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Rodriguez P, Laskowski LJ, Pallais JP, Bock HA, Cavalco NG, Anderson EI, Calkins MM, Razzoli M, Sham YY, McCorvy JD, Bartolomucci A. Functional profiling of the G protein-coupled receptor C3aR1 reveals ligand-mediated biased agonism. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105549. [PMID: 38072064 PMCID: PMC10796979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are leading druggable targets for several medicines, but many GPCRs are still untapped for their therapeutic potential due to poor understanding of specific signaling properties. The complement C3a receptor 1 (C3aR1) has been extensively studied for its physiological role in C3a-mediated anaphylaxis/inflammation, and in TLQP-21-mediated lipolysis, but direct evidence for the functional relevance of the C3a and TLQP-21 ligands and signal transduction mechanisms are still limited. In addition, C3aR1 G protein coupling specificity is still unclear, and whether endogenous ligands, or drug-like compounds, show ligand-mediated biased agonism is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that C3aR1 couples preferentially to Gi/o/z proteins and can recruit β-arrestins to cause internalization. Furthermore, we showed that in comparison to C3a63-77, TLQP-21 exhibits a preference toward Gi/o-mediated signaling compared to β-arrestin recruitment and internalization. We also show that the purported antagonist SB290157 is a very potent C3aR1 agonist, where antagonism of ligand-stimulated C3aR1 calcium flux is caused by potent β-arrestin-mediated internalization. Finally, ligand-mediated signaling bias impacted cell function as demonstrated by the regulation of calcium influx, lipolysis in adipocytes, phagocytosis in microglia, and degranulation in mast cells. Overall, we characterize C3aR1 as a Gi/o/z-coupled receptor and demonstrate the functional relevance of ligand-mediated signaling bias in key cellular models. Due to C3aR1 and its endogenous ligands being implicated in inflammatory and metabolic diseases, these results are of relevance toward future C3aR1 drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Rodriguez
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lauren J Laskowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jean Pierre Pallais
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hailey A Bock
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Natalie G Cavalco
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Emilie I Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Maggie M Calkins
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Maria Razzoli
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yuk Y Sham
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
| | - Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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2
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Sahu BS, Razzoli M, McGonigle S, Pallais JP, Nguyen ME, Sadahiro M, Jiang C, Lin WJ, Kelley KA, Rodriguez P, Mansk R, Cero C, Caviola G, Palanza P, Rao L, Beetch M, Alejandro E, Sham YY, Frontini A, Salton SR, Bartolomucci A. Targeted and selective knockout of the TLQP-21 neuropeptide unmasks its unique role in energy homeostasis. Mol Metab 2023; 76:101781. [PMID: 37482186 PMCID: PMC10400922 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pro-peptide precursors are processed into biologically active peptide hormones or neurotransmitters, each playing an essential role in physiology and disease. Genetic loss of function of a pro-peptide precursor results in the simultaneous ablation of all biologically-active peptides within that precursor, often leading to a composite phenotype that can be difficult to align with the loss of specific peptide components. Due to this biological constraint and technical limitations, mice carrying the selective ablation of individual peptides encoded by pro-peptide precursor genes, while leaving the other peptides unaffected, have remained largely unaddressed. METHODS We developed and characterized a mouse model carrying the selective knockout of the TLQP-21 neuropeptide (ΔTLQP-21) encoded by the Vgf gene. To achieve this goal, we used a knowledge-based approach by mutating a codon in the Vgf sequence leading to the substitution of the C-terminal Arginine of TLQP-21, which is the pharmacophore as well as an essential cleavage site from its precursor, into Alanine (R21→A). RESULTS We provide several independent validations of this mouse, including a novel in-gel digestion targeted mass spectrometry identification of the unnatural mutant sequence, exclusive to the mutant mouse. ΔTLQP-21 mice do not manifest gross behavioral and metabolic abnormalities and reproduce well, yet they have a unique metabolic phenotype characterized by an environmental temperature-dependent resistance to diet-induced obesity and activation of the brown adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS The ΔTLQP-21 mouse line can be a valuable resource to conduct mechanistic studies on the necessary role of TLQP-21 in physiology and disease, while also serving as a platform to test the specificity of novel antibodies or immunoassays directed at TLQP-21. Our approach also has far-reaching implications by informing the development of knowledge-based genetic engineering approaches to generate selective loss of function of other peptides encoded by pro-hormones genes, leaving all other peptides within the pro-protein precursor intact and unmodified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavani S Sahu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Maria Razzoli
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Seth McGonigle
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Jean Pierre Pallais
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Megin E Nguyen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Masato Sadahiro
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Cheng Jiang
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Wei-Jye Lin
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Kevin A Kelley
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Pedro Rodriguez
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Rachel Mansk
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Cheryl Cero
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Giada Caviola
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43120, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola Palanza
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43120, Parma, Italy
| | - Loredana Rao
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, 60131, Italy
| | - Megan Beetch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Emilyn Alejandro
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Yuk Y Sham
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Andrea Frontini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, 60131, Italy
| | - Stephen R Salton
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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3
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Li XX, Lee JD, Lee HS, Clark RJ, Woodruff TM. TLQP-21 is a low potency partial C3aR activator on human primary macrophages. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1086673. [PMID: 36776827 PMCID: PMC9909341 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1086673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
TLQP-21 is a 21-amino acid neuropeptide derived from the VGF precursor protein. TLQP-21 is expressed in the nervous system and neuroendocrine glands, and demonstrates pleiotropic roles including regulating metabolism, nociception and microglial functions. Several possible receptors for TLQP-21 have been identified, with complement C3a receptor (C3aR) being the most commonly reported. However, few studies have characterised the activity of TLQP-21 in immune cells, which represent the major cell type expressing C3aR. In this study, we therefore aimed to define the activity of both human and mouse TLQP-21 on cell signalling in primary human and mouse macrophages. We first confirmed that TLQP-21 induced ERK signalling in CHO cells overexpressing human C3aR, and did not activate human C5aR1 or C5aR2. TLQP-21 mediated ERK signalling was also observed in primary human macrophages. However, the potency for human TLQP-21 was 135,000-fold lower relative to C3a, and only reached 45% at the highest dose tested (10 μM). Unlike in humans, mouse TLQP-21 potently triggered ERK signalling in murine macrophages, reaching near full activation, but at ~10-fold reduced potency compared to C3a. We further confirmed the C3aR dependency of the TLQP-21 activities. Our results reveal significant discrepancy in TLQP-21 C3aR activity between human and murine receptors, with mouse TLQP-21 being consistently more potent than the human counterpart in both systems. Considering the supraphysiological concentrations of hTLQP-21 needed to only partially activate macrophages, it is likely that the actions of TLQP-21, at least in these immune cells, may not be mediated by C3aR in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xaria X Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - John D Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Han S Lee
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Richard J Clark
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Trent M Woodruff
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
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