Parkinson's disease (PD) results from the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantial nigra pars compacta (SNc) of the basal ganglia (BG). Replacement of lost dopamine is the standard PD treatment and is achieved by administering the dopamine precursor L-DOPA or dopamine receptor agonists. Dopamine replacement therapies, however, cause severe side effects and eventually lose efficacy in many patients. Increased understanding of neurocircuitry within the BG has led to the development of new therapeutic strategies to correct BG deficits and treat PD patients. The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlus) regulate synaptic transmission at several critical BG synapses and have potential as novel targets for PD treatment. Exciting translational advances have recently been made for mGlus 4 and 5 by integrating discovery and detailed molecular analyses of novel mGlu ligands with electrophysiological and behavioral studies. We have now generated preliminary data suggesting that mGlu8 may also regulate activity in the BG motor circuit and have potential utility as a novel target for non-dopaminergic PD treatments. Previous studies have suggested that activation of mGlu8 does not reverse motor impairments in acute PD models. However, our preliminary studies here show that activation of mGlu8 has robust antiparkinsonian activity in animals that have undergone prolonged dopamine depletion or blockade, suggesting that mGlu8 may represent a new target that could be manipulated once PD progression begins. However, highly selective activators of mGlu8 with properties suitable for optimization as drug candidates have been unavailable to further advance the hypothesis that mGlu8 activation may have therapeutic benefit in PD. Based on the high conservation of the glutamate binding site, it has been difficult to develop ligands with high selectivity and suitable pharmacokinetic properties that bind at the orthosteric site. Building upon a strategy we have used for other mGlus, we have recently developed a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of mGlu8, VU0155094, which is highly selective for mGlu8 versus mGlu4. mGlu4 is a related glutamate receptor that also mediates effects in the basal ganglia;selectivity of VU0155094 for mGlu8 over mGlu4 indicates that we now have an appropriate tool compound to begin validating a role of mGlu8 in prolonged dopamine depletion models of PD. We will test the hypothesis that VU0155094 will modulate mGlu8-meditated synaptic transmission at synapses known to respond to mGlu8 agonists in brain slices. Additionally, we will test the hypothesis that mGlu8 PAMs, like mGlu8 agonists, have anti-PD effects in rodent models of prolonged dopamine depletion.

Public Health Relevance

We have preliminary data showing that an agonist of metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 (mGlus) exhibits antiparkinsonian activity after prolonged, but not acute, dopamine depletion. We will test the hypothesis that a newly discovered positive allosteric modulator of mGlu8 will potentiate known mGlu8-mediated responses at specific brain synapses. We will then assess the ability of this mGlu8 PAM to exhibit antiparkinsonian activity in several rodent models of Parkinson's disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21NS078262-02
Application #
8444415
Study Section
Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling Study Section (MNPS)
Program Officer
Sieber, Beth-Anne
Project Start
2012-04-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$225,809
Indirect Cost
$81,059
Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004413456
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37212
Niswender, Colleen M; Jones, Carrie K; Lin, Xin et al. (2016) Development and Antiparkinsonian Activity of VU0418506, a Selective Positive Allosteric Modulator of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 4 Homomers without Activity at mGlu2/4 Heteromers. ACS Chem Neurosci 7:1201-11
Klar, Rebecca; Walker, Adam G; Ghose, Dipanwita et al. (2015) Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 7 Is Required for Induction of Long-Term Potentiation at SC-CA1 Synapses in the Hippocampus. J Neurosci 35:7600-15
Iderberg, Hanna; Maslava, Natallia; Thompson, Analisa D et al. (2015) Pharmacological stimulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 4 in a rat model of Parkinson's disease and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia: Comparison between a positive allosteric modulator and an orthosteric agonist. Neuropharmacology 95:121-9
Wu, Huixian; Wang, Chong; Gregory, Karen J et al. (2014) Structure of a class C GPCR metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 bound to an allosteric modulator. Science 344:58-64
Yin, Shen; Niswender, Colleen M (2014) Progress toward advanced understanding of metabotropic glutamate receptors: structure, signaling and therapeutic indications. Cell Signal 26:2284-97
Jalan-Sakrikar, Nidhi; Field, Julie R; Klar, Rebecca et al. (2014) Identification of positive allosteric modulators VU0155094 (ML397) and VU0422288 (ML396) reveals new insights into the biology of metabotropic glutamate receptor 7. ACS Chem Neurosci 5:1221-37
Yin, Shen; Noetzel, Meredith J; Johnson, Kari A et al. (2014) Selective actions of novel allosteric modulators reveal functional heteromers of metabotropic glutamate receptors in the CNS. J Neurosci 34:79-94
Klein, Michael T; Vinson, Paige N; Niswender, Colleen M (2013) Approaches for probing allosteric interactions at 7 transmembrane spanning receptors. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci 115:1-59