1
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Hoare BL, Tippett DN, Kaur A, Cullum SA, Miljuš T, Koers EJ, Harwood CR, Dijon N, Holliday ND, Sykes DA, Veprintsev DB. ThermoBRET: A Ligand-Engagement Nanoscale Thermostability Assay Applied to GPCRs. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300459. [PMID: 37872746 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300459] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of membrane protein thermostability reflect ligand binding. Current thermostability assays often require protein purification or rely on pre-existing radiolabelled or fluorescent ligands, limiting their application to established targets. Alternative methods, such as fluorescence-detection size exclusion chromatography thermal shift, detect protein aggregation but are not amenable to high-throughput screening. Here, we present a ThermoBRET method to quantify the relative thermostability of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), using cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2 ) and the β2 -adrenoceptor (β2 AR) as model systems. ThermoBRET reports receptor unfolding, does not need labelled ligands and can be used with non-purified proteins. It uses Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) between Nanoluciferase (Nluc) and a thiol-reactive fluorescent dye that binds cysteines exposed by unfolding. We demonstrate that the melting point (Tm ) of Nluc-fused GPCRs can be determined in non-purified detergent solubilised membrane preparations or solubilised whole cells, revealing differences in thermostability for different solubilising conditions and in the presence of stabilising ligands. We extended the range of the assay by developing the thermostable tsNLuc by incorporating mutations from the fragments of split-Nluc (Tm of 87 °C versus 59 °C). ThermoBRET allows the determination of GPCR thermostability, which is useful for protein purification optimisation and drug discovery screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley L Hoare
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- Current address, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - David N Tippett
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- Current address, Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amandeep Kaur
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Sean A Cullum
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Tamara Miljuš
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Eline J Koers
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Clare R Harwood
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Nicola Dijon
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Nicholas D Holliday
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - David A Sykes
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Dmitry B Veprintsev
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Midlands, UK
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
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2
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Yuan S, Xia L, Wang C, Wu F, Zhang B, Pan C, Fan Z, Lei X, Stevens RC, Sali A, Sun L, Shui W. Conformational Dynamics of the Activated GLP-1 Receptor-G s Complex Revealed by Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry and Integrative Structure Modeling. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:992-1007. [PMID: 37252352 PMCID: PMC10214531 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in characterizing the structures and functions of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), our understanding of GPCR activation and signaling is still limited by the lack of information on conformational dynamics. It is particularly challenging to study the dynamics of GPCR complexes with their signaling partners because of their transient nature and low stability. Here, by combining cross-linking mass spectrometry (CLMS) with integrative structure modeling, we map the conformational ensemble of an activated GPCR-G protein complex at near-atomic resolution. The integrative structures describe heterogeneous conformations for a high number of potential alternative active states of the GLP-1 receptor-Gs complex. These structures show marked differences from the previously determined cryo-EM structure, especially at the receptor-Gs interface and in the interior of the Gs heterotrimer. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis coupled with pharmacological assays validates the functional significance of 24 interface residue contacts only observed in the integrative structures, yet absent in the cryo-EM structure. Through the integration of spatial connectivity data from CLMS with structure modeling, our study provides a new approach that is generalizable to characterizing the conformational dynamics of GPCR signaling complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijia Yuan
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
- University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lisha Xia
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
- University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chenxi Wang
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
- University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Structure
Therapeutics, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Bingjie Zhang
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Chen Pan
- National
Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhiran Fan
- Biocreater
(WuHan) Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Wuhan 430075, China
| | - Xiaoguang Lei
- Beijing
National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of
Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry
and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of
Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering,
Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Raymond C. Stevens
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Structure
Therapeutics, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Andrej Sali
- Quantitative
Biosciences Institute, University of California,
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Department
of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, San
Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Liping Sun
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenqing Shui
- iHuman
Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School
of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech
University, Shanghai 201210, China
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3
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Fierro F, Peri L, Hübner H, Tabor-Schkade A, Waterloo L, Löber S, Pfeiffer T, Weikert D, Dingjan T, Margulis E, Gmeiner P, Niv MY. Inhibiting a promiscuous GPCR: iterative discovery of bitter taste receptor ligands. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:114. [PMID: 37012410 PMCID: PMC11072104 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04765-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The human GPCR family comprises circa 800 members, activated by hundreds of thousands of compounds. Bitter taste receptors, TAS2Rs, constitute a large and distinct subfamily, expressed orally and extra-orally and involved in physiological and pathological conditions. TAS2R14 is the most promiscuous member, with over 150 agonists and 3 antagonists known prior to this study. Due to the scarcity of inhibitors and to the importance of chemical probes for exploring TAS2R14 functions, we aimed to discover new ligands for this receptor, with emphasis on antagonists. To cope with the lack of experimental structure of the receptor, we used a mixed experimental/computational methodology which iteratively improved the performance of the predicted structure. The increasing number of active compounds, obtained here through experimental screening of FDA-approved drug library, and through chemically synthesized flufenamic acid derivatives, enabled the refinement of the binding pocket, which in turn improved the structure-based virtual screening reliability. This mixed approach led to the identification of 10 new antagonists and 200 new agonists of TAS2R14, illustrating the untapped potential of rigorous medicinal chemistry for TAS2Rs. 9% of the ~ 1800 pharmaceutical drugs here tested activate TAS2R14, nine of them at sub-micromolar concentrations. The iterative framework suggested residues involved in the activation process, is suitable for expanding bitter and bitter-masking chemical space, and is applicable to other promiscuous GPCRs lacking experimental structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Fierro
