The DOI matches its Crossref record; 48 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
X-ray structures of general anaesthetics bound to a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel
Open accessAbstract
General anaesthetics have enjoyed long and widespread use but their molecular mechanism of action remains poorly understood. There is good evidence that their principal targets are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) such as inhibitory GABA(A) (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptors and excitatory nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are respectively potentiated and inhibited by general anaesthetics. The bacterial homologue from Gloeobacter violaceus (GLIC), whose X-ray structure was recently solved, is also sensitive to clinical concentrations of general anaesthetics. Here we describe the crystal structures of the complexes propofol/GLIC and desflurane/GLIC. These reveal a common general-anaesthetic binding site, which pre-exists in the apo-structure in the upper part of the transmembrane domain of each protomer. Both molecules establish van der Waals interactions with the protein; propofol binds at the entrance of the cavity whereas the smaller, more flexible, desflurane binds deeper inside. Mutations of some amino acids lining the binding site profoundly alter the ionic response of GLIC to protons, and affect its general-anaesthetic pharmacology. Molecular dynamics simulations, performed on the wild type (WT) and two GLIC mutants, highlight differences in mobility of propofol in its binding site and help to explain these effects. These data provide a novel structural framework for the design of general anaesthetics and of allosteric modulators of brain pLGICs.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Anesthetic actions on pLGICs are not limited solely to GABAA receptors [41–44] and the modulatory actions of anesthetics on pLGIC family members are not unique to mammalian systems [45, 46].”
From The Biology of General Anesthesia from Paramecium to Primate (2019) · cites this paper as [45]
Citations
Cites
VMD: visual molecular dynamics
Humphrey, W., Dalke, A., & Schulten, K. (1996) · Journal of Molecular Graphics · doi:10.1016/0263-7855(96)00018-5 · Cited by 66,952
Coot : model-building tools for molecular graphics
Emsley, P., & Cowtan, K. (2004) · Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography · doi:10.1107/s0907444904019158 · Cited by 30,571
Particle mesh Ewald: An N⋅log(N) method for Ewald sums in large systems
Darden, T., York, D., & Pedersen, L. (1993) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/1.464397 · Cited by 29,638
The PyMOL Molecular Graphics System
DeLano, W. L. (2002) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 18,147
The CCP4 suite: programs for protein crystallography
Number Collaborative Computational Project (1994) · Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography · doi:10.1107/s0907444994003112 · Cited by 17,317
Scalable molecular dynamics with NAMD
Phillips, J. C., Braun, R., Wang, W., Gumbart, J., Tajkhorshid, E., Villa, E., Chipot, C., Skeel, R. D., Kalé, L., & Schulten, K. (2005) · Journal of Computational Chemistry · doi:10.1002/jcc.20289 · Cited by 16,914
Refinement of Macromolecular Structures by the Maximum-Likelihood Method
Murshudov, G. N., Vagin, A. A., & Dodson, E. J. (1997) · Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography · doi:10.1107/s0907444996012255 · Cited by 14,796
All-Atom Empirical Potential for Molecular Modeling and Dynamics Studies of Proteins
MacKerell, A. D., Bashford, D., Bellott, M., Dunbrack, R. L., Evanseck, J. D., Field, M. J., Fischer, S., Gao, J., Guo, H., Ha, S., et al. (1998) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/jp973084f · Cited by 14,429
PRODRG: a tool for high-throughput crystallography of protein–ligand complexes
Schüttelkopf, A. W., & van Aalten, D. M. F. (2004) · Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography · doi:10.1107/s0907444904011679 · Cited by 4,837
MolProbity: all-atom contacts and structure validation for proteins and nucleic acids
Davis, I., Leaver‐Fay, A., Chen, V. B., Block, J. N., Kapral, G. J., Wang, X., Murray, L. W., Arendall, W. B., Snoeyink, J. S., Richardson, J. S., et al. (2007) · Nucleic Acids Research · doi:10.1093/nar/gkm216 · Cited by 3,918
Reversible multiple time scale molecular dynamics
Tuckerman, M. E., Berne, B. J., & Martyna, G. J. (1992) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/1.463137 · Cited by 3,623
Kabsch, W. (1993) · Journal of Applied Crystallography · doi:10.1107/s0021889893005588 · Cited by 3,562
Dumont, J. N. (1972) · Journal of Morphology · doi:10.1002/jmor.1051360203 · Cited by 1,858
General anaesthesia: from molecular targets to neuronal pathways of sleep and arousal
Franks, N. P. (2008) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2372 · Cited by 1,295
Structure and gating mechanism of the acetylcholine receptor pore
Miyazawa, A., Fujiyoshi, Y., & Unwin, P. N. T. (2003) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature01748 · Cited by 1,287
Sites of alcohol and volatile anaesthetic action on GABAA and glycine receptors
Mihic, S. J., Ye, Q., Wick, M. J., Koltchine, V. V., Krasowski, M. D., Finn, S. E., Mascia, M. P., Valenzuela, C. F., Hanson, K. K., Greenblatt, E. P., et al. (1997) · Nature · doi:10.1038/38738 · Cited by 1,219
Endogenous neurosteroids regulate GABAA receptors through two discrete transmembrane sites
Hosie, A. M., Wilkins, M. E., da Silva, H. M. A., & Smart, T. G. (2006) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature05324 · Cited by 752
Nicotinic receptors: allosteric transitions and therapeutic targets in the nervous system
Taly, A., Corringer, P., Guédin, D., Lestage, P. J., & Changeux, J. (2009) · Nature Reviews Drug Discovery · doi:10.1038/nrd2927 · Cited by 743
Self-citationX-ray structure of a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel in an apparently open conformation
Bocquet, N., Nury, H., Baaden, M., Poupon, C. L., Changeux, J., Delarue, M. H., & Corringer, P. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature07462 · Cited by 674
Self-citationX-ray structure of a prokaryotic pentameric ligand-gated ion channel
Hilf, R. J. C., & Dutzler, R. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature06717 · Cited by 665
Do general anaesthetics act by competitive binding to specific receptors?
