Association of the subunits of the calcium-independent receptor of α-latrotoxin

Control of Adhesion GPCR Function Through Proteolytic Processing

Proteolytic processing events in adhesion GPCRs. aGPCRs can undergo multiple autoproteolytic (red asterisks) and proteolytic processing events by exogenous proteases (yellow asterisks) that may be involved in signaling events of the receptors. Proteolytic processing is an unusual property of adhesion family G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) that was observed upon their cloning and biochemical characterization.Ever since, much effort has been dedicated to delineate the mechanisms and requirements for cleavage events in the control of aGPCR function. Most notably, all aGPCRs possess a juxtamembrane protein fold, the GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing (GAIN) domain, which operates as an autoprotease for many aGPCR homologs investigated thus far. Analysis of its autoproteolytic reaction, the consequences for receptor fate and function, and the allocation of physiological effects to this peculiar feature of aGPCRs has occupied the experimental agenda of the aGPCR field and shaped our current understanding of the signaling properties and cell biological effects of aGPCRs. Interestingly, individual aGPCRs may undergo additional proteolytic steps, one of them resulting in shedding of the entire ectodomain that is secreted and can function independently. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge on GAIN domain-mediated and GAIN domain-independent aGPCR cleavage events and their significance for the pharmacological and cellular actions of aGPCRs. Further, we compare and contrast the proteolytic profile of aGPCRs with known signaling routes that are governed through proteolysis of surface molecules such as the Notch and ephrin pathways.

Adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors: elusive hybrids come of age

Adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most recently identified and least understood subfamily of GPCRs. Adhesion GPCRs are characterized by unusually long ectodomains with adhesion-related repeats that facilitate cell- cell and cell-cell matrix contact, as well as a proteolytic cleavage site-containing domain that is a structural hallmark of the family. Their unusual chimeric structure of adhesion-related ectodomain with a seven-pass transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic signaling makes these proteins highly versatile in mediating cellular signaling in response to extracellular adhesion or cell motility events. The ligand binding and cytoplasmic signaling modes for members of this family are beginning to be elucidated, and recent studies have demonstrated critical roles for Adhesion GPCRs in planar polarity and other important cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions during development and morphogenesis, as well as heritable diseases and cancer.

Activation of myeloid cell-specific adhesion class G protein-coupled receptor EMR2 via ligation-induced translocation and interaction of receptor subunits in lipid raft microdomains

The adhesion class G protein-coupled receptors (adhesion-GPCRs) play important roles in diverse biological processes ranging from immunoregulation to tissue polarity, angiogenesis, and brain development. These receptors are uniquely modified by self-catalytic cleavage at a highly conserved GPCR proteolysis site (GPS) dissecting the receptor into an extracellular subunit (α) and a seven-pass transmembrane subunit (β) with cellular adhesion and signaling functions, respectively. Using the myeloid cell-restricted EMR2 receptor as a paradigm, we exam the mechanistic relevance of the subunit interaction and demonstrate a critical role for GPS autoproteolysis in mediating receptor signaling and cell activation. Interestingly, two distinct receptor complexes are identified as a result of GPS proteolysis: one consisting of a noncovalent α-β heterodimer and the other comprising two completely independent receptor subunits which distribute differentially in membrane raft microdomains. Finally, we show that receptor ligation induces subunit translocation and colocalization within lipid rafts, leading to receptor signaling and inflammatory cytokine production by macrophages. Our present data resolve earlier conflicting results and provide a new mechanism of receptor signaling, as well as providing a paradigm for signal transduction within the adhesion-GPCR family.