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Papers of the Week


Papers: 23 Dec 2023 - 29 Dec 2023


2023 Dec 22


J Neurochem


38131125

The efficacy of the analgesic GlyT2 inhibitor, ORG25543, is determined by two connected allosteric sites.

Authors

Chater RC, Quinn AS, Wilson K, Frangos ZJ, Sutton P, Jayakumar S, Cioffi CL, O'Mara ML, Vandenberg RJ

Abstract

Glycine Transporter 2 (GlyT2) inhibitors have shown considerable potential as analgesics for the treatment of neuropathic pain but also display considerable side effects. One potential source of side effects is irreversible inhibition. In this study, we have characterized the mechanism of ORG25543 inhibition of GlyT2 by first considering three potential ligand binding sites on GlyT2-the substrate site, the vestibule allosteric site and the lipid allosteric site. The three sites were tested using a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and analysis of the inhibition of glycine transport of a series point mutated GlyT2 using electrophysiological methods. We demonstrate that the lipid allosteric site on GlyT2 is the most likely binding site for ORG25543. We also demonstrate that cholesterol derived from the cell membrane can form specific interactions with inhibitor-bound transporters to form an allosteric network of regulatory sites. These observations will guide the future design of GlyT2 inhibitors with the objective of minimising on-target side effects and improving the therapeutic window for the treatment of patients suffering from neuropathic pain.