Franks, N. P., & Lieb, W. R. (1984) · Nature · doi:10.1038/310599a0 · Cited by 572
Binding of the General Anesthetics Propofol and Halothane to Human Serum Albumin
Bhattacharya, A. A., Curry, S., & Franks, N. P. (2000) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m005460200 · Cited by 529
Structure of a potentially open state of a proton-activated pentameric ligand-gated ion channel
Hilf, R. J. C., & Dutzler, R. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature07461 · Cited by 526
Mutations in the channel domain alter desensitization of a neuronal nicotinic receptor
Revah, F., Bertrand, D., Galzi, J., Devillers‐Thiéry, A., Mulle, C., Hussy, N., Bertrand, S., Ballivet, M., & Changeux, J. (1991) · Nature · doi:10.1038/353846a0 · Cited by 524
Self-citationFast empirical pKa prediction by Ewald summation
Krieger, E., Nielsen, J. E., Spronk, C. A. E. M., & Vriend, G. (2006) · Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling · doi:10.1016/j.jmgm.2006.02.009 · Cited by 475
Cholinergic and catecholaminergic receptors in the Xenopus oocyte membrane
Kusano, K., Miledi, R., & Stinnakre, J. (1982) · The Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1982.sp014257 · Cited by 475
Scalable Molecular Dynamics with NAMD
Phillips, J. C., Schulten, K., Bhatele, A. S., Mei, C., Sun, Y., & Kalé, L. V. (2012) · University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) · Cited by 365
On the nature of allosteric transitions: Implications of non-exclusive ligand binding
Rubin, M. M., & Changeux, J. (1966) · Journal of Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/0022-2836(66)90097-0 · Cited by 338
Self-citationIvermectin: A Positive Allosteric Effector of the α7 Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
Krause, R. M., Buisson, B., Bertrand, S., Corringer, P., Galzi, J., Changeux, J., & Bertrand, D. (1998) · Molecular Pharmacology · doi:10.1124/mol.53.2.283 · Cited by 320
Self-citationA prokaryotic proton-gated ion channel from the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor family
Bocquet, N., de Carvalho, L. P., Cartaud, J., Neyton, J., Poupon, C. L., Taly, A., Grütter, T., Changeux, J., & Corringer, P. (2006) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature05371 · Cited by 309
Self-citationLi, G., Chiara, D. C., Sawyer, G. W., Husain, S. S., Olsen, R. W., & Cohen, J. B. (2006) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.3467-06.2006 · Cited by 289
Oogenesis in Xenopus laevis (Daudin)
Holland, C., & Dumont, J. N. (1975) · Cell and Tissue Research · doi:10.1007/bf00209205 · Cited by 277
Allosteric modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Bertrand, D., & Gopalakrishnan, M. (2007) · Biochemical Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2007.07.011 · Cited by 263
Violet, J. M., Downie, D. L., Nakisa, R. C., Lieb, W. R., & Franks, N. P. (1997) · Anesthesiology · doi:10.1097/00000542-199704000-00017 · Cited by 208
Differentiation of Cells of the Rana pipiens Gastrula in Unconditioned Medium1
BARTH, L. G., & Barth, L. J. (1959) · Development · doi:10.1242/dev.7.2.210 · Cited by 199
One-microsecond molecular dynamics simulation of channel gating in a nicotinic receptor homologue
Nury, H., Poitevin, F., Renterghem, C. V., Changeux, J., Corringer, P., Delarue, M. H., & Baaden, M. (2010) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1001832107 · Cited by 157
Self-citationAn intramembrane aromatic network determines pentameric assembly of Cys-loop receptors
Haeger, S., Kuzmin, D., Detro‐Dassen, S., Lang, N., Kilb, M., Tsetlin, V. I., Betz, H., Laube, B., & Schmalzing, G. (2009) · Nature Structural & Molecular Biology · doi:10.1038/nsmb.1721 · Cited by 95
Anesthetic Sensitivity of the Gloeobacter violaceus Proton-Gated Ion Channel
Weng, Y., Yang, L., Corringer, P., & Sonner, J. M. (2009) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1213/ane.0b013e3181c4bc69 · Cited by 94
Self-citationLi, G., Chiara, D. C., Cohen, J. B., & Olsen, R. W. (2010) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m109.074708 · Cited by 81
A Unitary Anesthetic Binding Site at High Resolution
Vedula, L. S., Brannigan, G. H., Economou, N. J., Jin, X., Hall, M. A., Liu, R., Rossi, M. J., Dailey, W. P., Grasty, K. C., Klein, M. L., et al. (2009) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m109.017814 · Cited by 78
