G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 constitutively regulates D2 dopamine receptor expression and signaling independently of receptor phosphorylation.

We investigated the regulatory effects of GRK2 on D(2) dopamine receptor signaling and found that this kinase inhibits both receptor expression and functional signaling in a phosphorylation-independent manner, apparently through different mechanisms. Overexpression of GRK2 was found to suppress receptor expression at the cell surface and enhance agonist-induced internalization, whereas short interfering RNA knockdown of endogenous GRK2 led to an increase in cell surface receptor expression and decreased agonist-mediated endocytosis. These effects were not due to GRK2-mediated phosphorylation of the D(2) receptor as a phosphorylation-null receptor mutant was regulated similarly, and overexpression of a catalytically inactive mutant of GRK2 produced the same effects. The suppression of receptor expression is correlated with constitutive association of GRK2 with the receptor complex as we found that GRK2 and several of its mutants were able to co-immunoprecipitate with the D(2) receptor. Agonist pretreatment did not enhance the ability of GRK2 to co-immunoprecipitate with the receptor. We also found that overexpression of GRK2 attenuated the functional coupling of the D(2) receptor and that this activity required the kinase activity of GRK2 but did not involve receptor phosphorylation, thus suggesting the involvement of an additional GRK2 substrate. Interestingly, we found that the suppression of functional signaling also required the G betagamma binding activity of GRK2 but did not involve the GRK2 N-terminal RH domain. Our results suggest a novel mechanism by which GRK2 negatively regulates G protein-coupled receptor signaling in a manner that is independent of receptor phosphorylation.

G protein-coupled receptor kinase-mediated phosphorylation regulates post-endocytic trafficking of the D2 dopamine receptor.

We investigated the role of G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)-mediated phosphorylation in agonist-induced desensitization, arrestin association, endocytosis, and intracellular trafficking of the D(2) dopamine receptor (DAR). Agonist activation of D(2) DARs results in rapid and sustained receptor phosphorylation that is solely mediated by GRKs. A survey of GRKs revealed that only GRK2 or GRK3 promotes D(2) DAR phosphorylation. Mutational analyses resulted in the identification of eight serine/threonine residues within the third cytoplasmic loop of the receptor that are phosphorylated by GRK2/3. Simultaneous mutation of these eight residues results in a receptor construct, GRK(-), that is completely devoid of agonist-promoted GRK-mediated receptor phosphorylation. We found that both wild-type (WT) and GRK(-) receptors underwent a similar degree of agonist-induced desensitization as assessed using [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding assays. Similarly, both receptor constructs internalized to the same extent in response to agonist treatment. Furthermore, using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays to directly assess receptor association with arrestin3, we found no differences between the WT and GRK(-) receptors. Thus, phosphorylation is not required for arrestin-receptor association or agonist-induced desensitization or internalization. In contrast, when we examined recycling of the D(2) DARs to the cell surface, subsequent to agonist-induced endocytosis, the GRK(-) construct exhibited less recycling in comparison with the WT receptor. This impairment appears to be due to a greater propensity of the GRK(-) receptors to down-regulate once internalized. In contrast, if the receptor is highly phosphorylated, then receptor recycling is promoted. These results reveal a novel role for GRK-mediated phosphorylation in regulating the post-endocytic trafficking of a G protein-coupled receptor.

Syntaxin 1A interaction with the dopamine transporter promotes amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux.

The soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor protein syntaxin 1A (SYN1A) interacts with and regulates the function of transmembrane proteins, including ion channels and neurotransmitter transporters. Here, we define the first 33 amino acids of the N terminus of the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) as the site of direct interaction with SYN1A. Amphetamine (AMPH) increases the association of SYN1A with human DAT (hDAT) in a heterologous expression system (hDAT cells) and with native DAT in murine striatal synaptosomes. Immunoprecipitation of DAT from the biotinylated fraction shows that the AMPH-induced increase in DAT/SYN1A association occurs at the plasma membrane. In a superfusion assay of DA efflux, cells overexpressing SYN1A exhibited significantly greater AMPH-induced DA release with respect to control cells. By combining the patch-clamp technique with amperometry, we measured DA release under voltage clamp. At -60 mV, a physiological resting potential, AMPH did not induce DA efflux in hDAT cells and DA neurons. In contrast, perfusion of exogenous SYN1A (3 microM) into the cell with the whole-cell pipette enabled AMPH-induced DA efflux at -60 mV in both hDAT cells and DA neurons. It has been shown recently that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is activated by AMPH and regulates AMPH-induced DA efflux. Here, we show that AMPH-induced association between DAT and SYN1A requires CaMKII activity and that inhibition of CaMKII blocks the ability of exogenous SYN1A to promote DA efflux. These data suggest that AMPH activation of CaMKII supports DAT/SYN1A association, resulting in a mode of DAT capable of DA efflux.

Recruitment of beta-arrestin2 to the dopamine D2 receptor: insights into anti-psychotic and anti-parkinsonian drug receptor signaling.

Drugs acting at dopamine D2-like receptors play a pivotal role in the treatment of both schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have demonstrated a role for G-protein independent D2 receptor signaling pathways acting through beta-arrestin. In this study we describe the establishment of a Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) assay for measuring dopamine induced recruitment of human beta-arrestin2 to the human dopamine D2 receptor. Dopamine, as well as the dopamine receptor agonists pramipexole and quinpirole, acted as full agonists in the assay as reflected by their ability to elicit marked concentration dependent increases in the BRET signal signifying beta-arrestin2 recruitment to the D2 receptor. As expected from their effect on G-protein coupling and cAMP levels mediated through the D2 receptor RNPA, pergolide, apomorphine, ropinirole, bromocriptine, 3PPP, terguride, aripiprazole, SNPA all acted as partial agonists with decreasing efficacy in the BRET assay. In contrast, a wide selection of typical and atypical anti-psychotics was incapable of stimulating beta-arrestin2 recruitment to the D2 receptor. Moreover, we observed that haloperidol, sertindole, olanzapine, clozapine and ziprasidone all fully inhibited the dopamine induced beta-arrestin2 recruitment to D2 receptor (short variant) in a concentration dependent manner. We conclude that most anti-psychotics are incapable of stimulating beta-arrestin2 recruitment to the dopamine D2 receptor, in accordance with their antagonistic properties at the level of G-protein coupling.

Hypoinsulinemia regulates amphetamine-induced reverse transport of dopamine.

The behavioral effects of psychomotor stimulants such as amphetamine (AMPH) arise from their ability to elicit increases in extracellular dopamine (DA). These AMPH-induced increases are achieved by DA transporter (DAT)-mediated transmitter efflux. Recently, we have shown that AMPH self-administration is reduced in rats that have been depleted of insulin with the diabetogenic agent streptozotocin (STZ). In vitro studies suggest that hypoinsulinemia may regulate the actions of AMPH by inhibiting the insulin downstream effectors phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (PKB, or Akt), which we have previously shown are able to fine-tune DAT cell-surface expression. Here, we demonstrate that striatal Akt function, as well as DAT cell-surface expression, are significantly reduced by STZ. In addition, our data show that the release of DA, determined by high-speed chronoamperometry (HSCA) in the striatum, in response to AMPH, is severely impaired in these insulin-deficient rats. Importantly, selective inhibition of PI3K with LY294002 within the striatum results in a profound reduction in the subsequent potential for AMPH to evoke DA efflux. Consistent with our biochemical and in vivo electrochemical data, findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments reveal that the ability of AMPH to elicit positive blood oxygen level-dependent signal changes in the striatum is significantly blunted in STZ-treated rats. Finally, local infusion of insulin into the striatum of STZ-treated animals significantly recovers the ability of AMPH to stimulate DA release as measured by high-speed chronoamperometry. The present studies establish that PI3K signaling regulates the neurochemical actions of AMPH-like psychomotor stimulants. These data suggest that insulin signaling pathways may represent a novel mechanism for regulating DA transmission, one which may be targeted for the treatment of AMPH abuse and potentially other dopaminergic disorders.

