Loss of dopamine neurons is central
to the manifestation of Parkinson’s
disease motor symptoms. The dopamine precursor L-DOPA, the most commonly
used therapeutic agent for Parkinson’s disease, can restore
normal movement yet cause side-effects such as dyskinesias upon prolonged
administration. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptors activate G-protein- and
arrestin-dependent signaling pathways that regulate various dopamine-dependent
functions including locomotion. Studies have shown that shifting the
balance of dopamine receptor signaling toward the arrestin pathway
can be beneficial for inducing normal movement, while reducing dyskinesias.
However, simultaneous activation of both D1 and D2Rs is required for
robust locomotor activity. Thus, it is desirable to develop ligands
targeting both D1 and D2Rs and their functional selectivity. Here,
we report structure–functional–selectivity relationship
(SFSR) studies of novel apomorphine analogs to identify structural
motifs responsible for biased activity at both D1 and D2Rs.