Pharmacological Characterization of the Imipridone Anticancer Drug ONC201 Reveals a Negative Allosteric Mechanism of Action at the D2 Dopamine Receptor.

ONC201 is a first-in-class imipridone compound that is in clinical trials for the treatment of high-grade gliomas and other advanced cancers. Recent studies identified that ONC201 antagonizes D2-like dopamine receptors at therapeutically relevant concentrations. In the current study, characterization of ONC201 using radioligand binding and multiple functional assays revealed that it was a full antagonist of the D2 and D3 receptors (D2R and D3R) with low micromolar potencies, similar to its potency for antiproliferative effects. Curve-shift experiments using D2R-mediated ß-arrestin recruitment and cAMP assays revealed that ONC201 exhibited a mixed form of antagonism. An operational model of allostery was used to analyze these data, which suggested that the predominant modulatory effect of ONC201 was on dopamine efficacy with little to no effect on dopamine affinity. To investigate how ONC201 binds to the D2R, we employed scanning mutagenesis coupled with a D2R-mediated calcium efflux assay. Eight residues were identified as being important for ONC201's functional antagonism of the D2R. Mutation of these residues followed by assessing ONC201 antagonism in multiple signaling assays highlighted specific residues involved in ONC201 binding. Together with computational modeling and simulation studies, our results suggest that ONC201 interacts with the D2R in a bitopic manner where the imipridone core of the molecule protrudes into the orthosteric binding site, but does not compete with dopamine, whereas a secondary phenyl ring engages an allosteric binding pocket that may be associated with negative modulation of receptor activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: ONC201 is a novel antagonist of the D2 dopamine receptor with demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of various cancers, especially high-grade glioma. This study demonstrates that ONC201 antagonizes the D2 receptor with novel bitopic and negative allosteric mechanisms of action, which may explain its high selectivity and some of its clinical anticancer properties that are distinct from other D2 receptor antagonists widely used for the treatment of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Discovery, Optimization, and Characterization of ML417: A Novel and Highly Selective D3 Dopamine Receptor Agonist.

To identify novel D3 dopamine receptor (D3R) agonists, we conducted a high-throughput screen using a ß-arrestin recruitment assay. Counterscreening of the hit compounds provided an assessment of their selectivity, efficacy, and potency. The most promising scaffold was optimized through medicinal chemistry resulting in enhanced potency and selectivity. The optimized compound, ML417 (20), potently promotes D3R-mediated ß-arrestin translocation, G protein activation, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation (pERK) while lacking activity at other dopamine receptors. Screening of ML417 against multiple G protein-coupled receptors revealed exceptional global selectivity. Molecular modeling suggests that ML417 interacts with the D3R in a unique manner, possibly explaining its remarkable selectivity. ML417 was also found to protect against neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons derived from iPSCs. Together with promising pharmacokinetics and toxicology profiles, these results suggest that ML417 is a novel and uniquely selective D3R agonist that may serve as both a research tool and a therapeutic lead for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Identification of Positive Allosteric Modulators of the D1 Dopamine Receptor That Act at Diverse Binding Sites.

The D1 dopamine receptor is linked to a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders and represents an attractive drug target for the enhancement of cognition in schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, and other disorders. Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), with their potential for greater selectivity and larger therapeutic windows, may represent a viable drug development strategy, as orthosteric D1 receptor agonists possess known clinical liabilities. We discovered two structurally distinct D1 receptor PAMs, MLS6585 and MLS1082, via a high-throughput screen of the NIH Molecular Libraries program small-molecule library. Both compounds potentiate dopamine-stimulated G protein- and ß-arrestin-mediated signaling and increase the affinity of dopamine for the D1 receptor with low micromolar potencies. Neither compound displayed any intrinsic agonist activity. Both compounds were also found to potentiate the efficacy of partial agonists. We tested maximally effective concentrations of each PAM in combination to determine if the compounds might act at separate or similar sites. In combination, MLS1082 + MLS6585 produced an additive potentiation of dopamine potency beyond that caused by either PAM alone for both ß-arrestin recruitment and cAMP accumulation, suggesting diverse sites of action. In addition, MLS6585, but not MLS1082, had additive activity with the previously described D1 receptor PAM "Compound B," suggesting that MLS1082 and Compound B may share a common binding site. A point mutation (R130Q) in the D1 receptor was found to abrogate MLS1082 activity without affecting that of MLS6585, suggesting this residue may be involved in the binding/activity of MLS1082 but not that of MLS6585. Together, MLS1082 and MLS6585 may serve as important tool compounds for the characterization of diverse allosteric sites on the D1 receptor as well as the development of optimized lead compounds for therapeutic use.

