Peptide inhibitors disrupt the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor interaction with phosphatase and tensin homolog to allosterically modulate cellular signaling and behavior.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) signaling through the 5-HT(2C) receptor (5-HT(2C)R) is essential in normal physiology, whereas aberrant 5-HT(2C)R function is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple neural disorders. The 5-HT(2C)R interacts with specific protein partners, but the impact of such interactions on 5-HT(2C)R function is poorly understood. Here, we report convergent cellular and behavioral data that the interaction between the 5-HT(2C)R and protein phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) serves as a regulatory mechanism to control 5-HT(2C)R-mediated biology but not that of the closely homologous 5-HT(2A)R. A peptide derived from the third intracellular loop of the human 5-HT(2C)R [3L4F (third loop, fourth fragment)] disrupted the association, allosterically augmented 5-HT(2C)R-mediated signaling in live cells, and acted as a positive allosteric modulator in rats in vivo. We identified the critical residues within an 8 aa fragment of the 3L4F peptide that maintained efficacy (within the picomolar range) in live cells similar to that of the 3L4F peptide. Last, molecular modeling identified key structural features and potential interaction sites of the active 3L4F peptides against PTEN. These compelling data demonstrate the specificity and importance of this protein assembly in cellular events and behaviors mediated by 5-HT(2C)R signaling and provide a chemical guidepost to the future development of drug-like peptide or small-molecule inhibitors as neuroprobes to study 5-HT(2C)R allostery and therapeutics for 5-HT(2C)R-mediated disorders.

Quantitative changes in intracellular calcium and extracellular-regulated kinase activation measured in parallel in CHO cells stably expressing serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT2A or 5-HT2C receptors.

BACKGROUND: The serotonin (5-HT) 2A and 2C receptors (5-HT2AR and 5-HT2CR) are involved in a wide range of physiological and behavioral processes in the mammalian central and peripheral nervous systems. These receptors share a high degree of homology, have overlapping pharmacological profiles, and utilize many of the same and richly diverse second messenger signaling systems. We have developed quantitative assays for cells stably expressing these two receptors involving minimal cell sample manipulations that dramatically improve parallel assessments of two signaling responses: intracellular calcium (Cai++) changes and activation (phosphorylation) of downstream kinases. Such profiles are needed to begin to understand the simultaneous contributions from the multiplicity of signaling cascades likely to be initiated by serotonergic ligands. RESULTS: We optimized the Cai++ assay for stable cell lines expressing either 5-HT2AR or 5-HT2CR (including dye use and measurement parameters; cell density and serum requirements). We adapted a quantitative 96-well plate immunoassay for pERK in the same cell lines. Similar cell density optima and time courses were observed for 5-HT2AR- and 5-HT2CR-expressing cells in generating both types of signaling. Both cell lines also require serum-free preincubation for maximal agonist responses in the pERK assay. However, 5-HT2AR-expressing cells showed significant release of Cai++ in response to 5-HT stimulation even when preincubated in serum-replete medium, while the response was completely eliminated by serum in 5-HT2CR-expressing cells. Response to another serotonergic ligand (DOI) was eliminated by serum-replete preincubation in both cells lines. CONCLUSIONS: These data expand our knowledge of differences in ligand-stimulated signaling cascades between 5-HT2AR and 5-HT2CR. Our parallel assays can be applied to other cell and receptor systems for monitoring and dissecting concurrent signaling responses.

Exploration of synthetic approaches and pharmacological evaluation of PNU-69176E and its stereoisomer as 5-HT2C receptor allosteric modulators.

Allosteric modulators of the serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT(2C) receptor (5-HT(2C)R) present a unique drug design strategy to augment the response to endogenous 5-HT in a site- and event-specific manner with great potential as novel central nervous system probes and therapeutics. To date, PNU-69176E is the only reported selective positive allosteric modulator for the 5-HT(2C)R. For the first time, an optimized synthetic route to readily access PNU-69176E (1) and its diastereomer 2 has been established in moderate to good overall yields over 10 steps starting from commercially available picolinic acid. This synthetic approach not only enables a feasible preparation of a sufficient amount of 1 for use as a reference compound for secondary pharmacological studies, but also provides an efficient synthesis of key intermediates to develop novel and simplified 5-HT(2C)R allosteric modulators. Compound 1 and its diastereomer 2 were functionally characterized in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably transfected with the 5-HT(2C)R using an intracellular calcium (Ca(i) (2+)) release assay. Compound 1 demonstrated efficacy and potency as an allosteric modulator for the 5-HT(2C)R with no intrinsic agonist activity. Compound 1 did not alter 5-HT-evoked Ca(i) (2+) in CHO cells stably transfected with the highly homologous 5-HT(2A)R. In contrast, the diastereomer 2 did not alter 5-HT-evoked Ca(i) (2+) release in 5-HT(2A)R-CHO or 5-HT(2C)R-CHO cells or exhibit intrinsic agonist activity.