Pharmacology articles within Nature Communications

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    | Open Access

    Kv3 channels enable neurons to fire at very high frequencies (>100 Hz) which is fundamental to brain development and our ability to make sense of the world at large. Cryo-EM and structure-function studies by Chi et al. now uncover Kv3 channel gating mechanisms and support new precision medicine approaches for CNS diseases.

    • Martin J. Gunthorpe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Wilcox et al. (2022) show that NMDA receptor channel blockers, some of which are clinically important drugs, can access their binding site via 2 routes: a well-known path from the extracellular solution, and another path through the plasma membrane.

    • Madeleine R. Wilcox
    • , Aparna Nigam
    •  & Jon W. Johnson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The current peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists present limited permeability and pharmacokinetic properties. Here, the authors develop a drug delivery approach based on AG10, which demonstrates the impact of mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system in precipitating opioid-induced constipation.

    • Md Tariqul Haque Tuhin
    • , Dengpan Liang
    •  & Mamoun M. Alhamadsheh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fatty acid unsaturation by stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) protects against cellular stress through unclear mechanisms. Here the authors show 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1’-myo-inositol) is an SCD1-derived signaling lipid that regulates stress-adaption, protects against cell death and promotes proliferation.

    • Maria Thürmer
    • , André Gollowitzer
    •  & Andreas Koeberle

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The OX2 orexin receptor (OX2R) is a brain GPCR that regulates wakefulness and circadian rhythms in humans, and a potential drug target in insomnia and narcolepsy. Here, the authors use cryo-EM to determine how the first clinically tested OX2R agonist TAK-925 can activate OX2R in a selective manner.

    • Jie Yin
    • , Yanyong Kang
    •  & Daniel M. Rosenbaum

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is currently difficult to synthesise NIR-II probes with good quantum yields, biocompatibility and pharmacokinetics. Here the authors report a strategy to alter these properties by modifying the protein coatings with biofunctional molecules, and generate long-wavelength fluorophores for in vivo imaging.

    • Rui Tian
    • , Xin Feng
    •  & Xiaoyuan Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The dopamine transporter, DAT, controls dopamine signaling by facilitating its reuptake using the Na+ gradient as driving force. Here, the authors uncover that an antiport of K+ ions also contributes to setting the rate of DAT-mediated dopamine clearance.

    • Solveig G. Schmidt
    • , Mette Galsgaard Malle
    •  & Claus J. Loland

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Insulin therapies for patients with diabetes have challenges, including diminished hepatic preference of insulin action compared with endogenous insulin. Here the authors characterize insulin dimers that function as insulin receptor partial agonists, and exhibit hepatic and adipose tissue preference of insulin action and metabolic benefits in preclinical models.

    • Margaret Wu
    • , Ester Carballo-Jane
    •  & James Mu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Type 2 bradykinin receptor (B2R) is essential in vasodilation and cardioprotection. Here the authors present two cryo-EM structures of human B2R-Gq in complex with bradykinin and kallidin to elucidate the mechanisms for ligand binding, receptor activation, and Gq proteins coupling.

    • Jinkang Shen
    • , Dongqi Zhang
    •  & Haitao Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) can be targeted in the treatment of diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders. Here, the authors assess the molecular mechanisms of peptide agonists binding to GLP-1R and the responses elucidated by these ligands, including distinct kinetics of G protein activation.

    • Giuseppe Deganutti
    • , Yi-Lynn Liang
    •  & Denise Wootten

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding the pharmacokinetics of locally-injected drugs could aid in the design of immunotherapies to maximize their therapeutic effect. Here, by evaluating different IL-2 fusion proteins, the authors show that molecular weight and matrix binding affect anti-tumor immune response and report a pharmacokinetic framework to predict response to intratumoral IL-2 therapy.

    • Noor Momin
    • , Joseph R. Palmeri
    •  & K. Dane Wittrup

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fibroblast growth factors are involved in systemic glucose homeostasis and of interest for developing therapies for type 2 diabetes and associated metabolic diseases. Here the authors identify paracrine FGF4 as an anti-hyperglycemic FGF, which targets skeletal muscle to upregulate the glucose transporter GLUT4 cell surface abundance.

    • Lei Ying
    • , Luyao Wang
    •  & Zhifeng Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors introduce PharmacoSTORM single-molecule imaging that uses fluorescent ligands and immunolabeling for cellular and subcellular nanoscale molecular pharmacology. They demonstrate its capabilities by visualizing cariprazine binding to D3 dopamine receptors on Islands of Calleja granule cell axons.