Identification of G protein-biased agonists that fail to recruit ß-arrestin or promote internalization of the D1 dopamine receptor.

The D1 dopamine receptor (D1R) has been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, and D1R-selective ligands have potential as therapeutic agents. Previous studies have identified substituted benzazepines as D1R-selective agonists, but the in vivo effects of these compounds have not correlated well with their in vitro pharmacological activities. A series of substituted benzazepines, and structurally dissimilar D1R-selective agonists, were tested for their functional effects on D1R-mediated cAMP accumulation, D1R-promoted ß-arrestin recruitment, and D1R internalization using live cell functional assays. All compounds tested elicited an increase in the level of cAMP accumulation, albeit with a range of efficacies. However, when the compounds were evaluated for ß-arrestin recruitment, a subset of substituted benzazepines, SKF83959, SKF38393, SKF82957, SKF77434, and SKF75670, failed to activate this pathway, whereas the others showed similar activation efficacies as seen with cAMP accumulation. When tested as antagonists, the five biased compounds all inhibited dopamine-stimulated ß-arrestin recruitment. Further, D1R internalization assays revealed a corroborating pattern of activity in that the G protein-biased compounds failed to promote D1R internalization. Interestingly, the biased signaling was unique for the D1R, as the same compounds were agonists of the related D5 dopamine receptor (D5R), but revealed no signaling bias. We have identified a group of substituted benzazepine ligands that are agonists at D1R-mediated G protein signaling, but antagonists of D1R recruitment of ß-arrestin, and also devoid of agonist-induced receptor endocytosis. These data may be useful for interpreting the contrasting effects of these compounds in vitro versus in vivo, and also for the understanding of pathway-selective signaling of the D1R.

Discovery and characterization of a G protein-biased agonist that inhibits ß-arrestin recruitment to the D2 dopamine receptor.

A high-throughput screening campaign was conducted to interrogate a 380,000+ small-molecule library for novel D2 dopamine receptor modulators using a calcium mobilization assay. Active agonist compounds from the primary screen were examined for orthogonal D2 dopamine receptor signaling activities including cAMP modulation and ß-arrestin recruitment. Although the majority of the subsequently confirmed hits activated all signaling pathways tested, several compounds showed a diminished ability to stimulate ß-arrestin recruitment. One such compound (MLS1547; 5-chloro-7-[(4-pyridin-2-ylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl]quinolin-8-ol) is a highly efficacious agonist at D2 receptor-mediated G protein-linked signaling, but does not recruit ß-arrestin as demonstrated using two different assays. This compound does, however, antagonize dopamine-stimulated ß-arrestin recruitment to the D2 receptor. In an effort to investigate the chemical scaffold of MLS1547 further, we characterized a set of 24 analogs of MLS1547 with respect to their ability to inhibit cAMP accumulation or stimulate ß-arrestin recruitment. A number of the analogs were similar to MLS1547 in that they displayed agonist activity for inhibiting cAMP accumulation, but did not stimulate ß-arrestin recruitment (i.e., they were highly biased). In contrast, other analogs displayed various degrees of G protein signaling bias. These results provided the basis to use pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking analyses to build a preliminary structure-activity relationship of the functionally selective properties of this series of compounds. In summary, we have identified and characterized a novel G protein-biased agonist of the D2 dopamine receptor and identified structural features that may contribute to its biased signaling properties.