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Peri
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Harald Hübner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alina Tabor-Schkade
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Lukas Waterloo
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefan Löber
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tara Pfeiffer
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dorothee Weikert
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tamir Dingjan
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eitan Margulis
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Peter Gmeiner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Str. 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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4
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Yao H, Cai H, Li D. Fluorescence-Detection Size-Exclusion Chromatography-Based Thermostability Assay for Membrane Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2564:299-315. [PMID: 36107350 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2667-2_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) have lightened up almost every aspect of biological research including protein sciences. In the field of membrane protein structural biology, GFPs have been used widely to monitor membrane protein localization, expression level, the purification process and yield, and the stability inside the cells and in the test tube. Of particular interest is the fluorescence-detector size-exclusion chromatography-based thermostability assay (FSEC-TS). By simple heating and FSEC, the generally applicable method allows rapid assessment of the thermostability of GFP-fused membrane proteins without purification. Here we describe the experimental details and some typical results for the FSEC-TS method.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dianfan Li
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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5
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Characterisation of AMB-FUBINACA metabolism and CB 1-mediated activity of its acid metabolite. Forensic Toxicol 2023; 41:114-125. [PMID: 36652070 PMCID: PMC9849163 DOI: 10.1007/s11419-022-00649-3] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE AMB-FUBINACA is a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist (SCRA) which is primarily metabolised by hepatic enzymes producing AMB-FUBINACA carboxylic acid. The metabolising enzymes associated with this biotransformation remain unknown. This study aimed to determine if AMB-FUBINACA metabolism could be reduced in the presence of carboxylesterase (CES) inhibitors and recreational drugs commonly consumed with it. The affinity and activity of the AMB-FUBINACA acid metabolite at the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1) was investigated to determine the activity of the metabolite. METHODS The effect of CES1 and CES2 inhibitors, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) on AMB-FUBINACA metabolism were determined using both human liver microsomes (HLM) and recombinant carboxylesterases. Radioligand binding and cAMP assays comparing AMB-FUBINACA and AMB-FUBINACA acid were carried out in HEK293 cells expressing human CB1. RESULTS AMB-FUBINACA was rapidly metabolised by HLM in the presence and absence of NADPH. Additionally, CES1 and CES2 inhibitors both significantly reduced AMB-FUBINACA metabolism. Furthermore, digitonin (100 µM) significantly inhibited CES1-mediated metabolism of AMB-FUBINACA by ~ 56%, while the effects elicited by Δ9-THC were not statistically significant. AMB-FUBINACA acid produced only 26% radioligand displacement consistent with low affinity binding. In cAMP assays, the potency of AMB-FUBINACA was ~ 3000-fold greater at CB1 as compared to the acid metabolite. CONCLUSIONS CES1A1 was identified as the main hepatic enzyme responsible for the metabolism of AMB-FUBINACA to its less potent carboxylic acid metabolite. This biotransformation was significantly inhibited by digitonin. Since other xenobiotics may also inhibit similar SCRA metabolic pathways, understanding these interactions may elucidate why some users experience high levels of harm following SCRA use.
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6
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Qing R, Hao S, Smorodina E, Jin D, Zalevsky A, Zhang S. Protein Design: From the Aspect of Water Solubility and Stability. Chem Rev 2022; 122:14085-14179. [PMID: 35921495 PMCID: PMC9523718 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Water solubility and structural stability are key merits for proteins defined by the primary sequence and 3D-conformation. Their manipulation represents important aspects of the protein design field that relies on the accurate placement of amino acids and molecular interactions, guided by underlying physiochemical principles. Emulated designer proteins with well-defined properties both fuel the knowledge-base for more precise computational design models and are used in various biomedical and nanotechnological applications. The continuous developments in protein science, increasing computing power, new algorithms, and characterization techniques provide sophisticated toolkits for solubility design beyond guess work. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the protein design field with respect to water solubility and structural stability. After introducing fundamental design rules, we discuss the transmembrane protein solubilization and de novo transmembrane protein design. Traditional strategies to enhance protein solubility and structural stability are introduced. The designs of stable protein complexes and high-order assemblies are covered. Computational methodologies behind these endeavors, including structure prediction programs, machine learning algorithms, and specialty software dedicated to the evaluation of protein solubility and aggregation, are discussed. The findings and opportunities for Cryo-EM are presented. This review provides an overview of significant progress and prospects in accurate protein design for solubility and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Qing
- State
Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and
Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Media
Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The
David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Shilei Hao
- Media
Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Key
Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Eva Smorodina
- Department
of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo
University Hospital, Oslo 0424, Norway
| | - David Jin
- Avalon GloboCare
Corp., Freehold, New Jersey 07728, United States
| | - Arthur Zalevsky
- Laboratory
of Bioinformatics Approaches in Combinatorial Chemistry and Biology, Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic
Chemistry RAS, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Shuguang Zhang
- Media
Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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7
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Kleist AB, Jenjak S, Sente A, Laskowski LJ, Szpakowska M, Calkins MM, Anderson EI, McNally LM, Heukers R, Bobkov V, Peterson FC, Thomas MA, Chevigné A, Smit MJ, McCorvy JD, Babu MM, Volkman BF. Conformational selection guides β-arrestin recruitment at a biased G protein-coupled receptor. Science 2022; 377:222-228. [PMID: 35857540 PMCID: PMC9574477 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj4922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) recruit β-arrestins to coordinate diverse cellular processes, but the structural dynamics driving this process are poorly understood. Atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) are intrinsically biased GPCRs that engage β-arrestins but not G proteins, making them a model system for investigating the structural basis of β-arrestin recruitment. Here, we performed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on 13CH3-ε-methionine-labeled ACKR3, revealing that β-arrestin recruitment is associated with conformational exchange at key regions of the extracellular ligand-binding pocket and intracellular β-arrestin-coupling region. NMR studies of ACKR3 mutants defective in β-arrestin recruitment identified an allosteric hub in the receptor core that coordinates transitions among heterogeneously populated and selected conformational states. Our data suggest that conformational selection guides β-arrestin recruitment by tuning receptor dynamics at intracellular and extracellular regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Kleist
