Ways of modulating GABA transporters to treat neurological disease.

INTRODUCTION: The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is involved in a multitude of neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by an imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory signaling. Regulation of extracellular levels of GABA is maintained by the four GABA transporters (GATs; GAT1, GAT2, GAT3, and BGT1), Na+/Cl--coupled transporters of the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family. Despite mounting evidence for the involvement of the non-GAT1 GABA transporters in diseases, only GAT1 has successfully been translated into clinical practice via the drug tiagabine. AREAS COVERED: In this review, all four GATs will be described in terms of their involvement in disease, and the most recent data on structure, function, expression, and localization discussed in relation to their potential role as drug targets. This includes an overview of various ways to modulate the GATs in relation to treatment of diseases caused by imbalances in the GABAergic system. EXPERT OPINION: The recent publication of various GAT1 structures is an important milestone for future development of compounds targeting the GATs. Such information can provide much needed insight into mechanistic aspects of all GAT subtypes and be utilized to design improved ligands for this highly interesting drug target class.

3,4-Bis(hydroxymethyl)hexane-1,6-diol-based Maltosides (HDMs) for Membrane-Protein Study: Importance of Detergent Rigidity-Flexibility Balance in Protein Stability.

Detergents have been major contributors to membrane-protein structural study for decades. However, membrane proteins solubilized in conventional detergents tend to aggregate or denature over time. Stability of large eukaryotic membrane proteins with complex structures tends to be particularly poor, necessitating development of novel detergents with improved properties. Here, we prepared a novel class of detergents, designated 3,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)hexane-1,6-diol-based maltosides (HDMs). When tested on three membrane proteins, including two G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the new detergents displayed significantly better behaviors compared with DDM. Moreover, the HDMs were superior or comparable to LMNG, an amphiphile widely used for GPCR structural study. An optimal balance of detergent rigidity vs. flexibility of the HDMs is likely responsible for their favorable behaviors toward membrane-protein stability. Thus, the current study not only introduces the HDMs, with significant potential for membrane-protein structural study, but also suggests a useful guideline for designing novel detergents for membrane-protein research.

Foldable Detergents for Membrane Protein Study: Importance of Detergent Core Flexibility in Protein Stabilization.

Membrane proteins are of biological and pharmaceutical significance. However, their structural study is extremely challenging mainly due to the fact that only a small number of chemical tools are suitable for stabilizing membrane proteins in solution. Detergents are widely used in membrane protein study, but conventional detergents are generally poor at stabilizing challenging membrane proteins such as G protein-coupled receptors and protein complexes. In the current study, we prepared tandem triazine-based maltosides (TZMs) with two amphiphilic triazine units connected by different diamine linkers, hydrazine (TZM-Hs) and 1,2-ethylenediamine (TZM-Es). These TZMs were consistently superior to a gold standard detergent (DDM) in terms of stabilizing a few membrane proteins. In addition, the TZM-Es containing a long linker showed more general protein stabilization efficacy with multiple membrane proteins than the TZM-Hs containing a short linker. This result indicates that introduction of the flexible1,2-ethylenediamine linker between two rigid triazine rings enables the TZM-Es to fold into favourable conformations in order to promote membrane protein stability. The novel concept of detergent foldability introduced in the current study has potential in rational detergent design and membrane protein applications.

Maltose-bis(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MBPs) and Maltose-tris(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MTPs) Amphiphiles for Membrane Protein Stability.

Membrane protein structures provide a fundamental understanding of their molecular actions and are of importance for drug development. Detergents are widely used to solubilize, stabilize, and crystallize membrane proteins, but membrane proteins solubilized in conventional detergents are prone to denaturation and aggregation. Thus, developing novel detergents with enhanced efficacy for protein stabilization remains important. We report herein the design and synthesis of a class of phenol-derived maltoside detergents. Using two different linkers, we prepared two sets of new detergents, designated maltose-bis(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MBPs) and maltose-tris(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MTPs). The evaluation of these detergents with three transporters and two G-protein coupled receptors allowed us to identify a couple of new detergents (MBP-C9 and MTP-C12) that consistently conferred enhanced stability to all tested proteins compared to a gold standard detergent (DDM). Furthermore, the data analysis based on the detergent structures provides key detergent features responsible for membrane protein stabilization that together will facilitate the future design of novel detergents.

