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Research ArticleArticle

Binding Mode Selection Determines the Action of Ecstasy Homologs at Monoamine Transporters

Walter Sandtner, Thomas Stockner, Peter S. Hasenhuetl, John S. Partilla, Amir Seddik, Yuan-Wei Zhang, Jianjing Cao, Marion Holy, Thomas Steinkellner, Gary Rudnick, Michael H. Baumann, Gerhard F. Ecker, Amy Hauck Newman and Harald H. Sitte
Molecular Pharmacology January 2016, 89 (1) 165-175; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.115.101394
Walter Sandtner
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Thomas Stockner
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Peter S. Hasenhuetl
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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John S. Partilla
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Amir Seddik
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Yuan-Wei Zhang
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Jianjing Cao
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Marion Holy
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Thomas Steinkellner
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Gary Rudnick
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Michael H. Baumann
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Gerhard F. Ecker
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Amy Hauck Newman
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Harald H. Sitte
Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (W.S., T.Sto., P.S.H., M.H., T.Ste., H.H.S.) and Center for Addiction Research and Science (H.H.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Designer Drug Research Unit (J.S.P., M.H.B.) and Medicinal Chemistry Section (J.J.C., A.H.N.), Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.S., G.F.E.); and Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (Y.-W.Z., G.R.)
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Abstract

Determining the structural elements that define substrates and inhibitors at the monoamine transporters is critical to elucidating the mechanisms underlying these disparate functions. In this study, we addressed this question directly by generating a series of N-substituted 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine analogs that differ only in the number of methyl substituents on the terminal amine group. Starting with 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N,N-dimethylamphetamine (MDDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N,N,N-trimethylamphetamine (MDTMA) were prepared. We evaluated the functional activities of the compounds at all three monoamine transporters in native brain tissue and cells expressing the transporters. In addition, we used ligand docking to generate models of the respective protein-ligand complexes, which allowed us to relate the experimental findings to available structural information. Our results suggest that the 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine analogs bind at the monoamine transporter orthosteric binding site by adopting one of two mutually exclusive binding modes. 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine adopt a high-affinity binding mode consistent with a transportable substrate, whereas MDDMA and MDTMA adopt a low-affinity binding mode consistent with an inhibitor, in which the ligand orientation is inverted. Importantly, MDDMA can alternate between both binding modes, whereas MDTMA exclusively binds to the low-affinity mode. Our experimental results are consistent with the idea that the initial orientation of bound ligands is critical for subsequent interactions that lead to transporter conformational changes and substrate translocation.

Footnotes

    • Received August 17, 2015.
    • Accepted October 23, 2015.
  • ↵1 W.S. and T.Sto. contributed equally to this work.

  • This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund/FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaft und Forschung) [Grant W1232] to G.F.E. and H.H.S., Austrian Science Fund/FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaft und Forschung) [Grant F35] to G.F.E., H.H.S., and T.Sto., and a MDPhD fellowship by the Medical University of Vienna to P.S.H. M.B.H. and A.H.N. receive support by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program [Grant DA000389].

  • dx.doi.org/10.1124/mol.115.101394.

  • ↵Embedded ImageThis article has supplemental material available at molpharm.aspetjournals.org.

  • U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright
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Molecular Pharmacology: 89 (1)
Molecular Pharmacology
Vol. 89, Issue 1
1 Jan 2016
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Research ArticleArticle

Ecstasy Analogues: From Substrate to Inhibitor

Walter Sandtner, Thomas Stockner, Peter S. Hasenhuetl, John S. Partilla, Amir Seddik, Yuan-Wei Zhang, Jianjing Cao, Marion Holy, Thomas Steinkellner, Gary Rudnick, Michael H. Baumann, Gerhard F. Ecker, Amy Hauck Newman and Harald H. Sitte
Molecular Pharmacology January 1, 2016, 89 (1) 165-175; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.115.101394

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Research ArticleArticle

Ecstasy Analogues: From Substrate to Inhibitor

Walter Sandtner, Thomas Stockner, Peter S. Hasenhuetl, John S. Partilla, Amir Seddik, Yuan-Wei Zhang, Jianjing Cao, Marion Holy, Thomas Steinkellner, Gary Rudnick, Michael H. Baumann, Gerhard F. Ecker, Amy Hauck Newman and Harald H. Sitte
Molecular Pharmacology January 1, 2016, 89 (1) 165-175; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.115.101394
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