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Shawn Jenjak
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Andrija Sente
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Lauren J Laskowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Martyna Szpakowska
- Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Maggie M Calkins
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Emilie I Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Lisa M McNally
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Raimond Heukers
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Vladimir Bobkov
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Francis C Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Monica A Thomas
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Andy Chevigné
- Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-4354 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Martine J Smit
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - M Madan Babu
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.,Center for Data Driven Discovery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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8
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Jacobson KA, Gao ZG, Matricon P, Eddy MT, Carlsson J. Adenosine A 2A receptor antagonists: from caffeine to selective non-xanthines. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:3496-3511. [PMID: 32424811 PMCID: PMC9251831 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A long evolution of knowledge of the psychostimulant caffeine led in the 1960s to another purine natural product, adenosine and its A2A receptor. Adenosine is a short-lived autocrine/paracrine mediator that acts pharmacologically at four different adenosine receptors in a manner opposite to the pan-antagonist caffeine and serves as an endogenous allostatic regulator. Although detrimental in the developing brain, caffeine appears to be cerebroprotective in aging. Moderate caffeine consumption in adults, except in pregnancy, may also provide benefit in pain, diabetes, and kidney and liver disorders. Inhibition of A2A receptors is one of caffeine's principal effects and we now understand this interaction at the atomic level. The A2A receptor has become a prototypical example of utilizing high-resolution structures of GPCRs for the rational design of chemically diverse drug molecules. The previous focus on discovery of selective A2A receptor antagonists for neurodegenerative diseases has expanded to include immunotherapy for cancer, and clinical trials have ensued. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Structure Guided Pharmacology of Membrane Proteins (BJP 75th Anniversary). To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.14/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A. Jacobson
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pierre Matricon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matthew T. Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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9
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Claff T, Klapschinski TA, Tiruttani Subhramanyam UK, Vaaßen VJ, Schlegel JG, Vielmuth C, Voß JH, Labahn J, Müller CE. Single Stabilizing Point Mutation Enables High-Resolution Co-Crystal Structures of the Adenosine A 2A Receptor with Preladenant Conjugates. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202115545. [PMID: 35174942 PMCID: PMC9310709 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202115545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The G protein-coupled adenosine A2A receptor (A2A AR) is an important new (potential) drug target in immuno-oncology, and for neurodegenerative diseases. Preladenant and its derivatives belong to the most potent A2A AR antagonists displaying exceptional selectivity. While crystal structures of the human A2A AR have been solved, mostly using the A2A -StaR2 protein that bears 9 point mutations, co-crystallization with Preladenant derivatives has so far been elusive. We developed a new A2A AR construct harboring a single point mutation (S913.39 K) which renders it extremely thermostable. This allowed the co-crystallization of two novel Preladenant derivatives, the polyethylene glycol-conjugated (PEGylated) PSB-2113, and the fluorophore-labeled PSB-2115. The obtained crystal structures (2.25 Å and 2.6 Å resolution) provide explanations for the high potency and selectivity of Preladenant derivatives. They represent the first crystal structures of a GPCR in complex with PEG- and fluorophore-conjugated ligands. The applied strategy is predicted to be applicable to further class A GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Claff
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tim A Klapschinski
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Udaya K Tiruttani Subhramanyam
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Notkestraße 85, 22607, Hamburg, Germany.,Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Complex Systems (IBI-7), Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Victoria J Vaaßen
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonathan G Schlegel
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christin Vielmuth
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan H Voß
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jörg Labahn
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Notkestraße 85, 22607, Hamburg, Germany.,Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Complex Systems (IBI-7), Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christa E Müller
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
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10
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GPCR large-amplitude dynamics by 19F-NMR of aprepitant bound to the neurokinin 1 receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2122682119. [PMID: 35377814 PMCID: PMC9169749 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122682119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparisons of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) complexes with agonists and antagonists based on X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy structure determinations show differences in the width of the orthosteric ligand binding groove over the range from 0.3 to 2.9 Å. Here, we show that there are transient structure fluctuations with amplitudes up to at least 6 Å. The experiments were performed with the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R), a GPCR of class A that is involved in inflammation, pain, and cancer. We used 19F-NMR observation of aprepitant, which is an approved drug that targets NK1R for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Aprepitant includes a bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl ring attached with a single bond to the core of the molecule; 19F-NMR revealed 180° flipping motions of this ring about this bond. In the picture emerging from the 19F-NMR data, the GPCR transmembrane helices undergo large-scale floating motions in the lipid bilayer. The functional implication is of extensive promiscuity of initial ligand binding, primarily determined by size and shape of the ligand, with subsequent selection by unique interactions between atom groups of the ligand and the GPCR within the binding groove. This second step ensures the wide range of different efficacies documented for GPCR-targeting drugs. The NK1R data also provide a rationale for the observation that diffracting GPCR crystals are obtained for complexes with only very few of the ligands from libraries of approved drugs and lead compounds that bind to the receptors.