Reciprocal modulation of function between the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and the Na+,K+-ATPase.

It is well documented that dopamine can increase or decrease the activity of the Na+,K+-ATPase (NKA, sodium pump) in an organ-specific fashion. This regulation can occur, at least partially, via receptor-mediated second messenger activation and can promote NKA insertion or removal from the plasma membrane. Using co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, we now show that, in both brain and HEK293T cells, D1 and D2 dopamine receptors (DARs) can exist in a complex with the sodium pump. To determine the impact of NKA on DAR function, biological assays were conducted with NKA and DARs co-expressed in HEK293T cells. In this system, expression of NKA dramatically decreased D1 and D2 DAR densities with a concomitant functional decrease in DAR-mediated regulation of cAMP levels. Interestingly, pharmacological inhibition of endogenous or overexpressed NKA enhanced DAR function without altering receptor number or localization. Similarly, DAR function was also augmented by small interfering RNA reduction of the endogenous NKA. These data suggest that, under basal conditions, NKA negatively regulates DAR function via protein-protein interactions. In reciprocal fashion, expression of DARs decreases endogenous NKA function in the absence of dopamine, implicating DAR proteins as regulators of NKA activity. Notably, dopamine stimulation or pertussis toxin inhibition of D2 receptor signaling did not alter NKA activity, indicating that the D2-mediated decrease in NKA function is dependent upon protein-protein interactions rather than signaling molecules. This evidence for reciprocal regulation between DARs and NKA provides a novel control mechanism for both DAR signaling and cellular ion balance.

D1 and D2 dopamine receptor expression is regulated by direct interaction with the chaperone protein calnexin.

As for all proteins, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) undergo synthesis and maturation within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The mechanisms involved in the biogenesis and trafficking of GPCRs from the ER to the cell surface are poorly understood, but they may involve interactions with other proteins. We have now identified the ER chaperone protein calnexin as an interacting protein for both D(1) and D(2) dopamine receptors. These protein-protein interactions were confirmed using Western blot analysis and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. To determine the influence of calnexin on receptor expression, we conducted assays in HEK293T cells using a variety of calnexin-modifying conditions. Inhibition of glycosylation either through receptor mutations or treatments with glycosylation inhibitors partially blocks the interactions with calnexin with a resulting decrease in cell surface receptor expression. Confocal fluorescence microscopy reveals the accumulation of D(1)-green fluorescent protein and D(2)-yellow fluorescent protein receptors within internal stores following treatment with calnexin inhibitors. Overexpression of calnexin also results in a marked decrease in both D(1) and D(2) receptor expression. This is likely because of an increase in ER retention because confocal microscopy revealed intracellular clustering of dopamine receptors that were co-localized with an ER marker protein. Additionally, we show that calnexin interacts with the receptors via two distinct mechanisms, glycan-dependent and glycan-independent, which may underlie the multiple effects (ER retention and surface trafficking) of calnexin on receptor expression. Our data suggest that optimal receptor-calnexin interactions critically regulate D(1) and D(2) receptor trafficking and expression at the cell surface, a mechanism likely to be of importance for many GPCRs.

cAMP-Coupled riboflavin trafficking in placental trophoblasts: a dynamic and ordered process.

