Abstract
Neurosteroids are endogenous neuromodulators that bind and allosterically regulate GABAA receptors. Residues were recently identified in the first transmembrane domain (M1) of GABAA receptor subunits that are important for neurosteroid modulation. We are studying the inhibition of GABAA receptors by sulfated neurosteroids. One of these neurosteroid, pregnenolone sulfate (PS), depends on six identified M1 residues to inhibit the UNC-49 GABA receptor, a homomeric GABA receptor from Caenorhabditis elegans that is homologous to the mammalian GABAA receptor. Here, we investigate the inhibition of the UNC-49 GABA receptor by another sulfated neurosteroid, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). DHEAS is identical to PS except that it contains a carbonyl oxygen instead of an acetyl group at C17 on the steroid D ring. UNC-49 mutations that affect PS inhibition had broadly parallel effects on DHEAS, suggesting the two neurosteroids act through similar mechanisms. However, certain M1 mutations affected DHEAS differently than PS. Considering that first, the D ring contains the only structural difference between PS and DHEAS, and second, the strongest chemical and steric effects of a mutation are likely to be felt in the local environment of the altered residues, this result implies that the steroid D ring may contact M1 near the mutated residues. This possibility is interesting because current models of neurosteroid interactions with GABAA receptors, based on pregnane steroids, suggest that the steroid A ring binds M1, whereas the D ring binds M4. Our findings suggest that there may be considerable diversity in the way different classes of neurosteroids interact with GABAA receptors.
Footnotes
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This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants NS43345 (to B.A.B.) and GM47969 (to D.F.C.).
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Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org.
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doi:10.1124/mol.107.034058.
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ABBREVIATIONS: PS, pregnenolone sulfate; DHEAS, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; M, transmembrane domain.
- Received January 9, 2007.
- Accepted August 22, 2007.
- The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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