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11
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Claff T, Klapschinski TA, Tiruttani Subhramanyam UK, Vaaßen VJ, Schlegel JG, Vielmuth C, Voß JH, Labahn J, Müller CE. Eine einzige stabilisierende Punktmutation ermöglicht hochaufgelöste Co‐Kristallstrukturen des Adenosin‐A
2A
‐Rezeptors mit Preladenant‐Konjugaten. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202115545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Claff
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Tim A. Klapschinski
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Udaya K. Tiruttani Subhramanyam
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) Notkestraße 85 22607 Hamburg Germany
- Research Centre Jülich Institute of Complex Systems (IBI-7) Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße 52425 Jülich Deutschland
| | - Victoria J. Vaaßen
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Jonathan G. Schlegel
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Christin Vielmuth
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Jan H. Voß
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Jörg Labahn
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) Notkestraße 85 22607 Hamburg Germany
- Research Centre Jülich Institute of Complex Systems (IBI-7) Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße 52425 Jülich Deutschland
| | - Christa E. Müller
- Pharmaceutical Institute Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry University of Bonn An der Immenburg 4 53121 Bonn Deutschland
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12
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Schöppe J, Ehrenmann J, Waltenspühl Y, Plückthun A. Universal platform for the generation of thermostabilized GPCRs that crystallize in LCP. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:698-726. [PMID: 35140409 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00660-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Structural studies of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are often limited by difficulties in obtaining well-diffracting crystals suitable for high-resolution structure determination. During the past decade, crystallization in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) has become the most successful and widely used technique for obtaining such crystals. Despite often intense efforts, many GPCRs remain refractory to crystallization, even if receptors can be purified in sufficient amounts. To address this issue, we have developed a highly efficient screening and stabilization strategy for GPCRs, based on a fluorescence thermal stability assay readout, which seems to correlate particularly well with those GPCR constructs that remain native during incorporation into the LCP. Detailed protocols are provided for rapid and cost-efficient mutant and construct generation using sequence- and ligation-independent cloning, high-throughput magnetic bead-based protein purification from small-scale expressions in mammalian cells, the screening and optimal combination of mutations for increased receptor thermostability and the rapid identification of suitable chimeric fusion protein constructs for successful crystallization in LCP. We exemplify the method on three receptors from two different classes: the neurokinin 1 receptor, the oxytocin receptor and the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jendrik Schöppe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
| | - Janosch Ehrenmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.,leadXpro AG, PARK InnovAARE, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Yann Waltenspühl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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13
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Chandler B, Todd L, Smith SO. Magic angle spinning NMR of G protein-coupled receptors. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 128:25-43. [PMID: 35282868 PMCID: PMC10718405 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have a simple seven transmembrane helix architecture which has evolved to recognize a diverse number of chemical signals. The more than 800 GPCRs encoded in the human genome function as receptors for vision, smell and taste, and mediate key physiological processes. Consequently, these receptors are a major target for pharmaceuticals. Protein crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy have provided high resolution structures of many GPCRs in both active and inactive conformations. However, these structures have not sparked a surge in rational drug design, in part because GPCRs are inherently dynamic and the structural changes induced by ligand or drug binding to stabilize inactive or active conformations are often subtle rearrangements in packing or hydrogen-bonding interactions. NMR spectroscopy provides a sensitive probe of local structure and dynamics at specific sites within these receptors as well as global changes in receptor structure and dynamics. These methods can also capture intermediate states and conformations with low populations that provide insights into the activation pathways. We review the use of solid-state magic angle spinning NMR to address the structure and activation mechanisms of GPCRs. The focus is on the large and diverse class A family of receptors. We highlight three specific class A GPCRs in order to illustrate how solid-state, as well as solution-state, NMR spectroscopy can answer questions in the field involving how different GPCR classes and subfamilies are activated by their associated ligands, and how small molecule drugs can modulate GPCR activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Chandler
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States.
| | - Lauren Todd
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States.
| | - Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States.
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14
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Velloso JPL, Ascher DB, Pires DEV. pdCSM-GPCR: predicting potent GPCR ligands with graph-based signatures. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2021; 1:vbab031. [PMID: 34901870 PMCID: PMC8651072 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
MOTIVATION G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can selectively bind to many types of ligands, ranging from light-sensitive compounds, ions, hormones, pheromones and neurotransmitters, modulating cell physiology. Considering their role in many essential cellular processes, they are one of the most targeted protein families, with over a third of all approved drugs modulating GPCR signalling. Despite this, the large diversity of receptors and their multipass transmembrane architectures make the identification and development of novel specific, and safe GPCR ligands a challenge. While computational approaches have the potential to assist GPCR drug development, they have presented limited performance and generalization capabilities. Here, we explored the use of graph-based signatures to develop pdCSM-GPCR, a method capable of rapidly and accurately screening potential GPCR ligands. RESULTS Bioactivity data (IC50, EC50, Ki and Kd) for individual GPCRs were curated. After curation, we used the data for developing predictive models for 36 major GPCR targets, across 4 classes (A, B, C and F). Our models compose the most comprehensive computational resource for GPCR bioactivity prediction to date. Across stratified 10-fold cross-validation and blind tests, our approach achieved Pearson's correlations of up to 0.89, significantly outperforming previous methods. Interpreting our results, we identified common important features of potent GPCRs ligands, which tend to have bicyclic rings, leading to higher levels of aromaticity. We believe pdCSM-GPCR will be an invaluable tool to assist screening efforts, enriching compound libraries and ranking candidates for further experimental validation. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION pdCSM-GPCR predictive models and datasets used have been made available via a freely accessible and easy-to-use web server at http://biosig.unimelb.edu.au/pdcsm_gpcr/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Paulo L Velloso
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto René Rachou, Belo Horizonte 30190-009, Brazil
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Australia
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - David B Ascher
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Douglas E V Pires
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Australia
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
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15
