Depression is a common mental disorder. The standard medical treatment is the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). All characterized SSRIs are competitive inhibitors of the serotonin transporter (SERT). A non-competitive inhibitor may produce a more favorable therapeutic profile. Vilazodone is an antidepressant with limited information on its molecular interactions with SERT. Here we use molecular pharmacology and cryo-EM structural elucidation to characterize vilazodone binding to SERT. We find that it exhibits non-competitive inhibition of serotonin uptake and impedes dissociation of [3H]imipramine at low nanomolar concentrations. Our SERT structure with bound imipramine and vilazodone reveals a unique binding pocket for vilazodone, expanding the boundaries of the extracellular vestibule. Characterization of the binding site is substantiated with molecular dynamics simulations and systematic mutagenesis of interacting residues resulting in decreased vilazodone binding to the allosteric site. Our findings underline the versatility of SERT allosteric ligands and describe the unique binding characteristics of vilazodone.
Ion channels located at viral envelopes (viroporins) have a critical function for the replication of infectious viruses and are important drug targets. Over the last decade, the number and duration of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the influenza A M2 ion channel owing to the increased computational efficiency. Here, we aimed to define the system setup and simulation conditions for the correct description of the protein–pore and the protein–lipid interactions for influenza A M2 in comparison with experimental data. We performed numerous MD simulations of the influenza A M2 protein in complex with adamantane blockers in standard lipid bilayers using OPLS2005 and CHARMM36 (C36) force fields. We explored the effect of varying the M2 construct (M2(22–46) and M2(22–62)), the lipid buffer size and type (stiffer DMPC or softer POPC with or without 20% cholesterol), the simulation time, the H37 protonation site (Nδ or Νε), the conformational state of the W41 channel gate, and M2’s cholesterol binding sites (BSs). We report that the 200 ns MD with M2(22–62) (having Nε Η37) in the 20 Å lipid buffer with the C36 force field accurately describe: (a) the M2 pore structure and interactions inside the pore, that is, adamantane channel blocker location, water clathrate structure, and water or chloride anion blockage/passage from the M2 pore in the presence of a channel blocker and (b) interactions between M2 and the membrane environment as reflected by the calculation of the M2 bundle tilt, folding of amphipathic helices, and cholesterol BSs. Strikingly, we also observed that the C36 1 μs MD simulations using M2(22–62) embedded in a 20 Å POPC:cholesterol (5:1) scrambled membrane produced frequent interactions with cholesterol, which when combined with computational kinetic analysis, revealed the experimentally observed BSs of cholesterol and suggested three similarly long-interacting positions in the top leaflet that have previously not been observed experimentally. These findings promise to be useful for other viroporin systems.
<p>We studied by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations systems including the inward<sub>closed</sub> state of influenza A M2 protein in complex with aminoadamantane drugs in membrane bilayers. We varied the M2 construct and performed MD simulations in M2TM or M2TM with amphipathic helices (M2AH). We also varied the lipid bilayer by changing either the lipid, DMPC or POPC, POPE or POPC/cholesterol (chol), or the lipids buffer size, 10x10 Å<sup>2 </sup>or 20x20 Å<sup>2</sup>. We aimed to suggest optimal system conditions for the computational description of this ion channel and related systems. Measures performed include quantities that are available experimentally and include: (a) the position of ligand, waters and chlorine anion inside the M2 pore, (b) the passage of waters from the outward Val27 gate of M2 S31N in complex with an aminoadamantane-aryl head blocker, (c) M2 orientation, (d) the AHs conformation and structure which is affected from interactions with lipids and chol and is important for membrane curvature and virus budding. In several cases we tested OPLS2005, which is routinely applied to describe drug-protein binding, and CHARMM36 which describes reliably protein conformation. We found that for the description of the ligands position inside the M2 pore, a 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipids buffer in DMPC is needed when M2TM is used but 20x20 Å<sup>2</sup> lipids buffer of the softer POPC; when M2AH is used all 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipid buffers with any of the tested lipids can be used. For the passage of waters at least M2AH with a 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipid buffer is needed. The folding conformation of AHs which is defined from hydrogen bonding interactions with the bilayer and the complex with chol is described well with a 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipids buffer and CHARMM36. </p>
<p>We studied by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations systems including the inward<sub>closed</sub> state of influenza A M2 protein in complex with aminoadamantane drugs in membrane bilayers. We varied the M2 construct and performed MD simulations in M2TM or M2TM with amphipathic helices (M2AH). We also varied the lipid bilayer by changing either the lipid, DMPC or POPC, POPE or POPC/cholesterol (chol), or the lipids buffer size, 10x10 Å<sup>2 </sup>or 20x20 Å<sup>2</sup>. We aimed to suggest optimal system conditions for the computational description of this ion channel and related systems. Measures performed include quantities that are available experimentally and include: (a) the position of ligand, waters and chlorine anion inside the M2 pore, (b) the passage of waters from the outward Val27 gate of M2 S31N in complex with an aminoadamantane-aryl head blocker, (c) M2 orientation, (d) the AHs conformation and structure which is affected from interactions with lipids and chol and is important for membrane curvature and virus budding. In several cases we tested OPLS2005, which is routinely applied to describe drug-protein binding, and CHARMM36 which describes reliably protein conformation. We found that for the description of the ligands position inside the M2 pore, a 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipids buffer in DMPC is needed when M2TM is used but 20x20 Å<sup>2</sup> lipids buffer of the softer POPC; when M2AH is used all 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipid buffers with any of the tested lipids can be used. For the passage of waters at least M2AH with a 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipid buffer is needed. The folding conformation of AHs which is defined from hydrogen bonding interactions with the bilayer and the complex with chol is described well with a 10x10 Å<sup>2</sup> lipids buffer and CHARMM36. </p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.