Structural Studies of the Taurine Transporter: A Potential Biological Target from the GABA Transporter Subfamily in Cancer Therapy.
Int J Mol Sci
; 25(13)2024 Jul 04.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39000444
ABSTRACT
The taurine transporter (TauT, SLC6A6) is a member of the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family, which plays multiple physiological roles. The SLC6 family is divided into four subfamilies GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), monoamine, glycine and neutral amino acid transporters. Proteins from the GABA group, including the taurine transporter, are primarily considered therapeutic targets for treating central nervous system disorders. However, recent studies have suggested that inhibitors of SLC6A6 could also serve as anticancer agents. Overexpression of TauT has been associated with the progression of colon and gastric cancer. The pool of known ligands of this transporter is limited and the exact spatial structure of taurine transporter remains unsolved. Understanding its structure could aid in the development of novel inhibitors. Therefore, we utilized homology modelling techniques to create models of TauT. Docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to describe protein-ligand interactions. We compared the obtained information for TauT with literature data on other members of the GABA transporter group. Our in silico analysis allowed us to characterize the transporter structure and point out amino acids crucial for ligand binding Glu406, Gly62 and Tyr138. The significance of selected residues was confirmed through structural studies of mutants. These results will aid in the development of novel taurine transporter inhibitors, which can be explored as anticancer agents.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Proteínas de Membrana Transportadoras
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Proteínas da Membrana Plasmática de Transporte de GABA
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Simulação de Dinâmica Molecular
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Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Mol Sci
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Polônia