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García-Nafría J, Tate CG. Structure determination of GPCRs: cryo-EM compared with X-ray crystallography. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2345-2355. [PMID: 34581758 PMCID: PMC8589417 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest single family of cell surface receptors encoded by the human genome and they play pivotal roles in co-ordinating cellular systems throughout the human body, making them ideal drug targets. Structural biology has played a key role in defining how receptors are activated and signal through G proteins and β-arrestins. The application of structure-based drug design (SBDD) is now yielding novel compounds targeting GPCRs. There is thus significant interest from both academia and the pharmaceutical industry in the structural biology of GPCRs as currently only about one quarter of human non-odorant receptors have had their structure determined. Initially, all the structures were determined by X-ray crystallography, but recent advances in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) now make GPCRs tractable targets for single-particle cryo-EM with comparable resolution to X-ray crystallography. So far this year, 78% of the 99 GPCR structures deposited in the PDB (Jan-Jul 2021) were determined by cryo-EM. Cryo-EM has also opened up new possibilities in GPCR structural biology, such as determining structures of GPCRs embedded in a lipid nanodisc and multiple GPCR conformations from a single preparation. However, X-ray crystallography still has a number of advantages, particularly in the speed of determining many structures of the same receptor bound to different ligands, an essential prerequisite for effective SBDD. We will discuss the relative merits of cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography for the structure determination of GPCRs and the future potential of both techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Nafría
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI) and Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzadas (LMA), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
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16
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Morimoto K. [Activation Mechanism of Prostanoid Receptors -X-ray Crystallography of EP3 Receptor]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2021; 141:473-479. [PMID: 33790113 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.20-00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Prostanoids [prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxanes (TXs)] are a series of bioactive lipid metabolites that function in an autacoid manner via activation of cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The nine subtypes of prostanoid receptors (DP1, DP2, EP1, EP2, EP3, EP4, FP, IP, TP) are involved in a wide range of functions, including inflammation, immune response, reproduction, and homeostasis of the intestinal mucosa and cardiovascular system. Among the prostanoid receptors, the structure of antagonist-bound DP2, which belongs to the chemoattractant receptor family, was previously determined. However, the mechanisms of prostanoid recognition and receptor activation remained elusive. To address this issue, we determined the crystal structures of antagonist-bound EP4 and PGE2-bound EP3. The EP3-PGE2 complex exhibits an active-like conformation, including outward movement of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane (TM) 6 relative to the cytoplasmic end of TM6 of the EP4 complex. The carboxyl moiety of PGE2 is recognized through three hydrogen bonds formed by highly conserved residues: Y1142.65, T206Extracelluar loop 2 (ECL2), and R3337.40 (superscripts denote Ballesteros-Weinstein numbering). In addition, the ω-chain of PGE2 orients toward TM6, which appears to contribute to receptor activation. The structure reveals important insights into the activation mechanism of prostanoid receptors and provides a molecular basis for the binding modes of endogenous ligands. These findings should facilitate the development of subtype-selective and non-PG-like ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazushi Morimoto
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
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17
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Drew D, North RA, Nagarathinam K, Tanabe M. Structures and General Transport Mechanisms by the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS). Chem Rev 2021; 121:5289-5335. [PMID: 33886296 PMCID: PMC8154325 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The major facilitator superfamily (MFS) is the largest known superfamily of secondary active transporters. MFS transporters are responsible for transporting a broad spectrum of substrates, either down their concentration gradient or uphill using the energy stored in the electrochemical gradients. Over the last 10 years, more than a hundred different MFS transporter structures covering close to 40 members have provided an atomic framework for piecing together the molecular basis of their transport cycles. Here, we summarize the remarkable promiscuity of MFS members in terms of substrate recognition and proton coupling as well as the intricate gating mechanisms undergone in achieving substrate translocation. We outline studies that show how residues far from the substrate binding site can be just as important for fine-tuning substrate recognition and specificity as those residues directly coordinating the substrate, and how a number of MFS transporters have evolved to form unique complexes with chaperone and signaling functions. Through a deeper mechanistic description of glucose (GLUT) transporters and multidrug resistance (MDR) antiporters, we outline novel refinements to the rocker-switch alternating-access model, such as a latch mechanism for proton-coupled monosaccharide transport. We emphasize that a full understanding of transport requires an elucidation of MFS transporter dynamics, energy landscapes, and the determination of how rate transitions are modulated by lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Drew
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, SE 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rachel A. North
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm
University, SE 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kumar Nagarathinam
- Center
of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lübeck, D-23538, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mikio Tanabe
- Structural
Biology Research Center, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Oho 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
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18
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Sarkar P, Mozumder S, Bej A, Mukherjee S, Sengupta J, Chattopadhyay A. Structure, dynamics and lipid interactions of serotonin receptors: excitements and challenges. Biophys Rev 2020; 13:10.1007/s12551-020-00772-8. [PMID: 33188638 PMCID: PMC7930197 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00772-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is an intrinsically fluorescent neurotransmitter found in organisms spanning a wide evolutionary range. Serotonin exerts its diverse actions by binding to distinct cell membrane receptors which are classified into many groups. Serotonin receptors are involved in regulating a diverse array of physiological signaling pathways and belong to the family of either G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) or ligand-gated ion channels. Serotonergic signaling appears to play a key role in the generation and modulation of various cognitive and behavioral functions such as sleep, mood, pain, anxiety, depression, aggression, and learning. Serotonin receptors act as drug targets for a number of diseases, particularly neuropsychiatric disorders. The signaling mechanism and efficiency of serotonin receptors depend on their amazing ability to rapidly access multiple conformational states. This conformational plasticity, necessary for the wide variety of functions displayed by serotonin receptors, is regulated by binding to various ligands. In this review, we provide a succinct overview of recent developments in generating and analyzing high-resolution structures of serotonin receptors obtained using crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Capturing structures of distinct conformational states is crucial for understanding the mechanism of action of these receptors, which could provide important insight for rational drug design targeting serotonin receptors. We further provide emerging information and insight from studies on interactions of membrane lipids (such as cholesterol) with serotonin receptors. We envision that a judicious combination of analysis of high-resolution structures and receptor-lipid interaction would allow a comprehensive understanding of GPCR structure, function and dynamics, thereby leading to efficient drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parijat Sarkar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500 007, India
| | - Sukanya Mozumder
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700 032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201 002, India
| | - Aritra Bej
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Sujoy Mukherjee
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Jayati Sengupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700 032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201 002, India
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19
