title: Dopamine transporter transmembrane domain polar mutants: DeltaG and DeltaDeltaG values implicate regions important for transporter functions.
abstract: Polar residues in dopamine transporter (DAT) transmembrane domains (TMs) are likely to act individually and even interactively in recognizing cocaine and dopamine. We initially evaluated the effects of alanine substitution mutants that remove the polar side chains from residues in each of the 12 putative DAT TMs on the recognition of dopamine and the cocaine analog CFT. Eleven combination mutants with multiple substitutions in DAT TMs 4, 5, 7, or 11 were then selected as candidates for more detailed evaluation based on mutation effects on dopamine and cocaine analog affinities. An evaluation of Gibbs free energy changes displayed by single and combined TM mutants (DeltaG(o) and DeltaDeltaG(o)(int)) reveals three categories of potential interactions among mutants: 1) independent, noncooperative interactions (five influenced CFT and two influenced dopamine affinities), 2) synergistic influences (two for CFT and four for dopamine), and 3) complementation of influences on CFT recognition (four mutants) or on dopamine affinity (five). Combined mutations in TMs 4 and 5 yield the largest DeltaDeltaG(o)(int) values for dopamine uptake. TMs 4 and 11 mutants provide the largest DeltaDeltaG(o)(int) for CFT binding. Interactions between residues lying in DAT TMs 4 and 5 support current DAT structural models that suggest the juxtaposition of these two TMs. These data also support contributions of TM 4 and 11 residues to a polar pocket important for cocaine recognition. These candidate interactive DAT polar domains provide larger target sites for compounds that could modulate specific DAT functions than those provided by single mutations alone.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itokawa
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitayama
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Uhl
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D019556:COS Cells; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493216:Slc6a3 protein, rat; D014316:Tritium; C021279:(1R-(exo,exo))-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-8-methyl-8- azabicyclo(3.2.1)octane-2-carboxylic acid, methyl ester; D003042:Cocaine; D000409:Alanine; D004298:Dopamine