title: Methyllycaconitine is a potent antagonist of alpha-conotoxin-MII-sensitive presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rat striatum.
abstract: The plant alkaloid methyllycaconitine (MLA) is considered to be a selective antagonist of the alpha7 subtype of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). However, 50 nM MLA partially inhibited (by 16%) [(3)H]dopamine release from rat striatal synaptosomes stimulated with 10 microM nicotine. Other alpha7-selective antagonists had no effect. Similarly, MLA (50 nM) inhibited [(3)H]dopamine release evoked by the partial agonist (2-chloro-5-pyridyl)-9-azabicyclo[4.2.1]non-2-ene (UB-165) (0.2 microM) by 37%. In both cases, inhibition by MLA was surmountable with higher agonist concentrations, indicative of a competitive interaction. At least two subtypes of presynaptic nAChR can modulate dopamine release in the striatum, and these nAChR are distinguished by their differential sensitivity to alpha-conotoxin-MII (alpha-CTx-MII). MLA was not additive with a maximally effective concentration of alpha-CTx-MII (100 nM) in inhibiting [(3)H]dopamine release elicited by 10 microM nicotine or 0.2 microM UB-165, suggesting that both toxins act at the same site. This was confirmed in quantitative binding assays with (125)I-alpha-CTx-MII, which displayed saturable specific binding to rat striatum and nucleus accumbens with B(max) values of 9.8 and 16.5 fmol/mg of protein, and K(d) values of 0.63 and 0.83 nM, respectively. MLA fully inhibited (125)I-alpha-CTx-MII binding to striatum and nucleus accumbens with a K(i) value of 33 nM, consistent with the potency observed in the functional assays. We speculate that MLA and alpha-CTx-MII interact with a presynaptic nAChR of subunit composition alpha3/alpha6beta2beta3* on dopamine neurons. The use of MLA as an alpha7-selective antagonist should be exercised with caution, especially in studies of nAChR in basal ganglia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adrian J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mogg
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whiteaker
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Allan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wonnacott
mesh_terms: D000157:Aconitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020916:Conotoxins; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic; C098872:alpha-conotoxin MII; C054634:methyllycaconitine; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine; D000157:Aconitine