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Xiao Q, Wang L, Supekar S, Shen T, Liu H, Ye F, Huang J, Fan H, Wei Z, Zhang C. Structure of human steroid 5α-reductase 2 with the anti-androgen drug finasteride. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5430. [PMID: 33110062 PMCID: PMC7591894 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19249-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human steroid 5α-reductase 2 (SRD5A2) is an integral membrane enzyme in steroid metabolism and catalyzes the reduction of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Mutations in the SRD5A2 gene have been linked to 5α-reductase deficiency and prostate cancer. Finasteride and dutasteride, as SRD5A2 inhibitors, are widely used antiandrogen drugs for benign prostate hyperplasia. The molecular mechanisms underlying enzyme catalysis and inhibition for SRD5A2 and other eukaryotic integral membrane steroid reductases remain elusive due to a lack of structural information. Here, we report a crystal structure of human SRD5A2 at 2.8 Å, revealing a unique 7-TM structural topology and an intermediate adduct of finasteride and NADPH as NADP-dihydrofinasteride in a largely enclosed binding cavity inside the transmembrane domain. Structural analysis together with computational and mutagenesis studies reveal the molecular mechanisms of the catalyzed reaction and of finasteride inhibition involving residues E57 and Y91. Molecular dynamics simulation results indicate high conformational dynamics of the cytosolic region that regulate NADPH/NADP+ exchange. Mapping disease-causing mutations of SRD5A2 to our structure suggests molecular mechanisms for their pathological effects. Our results offer critical structural insights into the function of integral membrane steroid reductases and may facilitate drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingpin Xiao
- grid.263817.9Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055 Shenzhen, Guangdong China ,grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078 Macau, SAR China
| | - Lei Wang
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - Shreyas Supekar
- grid.418325.90000 0000 9351 8132Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138671 Singapore
| | - Tao Shen
- Tencent AI Lab, 518000 Shenzhen, Guangdong China
| | - Heng Liu
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - Fei Ye
- Tencent AI Lab, 518000 Shenzhen, Guangdong China
| | | | - Hao Fan
- grid.418325.90000 0000 9351 8132Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138671 Singapore
| | - Zhiyi Wei
- grid.263817.9Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055 Shenzhen, Guangdong China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
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20
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Structural biology of human GPCR drugs and endogenous ligands - insights from NMR spectroscopy. Methods 2020; 180:79-88. [PMID: 32911074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest class of "druggable" proteins in the human genome. For more than a decade, crystal structures and, more recently, cryoEM structures of GPCR complexes have provided unprecedented insight into GPCR drug binding and cell signaling. Nevertheless, structure determination of receptors in complexes with weakly binding molecules or complex polypeptides remains especially challenging, including for hormones, many of which have so far eluded researchers. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a promising approach to determine structures of ligands bound to their receptors and to provide insights into the dynamics of GPCR-bound drugs. The capability to investigate compounds with weak binding affinities has also been leveraged in NMR applications to identify novel lead compounds in drug screening campaigns. We review recent structural biology studies of GPCR ligands by NMR, highlighting new methodologies enabling studies of GPCRs with native sequences and in native-like membrane environments that provide insights into important drugs and endogenous ligands.
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21
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Schuster M, Deluigi M, Pantić M, Vacca S, Baumann C, Scott DJ, Plückthun A, Zerbe O. Optimizing the α 1B-adrenergic receptor for solution NMR studies. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183354. [PMID: 32413443 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sample preparation for NMR studies of G protein-coupled receptors faces special requirements: Proteins need to be stable for prolonged measurements at elevated temperatures, they should ideally be uniformly labeled with the stable isotopes 13C, 15N, and all carbon-bound protons should be replaced by deuterons. In addition, certain NMR experiments require protonated methyl groups in the presence of a perdeuterated background. All these requirements are most easily satisfied when using Escherichia coli as the expression host. Here we describe a workflow, starting from a temperature-stabilized mutant of the α1B-adrenergic receptor, obtained using the CHESS methodology, into an even more stable species, in which flexible parts from termini were removed and the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) was stabilized against proteolytic cleavage. The yield after purification corresponds to 1-2 mg/L of D2O culture. The final purification step is ligand-affinity chromatography to ensure that only well-folded ligand-binding protein is isolated. Proper selection of detergent has a remarkable influence on the quality of NMR spectra. All optimization steps of sequence and detergent are monitored on a small scale by monitoring the melting temperature and long-term thermal stability to allow for screening of many conditions. The stabilized mutant of the α1B-adrenergic receptor was additionally incorporated in nanodiscs, but displayed slightly inferior spectra compared to a sample in detergent micelles. Finally, both [15N,1H]- as well as [13C,1H]-HSQC spectra are shown highlighting the high quality of the final NMR sample. Importantly, the quality of [13C,1H]-HSQC spectra indicates that the so prepared receptor could be used for studying side-chain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schuster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Deluigi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Milica Pantić
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Santiago Vacca
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Baumann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Scott
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Zerbe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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22
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Errey JC, Fiez-Vandal C. Production of membrane proteins in industry: The example of GPCRs. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 169:105569. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2020.105569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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23
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Congreve M, de Graaf C, Swain NA, Tate CG. Impact of GPCR Structures on Drug Discovery. Cell 2020; 181:81-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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24
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Di Pizio A, Waterloo LAW, Brox R, Löber S, Weikert D, Behrens M, Gmeiner P, Niv MY. Rational design of agonists for bitter taste receptor TAS2R14: from modeling to bench and back. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:531-542. [PMID: 31236627 PMCID: PMC11104859 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03194-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are a subfamily of 25 G protein-coupled receptors that mediate bitter taste perception. TAS2R14 is the most broadly tuned bitter taste receptor, recognizing a range of chemically diverse agonists with micromolar-range potency. The receptor is expressed in several extra-oral tissues and is suggested to have physiological roles related to innate immune responses, male fertility, and cancer. Higher potency ligands are needed to investigate TAS2R14 function and to modulate it for future clinical applications. Here, a structure-based modeling approach is described for the design of TAS2R14 agonists beginning from flufenamic acid, an approved non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic that activates TAS2R14 at sub-micromolar concentrations. Structure-based molecular modeling was integrated with experimental data to design new TAS2R14 agonists. Subsequent chemical synthesis and in vitro profiling resulted in new TAS2R14 agonists with improved potency compared to the lead. The integrated approach provides a validated and refined structural model of ligand-TAS2R14 interactions and a general framework for structure-based discovery in the absence of closely related experimental structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Di Pizio
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel
- Section In Silico Biology & Machine Learning, Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Lukas A W Waterloo
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Regine Brox
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Haemostaseology, University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefan Löber
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dorothee Weikert
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Maik Behrens
- Section Chemoreception and Biosignals, Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany.
| | - Peter Gmeiner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel.
