IDENTIFICATION OF ENDOGENOUS FUNCTION AND SUBSTRATE-DEPENDENT INTERACTIONS OF ORGANIC CATION TRANSPORTER 1

Abstract

The human organic cation transporter 1 (hOCT1) is a polyspecific transporter, primarily expressed in the liver, which is known to interact with a large number of structurally dissimilar compounds. Several clinically-relevant drugs, as well as some endogenous compounds and other xenobiotics have been shown to be transported by or inhibit hOCT1. Due to its hepatic expression and general ADME function, hOCT1 has been implicated in adverse drug events (ADEs), including drug-drug interactions. As such, multiple regulatory agencies recommend including hOCT1, in pre-clinical transporter interaction studies. Limited structural information is available for hOCT1, and recently, endogenous functions and substrate-dependent effects have been identified for close relatives of hOCT1. Taken together, these suggest a need for further scrutiny of hOCT1 structure-activity relationships for development of critical drug-transporter interaction studies. The hypothesis was developed that both endogenous and xenobiotic compounds modulate the functional activity of hOCT1 in a substrate-dependent manner through interaction with specific, but perhaps distinct ligand-binding domains within the transporter. The hypothesis was tested via the following specific aims: 1) investigate the effect of xenobiotics on endogenous substrate transport by hOCT1, 2) identify and characterize substrate-dependent interactions with hOCT1, and 3) examine the role of the extracellular loop domain of hOCT1 in substrate affinity and translocation. In the first specific aim, dopamine and serotonin were identified as substrates for hOCT1. Serotonin proved to be a moderate-affinity substrate, while hOCT1 was able to transport it at high capacity. Several clinically-relevant drugs inhibited hOCT1-mediated serotonin transport, and these results were capitulated in primary human hepatocytes. Combined data from this inhibition screen and those previously published by other groups suggested the possibility of substrate-dependent effects. In specific aim two, substrate-dependent effects were screened for in a relatively new assay method, competitive counterflow (CCF). The CCF assay allowed for identification of novel substrates for hOCT1, including negatively-charged bromosulfophthalein (BSP). CCF results also identified numerous substrate-dependent effects which were explored further using computational (homology) modeling and ligand docking. Docking experiments identified three distinct binding sites within the hOCT1 homology model which explain several of the overserved substrate-dependent interactions, and supports previous claims that hOCT1 has a large substrate binding region versus a singular binding site and may be the reason for hOCT1’s polyspecificity. In the final specific aim, an attempt was made to generate human and rat OCT1 chimeric proteins. The goal of this study was to examine the role of the extracellular loop (ECL) domain in the observed differences in substrate affinity between species. Issues during the cloning process prevented the completion of this aim. However, had the chimeras successfully been generated, important information relating hOCT1 structure to its function could have been collected. This dissertation demonstrates that hOCT1 possesses important endogenous function and exhibits substrate-dependent effects, while also revealing important structural information relating to its function. Ultimately, this knowledge will be useful in improving pre-clinical trials for new drugs in the hope of identifying and preventing dangerous adverse drug events.