The recently launched veterinary anthelmintic drench for sheep (Novartis Animal Health Inc., Switzerland) containing the nematocide monepantel represents a new class of anthelmintics: the amino-acetonitrile derivatives (AADs), much needed in view of widespread resistance to the classical drugs. Recently, it was shown that the ACR-23 protein in Caenorhabditis elegans and a homologous protein, MPTL-1 in Haemonchus contortus, are potential targets for AAD action. Both proteins belong to the DEG-3 subfamily of acetylcholine receptors, which are thought to be nematode-specific, and different from those targeted by the imidazothiazoles (e.g. levamisole). Here we provide further evidence that Cel-ACR-23 and Hco-MPTL-1-like subunits are involved in the monepantel-sensitive phenotype. We performed comparative genomics of ligand-gated ion channel genes from several nematodes and subsequently assessed their sensitivity to anthelmintics. The nematode species in the Caenorhabditis genus, equipped with ACR-23/MPTL-1-like receptor subunits, are sensitive to monepantel (EC(50)<1.25 µM), whereas the related nematodes Pristionchus pacificus and Strongyloides ratti, which lack an ACR-23/MPTL-1 homolog, are insensitive (EC(50)>43 µM). Genome sequence information has long been used to identify putative targets for therapeutic intervention. We show how comparative genomics can be applied to predict drug sensitivity when molecular targets of a compound are known or suspected.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1001091 | DOI Listing |
Korean J Physiol Pharmacol
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea.
Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, is widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder due to its modulation of dopamine and serotonin receptor systems. While its primary action involves antagonism of dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine)A receptors, recent evidence suggests that olanzapine also inhibits 5-HT receptors, which are ligand-gated ion channels involved in synaptic transmission in central and peripheral nervous systems. The present study aimed to investigate the action of olanzapine on 5-HT receptor-mediated currents using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings in NCB-20 neuroblastoma cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKorean J Physiol Pharmacol
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea.
The 5-hydroxytryptamine type (5-HT) receptor, a ligand-gated ion channel, plays a critical role in synaptic transmission. It has been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic, could inhibit 5-HT receptor-mediated currents in NCB20 neuroblastoma cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav Immun
December 2024
School of Basic Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, PR China.
Psychological stress can lead to emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression; however, the underlying mechanisms are complicated and remain unclear. In this study, we established a mouse psychological stress model using an improved communication box, in which the psychologically stressed mice received visual, auditory, and olfactory emotional stimuli from the mice receiving electric foot shock, thus avoiding physical stress interference. After the 14-day psychological stress paradigm, our mice exhibited a significant increase in depressive and anxious behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biol Chem
December 2024
Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address:
Diarylamidines are a group of widely used small molecule drugs. One common use of diarylamidines is their pharmacological inhibition of ligand-gated cation channels, including tetrameric ionotropic glutamate receptors and trimeric degenerin/epithelial sodium channel channel/acid-sensing ion channels (DEG/ENaC/ASICs). Here, we discover a DEG/ENaC/ASIC channel from the brachiopod (lamp shell) Novocrania anomala, at which diarylamidines act as agonists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chem
December 2024
College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Speed Capability Research, Su Bingtian Center for Speed Research and Training, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
The process of "reading" and "writing" in biomemory involves the transmission of electrical signals between neurons, with ligand-gated ion channels assuming a key role. The solid-state nanochannels exhibit certain similarities with neurons. Information transmission can be achieved by controlling the flow of ions within nanochannels, rendering them potentially suitable for simulating neuron behavior.
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