Riboflavin (RF, vitamin B(2)), an essential micronutrient central to cellular metabolism through formation of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactors, is internalized, at least in part, via a proposed receptor-mediated endocytic (RME) process. The purpose of this study was to delineate the cellular RF distribution using human placental trophoblasts and evaluate the regulatory role of cAMP in this process. Subcellular fractionation and three-dimensional confocal microscopy analyses were carried out to define the RF accumulation profile. Biochemical assays evaluating the cAMP dependence of this pathway were also performed. This study records an intracellular RF distribution pattern that shows dynamic accumulation of the ligand predominantly in the endosomal and lysosomal compartments and to a lesser extent in the Golgi and mitochondria. In contrast, transferrin (TF) colocalizes rapidly within endosomes with minimal accumulation in the other organelles. The temporal and spatial distribution of RF and TF colocalized with unique markers of the endocytic machinery provides added morphological evidence in support of the RME process with ultimate translocation to the mitochondrial domain. Colocalized staining with the Golgi also suggests a possible recycling or exocytic mechanism for this ligand. Furthermore, this study demonstrates cAMP regulation of the putative ligand-bound RF receptor and its association into endocytic vesicles. Delineating the dynamics of the process governing cellular RF homeostasis presents an untapped resource that can be further exploited in improving our current understanding of nutritional biology and fetal growth and development, and perhaps in targeting the endogenous system for developing novel therapeutic approaches.

Receptor protection studies comparing recombinant and native nicotinic receptors: Evidence for a subpopulation of mecamylamine-sensitive native alpha3beta4* nicotinic receptors.

Studies involving receptor protection have been used to define the functional involvement of specific receptor subtypes in tissues expressing multiple receptor subtypes. Previous functional studies from our laboratory demonstrate the feasibility of this approach when applied to neuronal tissues expressing multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In the current studies, the ability of a variety of nAChR agonists and antagonists to protect native and recombinant alpha3beta4 nAChRs from alkylation were investigated using nAChR binding techniques. Alkylation of native alpha3beta4* nAChRs from membrane preparations of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells resulted in a complete loss of specific [(3)H]epibatidine binding. This loss of binding to native nAChRs was preventable by pretreatment with the agonists, carbachol or nicotine. The partial agonist, cytisine, produced partial protection. Several nAChR antagonists were also tested for their ability to protect. Hexamethonium and decamethonium were without protective activity while mecamylamine and tubocurarine were partially effective. Addition protection studies were performed on recombinant alpha3beta4 nAChRs. As with native alpha3beta4* nAChRs, alkylation produced a complete loss of specific [(3)H]epibatidine binding to recombinant alpha3beta4 nAChRs which was preventable by pretreatment with nicotine. However, unlike native alpha3beta4* nAChRs, cytisine and mecamylamine, provide no protection for alkylation. These results highlight the differences between native alpha3beta4* nAChRs and recombinant alpha3beta4 nAChRs and support the use of protection assays to characterize native nAChR subpopulations.

Surface and intracellular nicotinic receptors expressed in intact adrenal chromaffin cells: direct measurements using [3H]epibatidine.

The presence and importance of assembled, intracellular neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) has not been established in native systems. In these studies [3H]epibatidine binding techniques were used to characterize surface and intracellular sites expressed in intact bovine adrenal chromaffin cells in culture. Permeant (300 microM nicotine) and impermeant (5 mM carbachol) cholinergic agents were used to define specific [3H]epibatidine binding to total (surface and intracellular) sites and surface sites, respectively. Intracellular [3H]epibatidine binding sites were characterized after eliminating surface binding sites via alkylation. Equilibrium binding to all sites was reached within 30 min at room temperature. Homologous (epibatidine) competition experiments on total (surface and intracellular) binding sites demonstrated a significant fraction of the high affinity sites were localized to intracellular compartments. Saturation binding assays to surface and intracellular sites revealed K(d) values of 1.9+/-1.1 and 3.6+/-1.9 nM, respectively. These binding studies document the existence of a significant population of high affinity, intracellular binding sites in native neuronal cells and support their characterization as assembled, alpha3beta4* nAChRs. Although the intracellular nAChRs represent approximately 70% of the total, high-affinity nAChRs expressed in cultured chromaffin cells, they do not appear to be involved in functional recovery after nAChR down-regulation.