Diastereomeric Cyclopentane-Based Maltosides (CPMs) as Tools for Membrane Protein Study.

Amphiphilic agents, called detergents, are invaluable tools for studying membrane proteins. However, membrane proteins encapsulated by conventional head-to-tail detergents tend to denature or aggregate, necessitating the development of structurally distinct molecules with improved efficacy. Here, a novel class of diastereomeric detergents with a cyclopentane core unit, designated cyclopentane-based maltosides (CPMs), were prepared and evaluated for their ability to solubilize and stabilize several model membrane proteins. A couple of CPMs displayed enhanced behavior compared with the benchmark conventional detergent, n-dodecyl-ß-d-maltoside (DDM), for all the tested membrane proteins including two G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Furthermore, CPM-C12 was notable for its ability to confer enhanced membrane protein stability compared with the previously developed conformationally rigid NBMs [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 3072] and LMNG. The effect of the individual CPMs on protein stability varied depending on both the detergent configuration (cis/trans) and alkyl chain length, allowing us draw conclusions on the detergent structure-property-efficacy relationship. Thus, this study not only provides novel detergent tools useful for membrane protein research but also reports on structural features of the detergents critical for detergent efficacy in stabilizing membrane proteins.

Pendant-bearing glucose-neopentyl glycol (P-GNG) amphiphiles for membrane protein manipulation: Importance of detergent pendant chain for protein stabilization.

Glucoside detergents are successfully used for membrane protein crystallization mainly because of their ability to form small protein-detergent complexes. In a previous study, we introduced glucose neopentyl glycol (GNG) amphiphiles with a branched diglucoside structure that has facilitated high resolution crystallographic structure determination of several membrane proteins. Like other glucoside detergents, however, these GNGs were less successful than DDM in stabilizing membrane proteins, limiting their wide use in protein structural study. As a strategy to improve GNG efficacy for protein stabilization, we introduced two different alkyl chains (i.e., main and pendant chains) into the GNG scaffold while maintaining the branched diglucoside head group. Of these pendant-bearing GNGs (P-GNGs), three detergents (GNG-2,14, GNG-3,13 and GNG-3,14) were not only notably better than both DDM (a gold standard detergent) and the previously described GNGs at stabilizing all six membrane proteins tested here, but were also as efficient as DDM at membrane protein extraction. The results suggest that the C14 main chain of the P-GNGs is highly compatible with the hydrophobic widths of membrane proteins, while the C2/C3 pendant chain is effective at strengthening detergent hydrophobic interactions. Based on the marked effect on protein stability and solubility, these glucoside detergents hold significant potential for membrane protein structural study. Furthermore, the independent roles of the detergent two alkyl chains first introduced in this study have shed light on new amphiphile design for membrane protein study. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Detergent efficacy for protein stabilization tends to be protein-specific, thus it is challenging to find a detergent that is effective at stabilizing multiple membrane proteins. By incorporating a pendant chain into our previous GNG scaffold, we prepared pendant chain-bearing GNGs (P-GNGs) and identified three P-GNGs that were highly effective at stabilizing all membrane proteins tested here including two GPCRs. In addition, the new detergents were as efficient as DDM at extracting membrane proteins, enabling use of these detergents over the multiple steps of protein isolation. The key difference between the P-GNGs and other glucoside detergents, the presence of a pendant chain, is likely to be responsible for their markedly enhanced protein stabilization behavior.

New Malonate-Derived Tetraglucoside Detergents for Membrane Protein Stability.

Membrane proteins are widely studied in detergent micelles, a membrane-mimetic system formed by amphiphilic compounds. However, classical detergents have serious limitations in their utility, particularly for unstable proteins such as eukaryotic membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes, and thus, there is an unmet need for novel amphiphiles with enhanced ability to stabilize membrane proteins. Here, we developed a new class of malonate-derived detergents with four glucosides, designated malonate-derived tetra-glucosides (MTGs), and compared these new detergents with previously reported octyl glucose neopentyl glycol (OGNG) and n-dodecyl-ß-d-maltoside (DDM). When tested with two G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and three transporters, a couple of MTGs consistently conferred enhanced stability to all tested proteins compared to DDM and OGNG. As a result of favorable behaviors for a range of membrane proteins, these MTGs have substantial potential for membrane protein research. This study additionally provides a new detergent design principle based on the effect of a polar functional group (i.e., ether) on protein stability depending on its position in the detergent scaffold.

