Interaction of antidepressants with the serotonin and norepinephrine transporters: mutational studies of the S1 substrate binding pocket

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

The serotonin transporter (SERT) and the norepinephrine transporter (NET) are sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporters responsible for reuptake of released serotonin and norepinephrine, respectively, into nerve terminals in the brain. A wide range of inhibitors of SERT and NET are used as treatment of depression and anxiety disorders or as psychostimulant drugs of abuse. Despite their clinical importance, the molecular mechanisms by which various types of antidepressant drugs bind and inhibit SERT and NET are still elusive for the majority of the inhibitors, including the molecular basis for SERT/NET selectivity. Mutational analyses have suggested that a central substrate binding site (denoted the S1 pocket) also harbors an inhibitor binding site. In this study, we determine the effect of mutating six key S1 residues in human SERT (hSERT) and NET (hNET) on the potency of 15 prototypical SERT/NET inhibitors belonging to different drug classes. Analysis of the resulting drug sensitivity profiles provides novel information on drug binding modes in hSERT and hNET and identifies specific S1 residues as important molecular determinants for inhibitor potency and hSERT/hNET selectivity.
Original languageEnglish
JournalThe Journal of Biological Chemistry
Volume287
Issue number52
Pages (from-to)43694-43707
Number of pages14
ISSN0021-9258
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

    Research areas

  • Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Binding Sites, COS Cells, Cercopithecus aethiops, Humans, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Mutation, Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins, Peptide Mapping, Protein Binding, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins

ID: 108150998