    • Susanne Prokop
    • , Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
    •  & István Katona

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vilazodone (VLZ) is a drug for the treatment of major depressive disorders that targets the serotonin transporter (SERT). Here, the authors combine pharmacology measurements and cryo-EM structural analysis to characterize VLZ binding to SERT and observe that VLZ exhibits non-competitive inhibition of serotonin transport and binds with nanomolar affinity to an allosteric site in SERT.

    • Per Plenge
    • , Dongxue Yang
    •  & Claus J. Loland

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Various GPCRs display constitutive ligand-independent activity, but it remains unclear whether ligand-dependent and -independent conformations differ. Here the authors demonstrate the recognition and blocking of G protein recruitment of either the ligand-bound active, or the constitutively active apo-conformation of the viral GPCR US28 by different nanobodies that target similar intracellular loops of the receptor.

    • Timo W. M. De Groof
    • , Nick D. Bergkamp
    •  & Martine J. Smit

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There is a need to optimise cryo-EM data acquisition approaches to improve the resolution of GPCR cryo-EM structures to better than 2.5 Å, in order to use them for structure-based drug design purposes. Here, the authors present a systematic analysis of the main cryo-EM experimental parameters using three GPCRs as test cases, which is also of interest for the cryo-EM structure determination of other small membrane proteins.

    • Radostin Danev
    • , Matthew Belousoff
    •  & Patrick M. Sexton

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mutations in ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1), a Ca2+ release channel in skeletal muscle, cause malignant hyperthermia (MH) and are involved in heat stroke. Here, the authors show that an oxolinic acid-derivative RyR1 inhibitor effectively prevents and treats MH and heat stroke in various MH mouse models.

    • Toshiko Yamazawa
    • , Takuya Kobayashi
    •  & Takashi Murayama

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nucleoside analogs (NNA), such as acyclovir (ACV) and ganciclovir (GCV), are widely used as anti-virals to treat herpes virus infection. Here, Nishii et al. show that diphosphatase NUDT15 hydrolyzes ACV and GCV, therewith reducing NNA activity in vitro and link NUDT15 variation to inter-patient variability in ACV and GCV therapeutic effects.

    • Rina Nishii
    • , Takanori Mizuno
    •  & Jun J. Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mitragynine (MG) is an indole alkaloid from kratom plant that binds opioid receptors and as such presents a scaffold for the development of atypical opioid receptor modulators. Here, the authors report a synthetic method for selective functionalization of the C11 position of MG, and show that this position is essential for fine-tuning opioid receptor signaling efficacy.

    • Srijita Bhowmik
    • , Juraj Galeta
    •  & Dalibor Sames

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor is a key regulator of glucose homeostasis and a drug target for type 2 diabetes but available GLP-1R agonists are suboptimal due to several side-effects. Here authors report the cryo-EM structure of GLP-1R bound to an ago-allosteric modulator in complex with heterotrimeric Gs which offers insights into the molecular details of ago-allosterism.

    • Zhaotong Cong
    • , Li-Nan Chen
    •  & Ming-Wei Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recently, a class of non-catechol Dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) selective agonists with novel scaffold and improved pharmacological properties were reported. Here, authors report the crystal structure of D1R in complex with stimulatory G protein (Gs) and a non-catechol agonist Compound 1 which explains the selectivity of this scaffold for D1R over other aminergic receptors and the mechanism of activating D1R.

    • Bingfa Sun
    • , Dan Feng
    •  & Brian K. Kobilka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metals such as calcium and potassium have long been known to regulate the diameter of arteries that control blood flow. Here, we report that zinc causes relaxation of blood vessels and reduces blood pressure by its coordinated action in sensory nerves, endothelium and smooth muscle cells.

    • Ashenafi H. Betrie
    • , James A. Brock
    •  & Scott Ayton

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The circadian clock is an internal mechanism that controls various physiological processes, such as the sleep-wake cycle, but its precise regulation is challenging. Here, the authors develop a visible light-responsive inhibitor of casein kinase I which controls the period and phase of cellular and tissue circadian rhythms in a reversible manner.

    • Dušan Kolarski
    • , Carla Miró-Vinyals
    •  & Ben L. Feringa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanism by which parathyroid hormone mediates the switch from bone resorption to bone formation is unclear. Here, the authors show that SLPI regulates the communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts to promote the anabolic effect of parathyroid hormone.

    • Akito Morimoto
    • , Junichi Kikuta
    •  & Masaru Ishii

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Clinical trials of novel therapeutics for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) have provided largely negative results, so far. Here, the authors present a machine learning framework that quantifies potential associations between the pathology of AD severity and gene-based molecular mechanisms to enable drug repurposing.