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25
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Structure-based discovery of novel inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CYP121 from Indonesian natural products. Comput Biol Chem 2020; 85:107205. [PMID: 31981965 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2020.107205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a serious global health threat with the emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). There is an urgent need to discover new drugs to deal with the advent of drug-resistant TB variants. This study aims to find new M. tuberculosis CYP121 inhibitors by the screening of Indonesian natural products using the principle of structure-based drug design and discovery. In this work, eight natural compounds isolated from Rhoeo spathacea and Pluchea indica were selected based on their antimycobacterial activity. Derivatives compound were virtually designed from these natural molecules to improve the interaction of ligands with CYP121. Virtual screening of ligands was carried out using AutoDock Vina followed by 50 ns molecular dynamics simulation using YASARA to study the inhibition mechanism of the ligands. Two ligands, i.e., kaempferol (KAE) and its benzyl derivative (KAE3), are identified as the best CYP121 inhibitors based on their binding affinities and adherence to the Lipinski's rule. Results of molecular dynamics simulation indicate that KAE and KAE3 possess a unique inhibitory mechanism against CYP121 that is different from GGJ (control ligand). The control ligand alters the overall dynamics of the receptor, which is indicated by changes in residue flexibility away from CYP121 binding site. Meanwhile, the dynamic changes caused by the binding of KAE and KAE3 are isolated around the binding site of CYP121. These ligands can be developed for further potential biological activities.
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26
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García-Nafría J, Tate CG. Cryo-Electron Microscopy: Moving Beyond X-Ray Crystal Structures for Drug Receptors and Drug Development. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2019; 60:51-71. [PMID: 31348870 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010919-023545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized structure determination of membrane proteins and holds great potential for structure-based drug discovery. Here we discuss the potential of cryo-EM in the rational design of therapeutics for membrane proteins compared to X-ray crystallography. We also detail recent progress in the field of drug receptors, focusing on cryo-EM of two protein families with established therapeutic value, the γ-aminobutyric acid A receptors (GABAARs) and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GABAARs are pentameric ion channels, and cryo-EM structures of physiological heteromeric receptors in a lipid environment have uncovered the molecular basis of receptor modulation by drugs such as diazepam. The structures of ten GPCR-G protein complexes from three different classes of GPCRs have now been determined by cryo-EM. These structures give detailed insights into molecular interactions with drugs, GPCR-G protein selectivity, how accessory membrane proteins alter receptor-ligand pharmacology, and the mechanism by which HIV uses GPCRs to enter host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Nafría
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom; .,Current affiliation: Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI) and Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain;
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27
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Zhang Q, Cherezov V. Chemical tools for membrane protein structural biology. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 58:278-285. [PMID: 31285102 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Solving high-resolution structures of membrane proteins has been an important challenge for decades, still lagging far behind that of soluble proteins even with the recent remarkable technological advances in X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy. Central to this challenge is the necessity to isolate and solubilize membrane proteins in a stable, natively folded and functional state, a process influenced by not only the proteins but also their surrounding chemical environment. This review highlights recent community efforts in the development and characterization of novel membrane agents and ligand tools to stabilize individual proteins and protein complexes, which together have accelerated progress in membrane protein structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghai Zhang
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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28
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García-Nafría J, Tate CG. Cryo-EM structures of GPCRs coupled to G s, G i and G o. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2019; 488:1-13. [PMID: 30930094 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Advances in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) now permit the structure determination of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) coupled to heterotrimeric G proteins by single-particle imaging. A combination of G protein engineering and the development of antibodies that stabilise the heterotrimeric G protein facilitate the formation of stable GPCR-G protein complexes suitable for structural biology. Structures have been determined of GPCRs coupled to either heterotrimeric G proteins (Gs, Gi or Go) or mini-G proteins (mini-Gs or mini-Go) by single-particle cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography, respectively. This review describes the technical breakthroughs allowing their structure determination and compares the different techniques. In addition, we compare the structures of GPCRs coupled either to Gs, Gi or Go and analyse the contributions of amino acid residues to the GPCR-G protein interface. There is no unique set of interactions that specifies coupling either to Gs, Gi or Go. Instead, there is a common core of interactions between the C-terminal α-helix of the G protein α-subunit and helices H3, H5 and H6 of the receptor. In addition, there are varying degrees of interaction between all the other GPCR helices and intracellular loops to five regions of the α-subunit and four regions of the β-subunit. These data support the contention that there is not a simple linear barcode that defines the specificity of G protein coupling and thus how a G protein couples to a GPCR cannot currently be determined from simply analysing amino acid sequences. Although the overall architecture of GPCR-G protein complexes is conserved, there are significant differences in the molecular details. The number and type of molecular interactions between amino acid residues at the interfaces varies, resulting in subtly different orientation and position of the G protein with respect to the GPCR. This in turn affects the interface surface area that varies between 845 Å2 and 1490 Å2, which could impact upon the lifetime of signalling complexes in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Nafría
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Christopher G Tate
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
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29
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Popov P, Kozlovskii I, Katritch V. Computational design for thermostabilization of GPCRs. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 55:25-33. [PMID: 30909106 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
GPCR superfamily is the largest clinically relevant family of targets in human genome; however, low thermostability and high conformational plasticity of these integral membrane proteins make them notoriously hard to handle in biochemical, biophysical, and structural experiments. Here, we describe the recent advances in computational approaches to design stabilizing mutations for GPCR that take advantage of the structural and sequence conservation properties of the receptors, and employ machine learning on accumulated mutation data for the superfamily. The fast and effective computational tools can provide a viable alternative to existing experimental mutation screening and are poised for further improvements with expansion of thermostability datasets for training the machine learning models. The rapidly growing practical applications of computational stability design streamline GPCR structure determination and may contribute to more efficient drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Popov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Igor Kozlovskii
