Cryo-EM structure of the dopamine transporter with a novel atypical non-competitive inhibitor bound to the orthosteric site

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Clara Nautrup Pedersen
  • Fuyu Yang
  • Samantha Ita
  • Yibin Xu
  • Ravikumar Akunuri
  • Sofia Trampari
  • Caroline Marie Teresa Neumann
  • Lasse Messell Desdorf
  • Birgit Schiøtt
  • Joseph M. Salvino
  • Ole Valente Mortensen
  • Poul Nissen
  • Shahsavar, Azadeh

The regulation of dopamine (DA) removal from the synaptic cleft is a crucial process in neurotransmission and is facilitated by the sodium- and chloride-coupled dopamine transporter DAT. Psychostimulant drugs, cocaine, and amphetamine, both block the uptake of DA, while amphetamine also triggers the release of DA. As a result, they prolong or even amplify neurotransmitter signaling. Atypical inhibitors of DAT lack cocaine-like rewarding effects and offer a promising strategy for the treatment of drug use disorders. Here, we present the 3.2 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of the Drosophila melanogaster dopamine transporter (dDAT) in complex with the atypical non-competitive inhibitor AC-4-248. The inhibitor partially binds at the central binding site, extending into the extracellular vestibule, and locks the transporter in an outward open conformation. Our findings propose mechanisms for the non-competitive inhibition of DAT and attenuation of cocaine potency by AC-4-248 and provide a basis for the rational design of more efficacious atypical inhibitors. (Figure presented.)

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Neurochemistry
ISSN0022-3042
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Neurochemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society for Neurochemistry.

    Research areas

  • atypical inhibitor, cryo-electron microscopy, dopamine transporter, neurotransmitter transporter

ID: 399270792