X-ray structure of LeuT in an inward-facing occluded conformation reveals mechanism of substrate release.

Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSS) are conserved from bacteria to man and serve as targets for drugs, including antidepressants and psychostimulants. Here we report the X-ray structure of the prokaryotic NSS member, LeuT, in a Na+/substrate-bound, inward-facing occluded conformation. To obtain this structure, we were guided by findings from single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations indicating that L-Phe binding and mutation of the conserved N-terminal Trp8 to Ala both promote an inward-facing state. Compared to the outward-facing occluded conformation, our structure reveals a major tilting of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane segment (TM) 5, which, together with release of the N-terminus but without coupled movement of TM1, opens a wide cavity towards the second Na+ binding site. The structure of this key intermediate in the LeuT transport cycle, in the context of other NSS structures, leads to the proposal of an intracellular release mechanism of substrate and ions in NSS proteins.

Short-Range Distance Measurement by Transition Metal Ion FRET.

Measurement of atomic-scale conformational dynamics in proteins has proved a challenging endeavor, although these movements are pivotal for understanding the mechanisms behind protein function. Herein we describe a fluorescence-based method that enables the measurement of distances between specific domains within a protein and how it might change during protein function. The method is transition metal ion Förster resonance energy transfer (tmFRET) and builds on the principle that the fluorescence emission from a fluorophore can be quenched in a distance-dependent manner by a colored transition metal such as nickel (Ni2+), copper (Cu2+), or cobalt (Co2+). It can be applied to literally any protein where it is possible to perform site-specific incorporation of a fluorescent molecule. This chapter will explain the use and applications of tmFRET in detail using incorporation of the dye with cysteine chemistry on a purified protein sample.

Conformationally Restricted Monosaccharide-Cored Glycoside Amphiphiles: The Effect of Detergent Headgroup Variation on Membrane Protein Stability.

Detergents are widely used to isolate membrane proteins from lipid bilayers, but many proteins solubilized in conventional detergents are structurally unstable. Thus, there is major interest in the development of novel amphiphiles to facilitate membrane protein research. In this study, we have designed and synthesized novel amphiphiles with a rigid scyllo-inositol core, designated scyllo-inositol glycosides (SIGs). Varying the headgroup structure allowed the preparation of three sets of SIGs that were evaluated for their effects on membrane protein stability. When tested with a few model membrane proteins, representative SIGs conferred enhanced stability to the membrane proteins compared to a gold standard conventional detergent (DDM). Of the novel amphiphiles, a SIG designated STM-12 was most effective at preserving the stability of the multiple membrane proteins tested here. In addition, a comparative study of the three sets suggests that several factors, including micelle size and alkyl chain length, need to be considered in the development of novel detergents for membrane protein research. Thus, this study not only describes new detergent tools that are potentially useful for membrane protein structural study but also introduces plausible correlations between the chemical properties of detergents and membrane protein stabilization efficacy.

Self-Assembly Behavior and Application of Terphenyl-Cored Trimaltosides for Membrane-Protein Studies: Impact of Detergent Hydrophobic Group Geometry on Protein Stability.

Amphipathic agents are widely used in various fields including biomedical sciences. Micelle-forming detergents are particularly useful for in vitro membrane-protein characterization. As many conventional detergents are limited in their ability to stabilize membrane proteins, it is necessary to develop novel detergents to facilitate membrane-protein research. In the current study, we developed novel trimaltoside detergents with an alkyl pendant-bearing terphenyl unit as a hydrophobic group, designated terphenyl-cored maltosides (TPMs). We found that the geometry of the detergent hydrophobic group substantially impacts detergent self-assembly behavior, as well as detergent efficacy for membrane-protein stabilization. TPM-Vs, with a bent terphenyl group, were superior to the linear counterparts (TPM-Ls) at stabilizing multiple membrane proteins. The favorable protein stabilization efficacy of these bent TPMs is likely associated with a binding mode with membrane proteins distinct from conventional detergents and facial amphiphiles. When compared to n-dodecyl-ß-d-maltoside (DDM), most TPMs were superior or comparable to this gold standard detergent at stabilizing membrane proteins. Notably, TPM-L3 was particularly effective at stabilizing the human ß2 adrenergic receptor (ß2 AR), a G-protein coupled receptor, and its complex with Gs protein. Thus, the current study not only provides novel detergent tools that are useful for membrane-protein study, but also suggests a critical role for detergent hydrophobic group geometry in governing detergent efficacy.