Ziebell, M. R., Nirthanan, S., Husain, S. S., Miller, K. W., & Cohen, J. B. (2004) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m313886200 · Cited by 77
daCosta, C. J. B., Medaglia, S. A., Lavigne, N., Wang, S., Carswell, C. L., & Baenziger, J. E. (2009) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m109.048280 · Cited by 68
Bali, M., Jansen, M., & Akabas, M. H. (2009) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.6090-08.2009 · Cited by 63
Comparative modeling of a GABAA alpha1 receptor using three crystal structures as templates
Trudell, J. R., & Bertaccini, E. J. (2004) · Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling · doi:10.1016/j.jmgm.2004.03.004 · Cited by 45
Modulation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Conformational State by Free Fatty Acids and Steroids
Nievas, G. A. F., Barrantes, F. J., & Antollini, S. S. (2008) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m800345200 · Cited by 43
Zhang, H., Astrof, N. S., Liu, J., Wang, J., & Shimaoka, M. (2009) · The FASEB Journal · doi:10.1096/fj.09-129908 · Cited by 41
Sites of alcohol and volatile anesthetic action on glycine receptors
Lobo, I. A., & Harris, R. A. (2005) · International Review of Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/s0074-7742(04)65003-3 · Cited by 40
Villmann, C., Oertel, J., Ma‐Högemeier, Z., Hollmann, M., Sprengel, R., Becker, K., Breitinger, H., & Becker, C. (2009) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4400-08.2009 · Cited by 26
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Bricogne, G. et al. BUSTER, version 2.8.0. Cambridge, UK: Global Phasing. (2009)
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Experimental and theoretical approaches to conscious processing
Dehaene, S., & Changeux, J.-P. (2011) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.03.018 · Cited by 2,573
Self-citationCrystal structure of a human GABAA receptor
Miller, P. S., & Aricescu, A. R. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature13293 · Cited by 734
Allostery and the Monod-Wyman-Changeux Model After 50 Years
Changeux, J. (2012) · Annual Review of Biophysics · doi:10.1146/annurev-biophys-050511-102222 · Cited by 406
Self-citationShared structural mechanisms of general anaesthetics and benzodiazepines
Kim, J. J., Gharpure, A., Teng, J., Zhuang, Y., Howard, R. J., Zhu, S., Noviello, C., Walsh, R. M., Lindahl, E. R., & Hibbs, R. E. (2020) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2654-5 · Cited by 403
GABAA receptor: Positive and negative allosteric modulators
Olsen, R. W. (2018) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.01.036 · Cited by 369
Metadata
- Authors
- Nury, H., Van Renterghem, C., Weng, Y., Tran, A., Baaden, M., Dufresne, V., Changeux, J.-P., Sonner, J. M., Delarue, M., & Corringer, P.-J.
- Affiliations
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Changeux, Jean-Pierre
- Delarue, Marc
- Corringer, Pierre-Jean
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2011-01
- Volume
- 469
- Issue
- 7330
- Pages
- 428-431
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2104389482
- Cited by
- 412
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 62 · 2012: 56
- FWCI
- 25.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- infoscience.epfl.ch
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM069379)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Anesthesia and Sedative Agents
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- general anesthetics, pentameric ligand-gated ion channels, propofol, desflurane, transmembrane domain, allosteric modulators, proton sensitivity, molecular dynamics simulation, GABAA receptor, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
- MeSH terms
- Desflurane, Cyanobacteria, Binding Sites, Isoflurane, Ligands, Models, Molecular, Protein Binding, Protons, Propofol, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Crystallography, X-Ray, Anesthetics, General, Mutant Proteins, Electrophysiological Phenomena, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Ligand-Gated Ion Channels
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review