    • Steve Rodriguez
    • , Clemens Hug
    •  & Artem Sokolov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The human neuropeptide Y receptor Y2 (Y2R) is a drug target for the treatment of obesity and anxiety. Crystal structure of Y2R bound to a selective antagonist and accompanying mutagenesis provide insights into ligand recognition and subtype specificity of NPY receptors.

    • Tingting Tang
    • , Christin Hartig
    •  & Beili Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and associated liver fibrosis have limited therapy options. Here the authors report a novel adiponectin-based dual agonist for adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 with a longer half-life, and show that it ameliorates NASH and liver fibrosis in mouse models.

    • Hongjiao Xu
    • , Qian Zhao
    •  & Xianxing Jiang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Propionic acidemia is a serious pediatric inherited disorder with no effective treatments. Here the authors demonstrate that delivering dual mRNAs as an enzyme replacement approach can be used as an effective therapy in a mouse model of propionic acidemia, with potential applicability to chronically administer multiple mRNAs in other genetic disorders.

    • Lei Jiang
    • , Ji-Sun Park
    •  & Lin T. Guey

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Both agonism and antagonism of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) lead to weight loss in combination with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in preclinical models. Here the authors show that this may be explained by desensitization of GIPR activity by chronic GIPR agonism in vitro and in vivo.

    • Elizabeth A. Killion
    • , Michelle Chen
    •  & David J. Lloyd

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The αvβ6 integrin is key in activating the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGFβ in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Here, the authors show an inhaled small molecule αvβ6 inhibitor GSK3008348 induces prolonged inhibition of TGFβ signaling pathways in human and murine models of lung fibrosis via αvβ6 degradation.

    • Alison E. John
    • , Rebecca H. Graves
    •  & Robert J. Slack

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors are widely used both in the clinic and for basic research aimed at dissecting the specific cellular functions of specific CDKs. Here, the authors report the development of a panel of fluorescent reporter probes and provide a comprehensive profile of the inhibitory activity of several CDK inhibitors towards all 21 CDKs in living cells.

    • Carrow I. Wells
    • , James D. Vasta
    •  & Matthew B. Robers

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The gut microbiota can alter the effects of anticancer fluoropyrimidines such as 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) in the model organism C. elegans. Here, the authors show that these effects are further affected by diet, and dietary thymidine and serine increase FUdR toxicity in C. elegans via different mechanisms.

    • Wenfan Ke
    • , James A. Saba
    •  & Eyleen J. O’Rourke

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Antibodies conjugated to bioactive compounds can allow targeted delivery of therapeutics. Here the authors present a strategy for fusing nanobodies to suboptimal GPCR peptide ligands to potently and selectively activate receptors.

    • Ross W. Cheloha
    • , Fabian A. Fischer
    •  & Hidde L. Ploegh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Drugs targeting dysregulated ERK1/2 signaling can cause severe cardiac side effects, precluding their wide therapeutic application. Here, a new and cardio-safe targeting strategy is presented that interferes with ERK dimerization to prevent pathological ERK1/2 signaling in the heart and cancer.

    • Angela Tomasovic
    • , Theresa Brand
    •  & Kristina Lorenz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantitative profiling of small molecule-protein binding in cells can aid basic biochemical research and drug discovery. Here, the authors develop the Heat Shock Protein Inhibition Protein Stability Assay (HIPStA) as a high-throughput method to assess cellular target engagement and identify new drug targets.

    • Kelvin F. Cho
    • , Taylur P. Ma
    •  & Robert A. Blake

  • Article
    | Open Access

    WNT-Frizzled (FZD) signaling plays a critical role in embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and human disease but no small molecule drugs targeting FZD with distinct efficacy have emerged so far. Here, authors identify the Smoothened agonist SAG1.3 as a partial agonist for FZD6 with limited subtype selectivity.

    • Paweł Kozielewicz
    • , Ainoleena Turku
    •  & Gunnar Schulte

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Counterfeit medicines are a threat to patient health and public safety. Here, the authors use random patterns formed by fluorescent silk microparticles with various excitation and emission pairs as an edible physical unclonable function that can directly be attached onto the surface of medicines.

    • Jung Woo Leem
    • , Min Seok Kim
    •  & Young L. Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    FXR agonists have been investigated for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis but the clinical efficacy is not optimal. Here the authors show that enhanced FXR SUMOylation in activated hepatic stellate cells reduces FXR signaling and that this can be rescued by SUMOylation inhibitors.

    • Jiyu Zhou
    • , Shuang Cui
    •  & Haiping Hao

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