recombinant homo‐oligomeric receptor, expressed in a foreign membrane, retains a sensitivity to alcohols, together with the sequencing of alcohol‐insensitive 5‐HT3 receptor subunits, may lead to a better definition of the alcohol binding site(s).

Discovery of an Allosteric Inhibitor Binding Site in 3-Oxo-Acyl-Acp Reductase from Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

3-Oxo-acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase (FabG) plays a key role in the bacterial fatty acid synthesis II system in pathogenic microorganisms, which has been recognized as a potential drug target. FabG catalyzes reduction of a 3-oxo-acyl-ACP intermediate during the elongation cycle of fatty acid biosynthesis. Here, we report gene deletion experiments that support the essentiality of this gene in P. aeruginosa and the identification of a number of small molecule FabG inhibitors with IC50 values in the nanomolar to low micromolar range and good physicochemical properties. Structural characterization of 16 FabG-inhibitor complexes by X-ray crystallography revealed that the compounds bind at a novel allosteric site located at the FabG subunit–subunit interface. Inhibitor binding relies primarily on hydrophobic interactions, but specific hydrogen bonds are also observed. Importantly, the binding cavity is formed upon complex formation and therefore would not be recognized by virtual screening approaches. The structure analysis further reveals that the inhibitors act by inducing conformational changes that propagate to the active site, resulting in a displacement of the catalytic triad and the inability to bind NADPH.

Identifying Inhibitors of Inflammation: A Novel High-Throughput MALDI-TOF Screening Assay for Salt-Inducible Kinases (SIKs):

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry has become a promising alternative for high-throughput drug discovery as new instruments offer high speed, flexibility and sensitivity, and the ability to measure physiological substrates label free. Here we developed and applied high-throughput MALDI TOF mass spectrometry to identify inhibitors of the salt-inducible kinase (SIK) family, which are interesting drug targets in the field of inflammatory disease as they control production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in macrophages. Using peptide substrates in in vitro kinase assays, we can show that hit identification of the MALDI TOF kinase assay correlates with indirect ADP-Hunter kinase assays. Moreover, we can show that both techniques generate comparable IC50 data for a number of hit compounds and known inhibitors of SIK kinases. We further take these inhibitors to a fluorescence-based cellular assay using the SIK activity-dependent translocation of CRTC3 into the nucleus, thereby providing a complete assay pipeline for the identification of SIK kinase inhibitors in vitro and in cells. Our data demonstrate that MALDI TOF mass spectrometry is fully applicable to high-throughput kinase screening, providing label-free data comparable to that of current high-throughput fluorescence assays.

Drug discovery for male subfertility using high-throughput screening: a new approach to an unsolved problem

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Can pharma drug discovery approaches be utilized to transform investigation into novel therapeutics for male infertility? SUMMARY ANSWER High-throughput screening (HTS) is a viable approach to much-needed drug discovery for male factor infertility. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY There is both huge demand and a genuine clinical need for new treatment options for infertile men. However, the time, effort and resources required for drug discovery are currently exorbitant, due to the unique challenges of the cellular, physical and functional properties of human spermatozoa and a lack of appropriate assay platform. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Spermatozoa were obtained from healthy volunteer research donors and subfertile patients undergoing IVF/ICSI at a hospital-assisted reproductive techniques clinic between January 2012 and November 2016. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS A HTS assay was developed and validated using intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) as a surrogate for motility in human spermatozoa. Calcium fluorescence was detected using a Flexstation microplate reader (384-well platform) and compared with responses evoked by progesterone, a compound known to modify a number of biologically relevant behaviours in human spermatozoa. Hit compounds identified following single point drug screen (10 μM) of an ion channel-focussed library assembled by the University of Dundee Drug Discovery Unit were rescreened to ensure potency using standard 10 point half-logarithm concentration curves, and tested for purity and integrity using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Hit compounds were grouped by structure activity relationships and five representative compounds then further investigated for direct effects on spermatozoa, using computer-assisted sperm assessment, sperm penetration assay and whole-cell patch clamping. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Of the 3242 ion channel library ligands screened, 384 compounds (11.8%) elicited a statistically significant increase in calcium fluorescence, with greater than 3× median absolute deviation above the baseline. Seventy-four compounds eliciting ≥50% increase in fluorescence in the primary screen were rescreened and evaluated further, resulting in 48 hit compounds that produced a concentration-dependent increase in [Ca2+]i. Sperm penetration studies confirmed in vitro exposure to two hit compounds (A and B) resulted in significant improvement in functional motility in spermatozoa from healthy volunteer donors (A: 1 cm penetration index 2.54, 2 cm penetration index 2.49; P < 0.005 and B: 1 cm penetration index 2.1, 2 cm penetration index 2.6; P < 0.005), but crucially, also in patient samples from those undergoing fertility treatment (A: 1 cm penetration index 2.4; P = 0.009, 2 cm penetration index 3.6; P = 0.02 and B: 1 cm penetration index 2.2; P = 0.0004, 2 cm penetration index 3.6; P = 0.002). This was primarily as a result of direct or indirect CatSper channel action, supported by evidence from electrophysiology studies of individual sperm. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Increase and fluxes in [Ca2+]i are fundamental to the regulation of sperm motility and function, including acrosome reaction. The use of calcium signalling as a surrogate for sperm motility is acknowledged as a potential limitation in this study. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS We conclude that HTS can robustly, efficiently, identify novel compounds that increase [Ca2+]i in human spermatozoa and functionally modify motility, and propose its use as a cornerstone to build and transform much-needed drug discovery for male infertility. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The majority of the data were obtained using funding from TENOVUS Scotland and Chief Scientist Office NRS Fellowship. Additional funding was provided by NHS Tayside, MRC project grants (MR/K013343/1, MR/012492/1) and University of Abertay. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. TRAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

A Substrate Mimic Allows High-Throughput Assay of the FabA Protein and Consequently the Identification of a Novel Inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa FabA

Eukaryotes and prokaryotes possess fatty acid synthase (FAS) biosynthetic pathways that comprise iterative chain elongation, reduction, and dehydration reactions. The bacterial FASII pathway differs significantly from human FAS pathways and is a long-standing target for antibiotic development against Gram-negative bacteria due to differences from the human FAS, and several existing antibacterial agents are known to inhibit FASII enzymes. N-Acetylcysteamine (NAC) fatty acid thioesters have been used as mimics of the natural acyl carrier protein pathway intermediates to assay FASII enzymes, and we now report an assay of FabV from Pseudomonas aeruginosa using (E)-2-decenoyl-NAC. In addition, we have converted an existing UV absorbance assay for FabA, the bifunctional dehydration/epimerization enzyme and key target in the FASII pathway, into a high-throughput enzyme coupled fluorescence assay that has been employed to screen a library of diverse small molecules. With this approach, N-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-(2-furyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-amine (N42FTA) was found to competitively inhibit (pIC50 = 5.7 ± 0.2) the processing of 3-hydroxydecanoyl-NAC by P. aeruginosa FabA. N42FTA was shown to be potent in blocking crosslinking of Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein and FabA, a direct mimic of the biological process. The co-complex structure of N42FTA with P. aeruginosa FabA protein rationalises affinity and suggests future design opportunities. Employing NAC fatty acid mimics to develop further high-throughput assays for individual enzymes in the FASII pathway should aid in the discovery of new antimicrobials.