Correction: Trehalose-cored amphiphiles for membrane protein stabilization: importance of the detergent micelle size in GPCR stability.

Correction for 'Trehalose-cored amphiphiles for membrane protein stabilization: importance of the detergent micelle size in GPCR stability' by Manabendra Das et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2019, 17, 3249-3257.

Self-Assembly Behaviors of a Penta-Phenylene Maltoside and Its Application for Membrane Protein Study.

We prepared an amphiphile with a penta-phenylene lipophilic group and a branched trimaltoside head group. This new agent, designated penta-phenylene maltoside (PPM), showed a marked tendency to self-assembly into micelles via strong aromatic-aromatic interactions in aqueous media, as evidenced by 1 H NMR spectroscopy and fluorescence studies. When utilized for membrane protein studies, this new agent was superior to DDM, a gold standard conventional detergent, in stabilizing multiple proteins long term. The ability of this agent to form aromatic-aromatic interactions is likely responsible for enhanced protein stabilization when associated with a target membrane protein.

Trehalose-cored amphiphiles for membrane protein stabilization: importance of the detergent micelle size in GPCR stability.

Despite their importance in biology and medicinal chemistry, structural and functional studies of membrane proteins present major challenges. To study diverse membrane proteins, it is crucial to have the correct detergent to efficiently extract and stabilize the proteins from the native membranes for biochemical/biophysical downstream analyses. But many membrane proteins, particularly eukaryotic ones, are recalcitrant to stabilization and/or crystallization with currently available detergents and thus there are major efforts to develop novel detergents with enhanced properties. Here, a novel class of trehalose-cored amphiphiles are introduced, with multiple alkyl chains and carbohydrates projecting from the trehalose core unit are introduced. A few members displayed enhanced protein stabilization behavior compared to the benchmark conventional detergent, n-dodecyl-ß-d-maltoside (DDM), for multiple tested membrane proteins: (i) a bacterial leucine transporter (LeuT), (ii) the R. capsulatus photosynthetic superassembly, and (iii) the human ß2 adrenergic receptor (ß2AR). Due to synthetic convenience and their favourable behaviors for a range of membrane proteins, these agents have potential for membrane protein research. In addition, the detergent property-efficacy relationship discussed here will guide future design of novel detergents.

Asymmetric maltose neopentyl glycol amphiphiles for a membrane protein study: effect of detergent asymmetricity on protein stability.

Maintaining protein stability in an aqueous solution is a prerequisite for protein structural and functional studies, but conventional detergents have increasingly showed limited ability to maintain protein integrity. A representative novel agent, maltose neopentyl glycol-3 (MNG-3), has recently substantially contributed to membrane protein structural studies. Motivated by the popular use of this novel agent, we prepared asymmetric versions of MNG-3 and evaluated these agents with several membrane proteins including two G protein-coupled receptors in this study. We found that some new MNGs were significantly more effective than MNG-3 at preserving protein integrity in the long term, suggesting that these asymmetric MNGs will find a wide use in membrane protein studies. In addition, this is the first study addressing the favorable effect of detergent asymmetric nature on membrane protein stability.

A comparative study of branched and linear mannitol-based amphiphiles on membrane protein stability.

The study of membrane proteins is extremely challenging, mainly because of the incompatibility of the hydrophobic surfaces of membrane proteins with an aqueous medium. Detergents are essential agents used to maintain membrane protein stability in non-native environments. However, conventional detergents fail to stabilize the native structures of many membrane proteins. Development of new amphipathic agents with enhanced efficacy for membrane protein stabilization is necessary to address this important problem. We have designed and synthesized linear and branched mannitol-based amphiphiles (MNAs), and comparative studies showed that most of the branched MNAs had advantages over the linear agents in terms of membrane protein stability. In addition, a couple of the new MNAs displayed favorable behaviors compared to n-dodecyl-ß-d-maltoside and the previously developed MNAs in maintaining the native protein structures, indicating potential utility of these new agents in membrane protein study.