Amphetamine induces a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-dependent reduction in norepinephrine transporter surface expression linked to changes in syntaxin 1A/transporter complexes.

Norepinephrine (NE) transporters (NETs) are high-affinity transport proteins that mediate the synaptic clearance of NE after vesicular release. NETs represent a major therapeutic target for antidepressants and are targets of multiple psychostimulants including amphetamine (AMPH) and cocaine. Recently, we demonstrated that syntaxin 1A (SYN1A) regulates NET surface expression and, through binding to the transporter's NH(2) terminus, regulates transporter catalytic function. AMPH induces NE efflux and may also regulate transporter trafficking. We monitored NET distribution and function in catecholaminergic cell lines (CAD) stably transfected with either full-length human NET (CAD-hNET) or with an hNET N-terminal deletion (CAD-hNETDelta(28-47) cells). In hNET-CAD cells, AMPH causes a slow and small reduction of surface hNET with a modest increase in hNET/SYN1A associations at the plasma membrane. In contrast, in CAD-hNETDelta(28-47) cells, AMPH induces a rapid and substantial reduction in surface hNETDelta(28-47) accompanied by a large increase in plasma membrane hNETDelta(28-47)/SYN1A complexes. We also found that AMPH in CAD-hNETDelta(28-47) cells induces a robust increase in cytosolic Ca2+ and concomitant activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Inhibition of either the increase in intracellular Ca2+ or CaMKII activity blocks AMPH-stimulated hNETDelta(28-47) trafficking and the formation of hNETDelta(28-47)/SYN1A complexes. Here, we demonstrate that AMPH stimulation of CAMKII stabilizes an hNET/SYN1A complex. This hNET/SYN1A complex rapidly redistributes, upon AMPH treatment, when mechanisms supported by the transporter's NH2 terminus are eliminated.

The N-terminus of the norepinephrine transporter regulates the magnitude and selectivity of the transporter-associated leak current.

The norepinephrine (NE) transporter (NET) mediates the removal of NE from synaptic spaces and is a major target for antidepressants, amphetamine and cocaine. Previously, we have shown that syntaxin 1A (SYN 1A) supports human NET (hNET) cell surface expression, that hNET/SYN 1A interactions are direct and mediated by the hNET N-terminus, and that the hNET/SYN 1A association limits substrate-induced hNET-associated currents [Sung, U., Apparsundaram, S., Galli, A., Kahlig, K.M., Savchenko, V., Schroeter, S., Quick, M.W., Blakely, R.D., 2003. A regulated interaction of syntaxin 1A with the antidepressant-sensitive norepinephrine transporter establishes catecholamine clearance capacity. J. Neurosci. 23, 1697-1709]. These data raise the possibility that the hNET N-terminus, and potentially its interaction with SYN 1A, might regulate other hNET conductance states, including the hNET-mediated leak current. Importantly for monoamine transporters, the leak conductance has been shown to play a critical role in regulating cell membrane potential and possibly neuronal excitability [Quick, M.W., 2003. Regulating the conducting states of a mammalian serotonin transporter. Neuron 40, 537-549]. Here we demonstrate that deletion of the binding domain for SYN 1A in the NET N-terminus robustly enhances the NET-mediated leak current as well as its selectivity for Cl- permeation under particular intracellular ionic compositions. In addition, we show that the NET N-terminus coordinates the ability of intracellular Na+ and Cl- to regulate the leak conductance. These data suggest that the NET N-terminus regulates and defines the ionic specificity of the NET-mediated leak current.