Azadeh Shahsavar

Crystal structure of Lymnaea stagnalis AChBP complexed with the potent nAChR antagonist DHβE suggests a unique mode of antagonism.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels that belong to the Cys-loop receptor superfamily. These receptors are allosteric proteins that exist in different conformational states, including resting (closed), activated (open), and desensitized (closed) states. The acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) is a structural homologue of the extracellular ligand-binding domain of nAChRs. In previous studies, the degree of the C-loop radial extension of AChBP has been assigned to different conformational states of nAChRs. It has been suggested that a closed C-loop is preferred for the active conformation of nAChRs in complex with agonists whereas an open C-loop reflects an antagonist-bound (closed) state. In this work, we have determined the crystal structure of AChBP from the water snail Lymnaea stagnalis (Ls) in complex with dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE), which is a potent competitive antagonist of nAChRs. The structure reveals that binding of DHβE to AChBP imposes closure of the C-loop as agonists, but also a shift perpendicular to previously observed C-loop movements. These observations suggest that DHβE may antagonize the receptor via a different mechanism compared to prototypical antagonists and toxins.

Acetylcholine-Binding Protein Engineered to Mimic the α4-α4 Binding Pocket in α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Reveals Interface Specific Interactions Important for Binding and Activity

Neuronal α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are attractive drug targets for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and smoking cessation aids. Recently, a third agonist binding site between two α4 subunits in the (α4)3(β2)2 receptor subpopulation was discovered. In particular, three residues, H142, Q150, and T152, were demonstrated to be involved in the distinct pharmacology of the α4-α4 versus α4-β2 binding sites. To obtain insight into the three-dimensional structure of the α4-α4 binding site, a surrogate protein reproducing α4-α4 binding characteristics was constructed by introduction of three point mutations, R104H, L112Q, and M114T, into the binding pocket of Lymnaea stagnalis acetylcholine-binding protein (Ls-AChBP). Cocrystallization with two agonists possessing distinct pharmacologic profiles, NS3920 [1-(6-bromopyridin-3-yl)-1,4-diazepane] and NS3573 [1-(5-ethoxypyridin-3-yl)-1,4-diazepane], highlights the roles of the three residues in determining binding affinities and functional properties of ligands at the α4-α4 interface. Confirmed by mutational studies, our structures suggest a unique ligand-specific role of residue H142 on the α4 subunit. In the cocrystal structure of the mutated Ls-AChBP with the high-efficacy ligand NS3920, the corresponding histidine forms an intersubunit bridge that reinforces the ligand-mediated interactions between subunits. The structures further reveal that the binding site residues gain different and ligand-dependent interactions that could not be predicted based on wild-type Ls-AChBP structures in complex with the same agonists. The results show that an unprecedented correlation between binding in engineered AChBPs and functional receptors can be obtained and provide new opportunities for structure-based design of drugs targeting specific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor interfaces.

A conserved leucine occupies the empty substrate site of LeuT in the Na(+)-free return state.

Bacterial members of the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter (NSS) family perform Na+-dependent amino-acid uptake and extrude H+ in return. Previous NSS structures represent intermediates of Na+/substrate binding or intracellular release, but not the inward-to-outward return transition. Here we report crystal structures of Aquifex aeolicus LeuT in an outward-oriented, Na+- and substrate-free state likely to be H+-occluded. We find a remarkable rotation of the conserved Leu25 into the empty substrate-binding pocket and rearrangements of the empty Na+ sites. Mutational studies of the equivalent Leu99 in the human serotonin transporter show a critical role of this residue on the transport rate. Molecular dynamics simulations show that extracellular Na+ is blocked unless Leu25 is rotated out of the substrate-binding pocket. We propose that Leu25 facilitates the inward-to-outward transition by compensating a Na+- and substrate-free state and acts as the gatekeeper for Na+ binding that prevents leak in inward-outward return transitions.

Expression strategies for structural studies of eukaryotic membrane proteins

Integral membrane proteins in eukaryotes are central to various cellular processes and key targets in structural biology, biotechnology and drug development. However, the number of available structures for eukaryotic membrane protein belies their physiological importance. Recently, the number of available eukaryotic membrane protein structures has been steadily increasing due to the development of novel strategies in construct design, expression and structure determination. Here, we examine the major expression systems exploited for eukaryotic membrane proteins. Additionally we strive to tabulate and describe the recent expression strategies in eukaryotic membrane protein structural biology. We find that a majority of targets have been expressed in advanced host systems and modified from their wild-type form with distinct focus on conformation and thermostabilisation. However, strategies for native protein purification should also be considered where possible, particularly in light of the recent advances in single particle cryo electron microscopy.

Structural Studies of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Using Acetylcholine-Binding Protein as a Structural Surrogate.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are members of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel superfamily that play important roles in the control of neurotransmitter release in the central and peripheral nervous system. These receptors are important therapeutic targets for the development of drugs against a number of mental health disorders and for marketed smoking cessation aids. Unfortunately, drug discovery has been hampered by difficulties in obtaining sufficiently selective compounds. Together with functional complexity of the receptors, this has made it difficult to obtain drugs with sufficiently high-target to off-target affinity ratios. The recent and ongoing progress in structural studies holds promise to help understand structure-function relationships of nAChR drugs at the atomic level. This will undoubtedly lead to the design of more efficient drugs with fewer side effects. As a high-resolution structure of a nAChR is yet to be determined, structural studies are to a large extent based on acetylcholine-binding proteins (AChBPs) that despite low overall sequence identity display a high degree of conservation of overall structure and amino acids at the ligand-binding site. Further, AChBPs reproduce relative binding affinities of ligands at nAChRs. Over the past decade, AChBPs have been used extensively as models for nAChRs and have aided the understanding of drug receptor interactions at nAChRs significantly.