Rationally Engineered Tandem Facial Amphiphiles for Improved Membrane Protein Stabilization Efficacy.

A new family of tandem facial glucosides/maltosides (TFGs/TFMs) for membrane protein manipulation was prepared. The best detergent varied depending on the hydrophobic thickness of the target protein, but ether-based TFMs (TFM-C0E, TFM-C3E, and TFM-C5E) were notable for their ability to confer higher membrane protein stability than the previously developed amide-based TFA-1 (P. S. Chae, K. Gotfryd, J. Pacyna, L. J. W. Miercke, S. G. F. Rasmussen, R. A. Robbins, R. R. Rana, C. J. Loland, B. Kobilka, R. Stroud, B. Byrne, U. Gether, S. H. Gellman, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 16750-16752). Thus, this study not only introduces novel agents with the potential to be used in membrane protein research but also highlights the importance of both the hydrophobic length and linker functionality of the detergent in stabilizing membrane proteins.

An Engineered Lithocholate-Based Facial Amphiphile Stabilizes Membrane Proteins: Assessing the Impact of Detergent Customizability on Protein Stability.

Amphiphiles are critical tools for the structural and functional study of membrane proteins. Membrane proteins encapsulated by conventional head-to-tail detergents tend to undergo structural degradation, necessitating the development of structurally novel agents with improved efficacy. In recent years, facial amphiphiles have yielded encouraging results in terms of membrane protein stability. Herein, we report a new facial detergent (i.e., LFA-C4) that confers greater stability to tested membrane proteins than the bola form analogue. Owing to the increased facial property and the adaptability of the detergent micelles in complex with different membrane proteins, LFA-C4 yields increased stability compared to n-dodecyl-ß-d-maltoside (DDM). Thus, this study not only describes a novel maltoside detergent with enhanced protein-stabilizing properties, but also shows that the customizable nature of a detergent plays an important role in the stabilization of membrane proteins. Owing to both synthetic convenience and enhanced stabilization efficacy for a range of membrane proteins, the new agent has major potential in membrane protein research.

Steroid-Based Amphiphiles for Membrane Protein Study: The Importance of Alkyl Spacers for Protein Stability.

Membrane proteins allow effective communication between cells and organelles and their external environments. Maintaining membrane protein stability in a non-native environment is the major bottleneck to their structural study. Detergents are widely used to extract membrane proteins from the membrane and to keep the extracted protein in a stable state for downstream characterisation. In this study, three sets of steroid-based amphiphiles-glyco-diosgenin analogues (GDNs) and steroid-based pentasaccharides either lacking a linker (SPSs) or containing a linker (SPS-Ls)-have been developed as new chemical tools for membrane protein research. These detergents were tested with three membrane proteins in order to characterise their ability to extract membrane proteins from the membrane and to stabilise membrane proteins long-term. Some of the detergents, particularly the SPS-Ls, displayed favourable behaviour with the tested membrane proteins. This result indicates the potential utility of these detergents as chemical tools for membrane protein structural study and a critical role of the simple alkyl spacer in determining detergent efficacy.

Vitamin E-based glycoside amphiphiles for membrane protein structural studies.

Membrane proteins play critical roles in a variety of cellular processes. For a detailed molecular level understanding of their biological functions and roles in disease, it is necessary to extract them from the native membranes. While the amphipathic nature of these bio-macromolecules presents technical challenges, amphiphilic assistants such as detergents serve as useful tools for membrane protein structural and functional studies. Conventional detergents are limited in their ability to maintain the structural integrity of membrane proteins and thus it is essential to develop novel agents with enhanced properties. Here, we designed and characterized a novel class of amphiphiles with vitamin E (i.e., α-tocopherol) as the hydrophobic tail group and saccharide units as the hydrophilic head group. Designated vitamin E-based glycosides (VEGs), these agents were evaluated for their ability to solubilize and stabilize a set of membrane proteins. VEG representatives not only conferred markedly enhanced stability to a diverse range of membrane proteins compared to conventional detergents, but VEG-3 also showed notable efficacy toward stabilization and visualization of a membrane protein complex. In addition to hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of detergent molecules, the chain length and molecular geometry of the detergent hydrophobic group seem key factors in determining detergent efficacy for membrane protein (complex) stability.