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia; Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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30
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Munk C, Mutt E, Isberg V, Nikolajsen LF, Bibbe JM, Flock T, Hanson MA, Stevens RC, Deupi X, Gloriam DE. An online resource for GPCR structure determination and analysis. Nat Methods 2019; 16:151-162. [PMID: 30664776 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0302-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) transduce physiological and sensory stimuli into appropriate cellular responses and mediate the actions of one-third of drugs. GPCR structural studies have revealed the general bases of receptor activation, signaling, drug action and allosteric modulation, but so far cover only 13% of nonolfactory receptors. We broadly surveyed the receptor modifications/engineering and methods used to produce all available GPCR crystal and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures, and present an interactive resource integrated in GPCRdb ( http://www.gpcrdb.org ) to assist users in designing constructs and browsing appropriate experimental conditions for structure studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Munk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Eshita Mutt
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Vignir Isberg
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Novozymes A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise F Nikolajsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janne M Bibbe
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Raymond C Stevens
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - David E Gloriam
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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31
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Kumar A, Plückthun A. In vivo assembly and large-scale purification of a GPCR - Gα fusion with Gβγ, and characterization of the active complex. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210131. [PMID: 30620756 PMCID: PMC6324789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are central players in recognizing a variety of stimuli to mediate diverse cellular responses. This myriad of functions is accomplished by their modular interactions with downstream intracellular transducers, such as heterotrimeric G proteins and arrestins. Assembling a specific GPCR-G protein pair as a purified complex for their structural and functional investigations remains a challenging task, however, because of the low affinity of the interaction. Here, we optimized fusion constructs of the Gα subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein and engineered versions of rat Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1), coexpressed and assembled in vivo with Gβ and Gγ. This was achieved by using the baculovirus-based MultiBac system. We thus generated a functional receptor-G protein fusion complex, which can be efficiently purified using ligand-based affinity chromatography on large scales. Additionally, we utilized a purification method based on a designed ankyrin repeat protein tightly binding to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP-DARPin) that may be used as a generic approach for a large-scale purification of GPCR-G protein fusion complexes for which no ligands column can be generated. The purification methods described herein will support future studies that aim to understand the structural and functional framework of GPCR activation and signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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32
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GPCR drug discovery: integrating solution NMR data with crystal and cryo-EM structures. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2018; 18:59-82. [PMID: 30410121 DOI: 10.1038/nrd.2018.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The 826 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the human proteome regulate key physiological processes and thus have long been attractive drug targets. With the crystal structures of more than 50 different human GPCRs determined over the past decade, an initial platform for structure-based rational design has been established for drugs that target GPCRs, which is currently being augmented with cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of higher-order GPCR complexes. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution is one of the key approaches for expanding this platform with dynamic features, which can be accessed at physiological temperature and with minimal modification of the wild-type GPCR covalent structures. Here, we review strategies for the use of advanced biochemistry and NMR techniques with GPCRs, survey projects in which crystal or cryo-EM structures have been complemented with NMR investigations and discuss the impact of this integrative approach on GPCR biology and drug discovery.
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33
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Popov P, Peng Y, Shen L, Stevens RC, Cherezov V, Liu ZJ, Katritch V. Computational design of thermostabilizing point mutations for G protein-coupled receptors. eLife 2018; 7:34729. [PMID: 29927385 PMCID: PMC6013254 DOI: 10.7554/elife.34729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineering of GPCR constructs with improved thermostability is a key for successful structural and biochemical studies of this transmembrane protein family, targeted by 40% of all therapeutic drugs. Here we introduce a comprehensive computational approach to effective prediction of stabilizing mutations in GPCRs, named CompoMug, which employs sequence-based analysis, structural information, and a derived machine learning predictor. Tested experimentally on the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor target, CompoMug predictions resulted in 10 new stabilizing mutations, with an apparent thermostability gain ~8.8°C for the best single mutation and ~13°C for a triple mutant. Binding of antagonists confers further stabilization for the triple mutant receptor, with total gains of ~21°C as compared to wild type apo 5-HT2C. The predicted mutations enabled crystallization and structure determination for the 5-HT2C receptor complexes in inactive and active-like states. While CompoMug already shows high 25% hit rate and utility in GPCR structural studies, further improvements are expected with accumulation of structural and mutation data. The trillions of cells in the human body rely on receptors that sit in their cell membranes to communicate with each other. Hundreds of different receptors belong to the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily (called GPCRs for short) and play vital roles in the all organs and bodily systems. Indeed, GPCRs are the targets for almost 40% of therapeutic drugs. As such, deciphering the shape and activity of GPCRs is key to understanding the normal workings of the human biology and could help scientists discover new treatments for various diseases, from depression to high blood pressure to cancer. These receptors, however, are notoriously flimsy and unstable, making them difficult to work with in the laboratory. Different approaches have been developed to make GPCRs more stable, usually by swapping one or a few of the amino acid building blocks in the protein for other amino acids. Currently, this requires a costly and slow trial-and-error approach in which each amino acid out of 300-400 in the protein is mutated and tested experimentally. To speed up and reduce the cost of the process, Popov et al. asked if a computer could predict which mutations in the protein would stabilize it, meaning that fewer proteins would actually need to be tested. Four computer algorithms based on four different principles were developed and verified. The first one compares the target GPCR to other closely related receptors, trying to detect variations that cause the instability. The second tries to build in specific stabilizing interactions, or “bridges”, between different parts of the receptor. The third algorithm searches the known structures of other GPCRs for useful mutations. Finally, the fourth one uses accumulated data on the stability of hundreds of mutations in different GPCRs to train a machine learning predictor to recognize stabilizing mutations. All four algorithms produced useful predictions in a real-life project. Indeed, when combined in one computational tool, named CompoMug, the algorithms made it possible to detect optimal mutations in a human GPCR called 5-HT2C. This made the protein much easier to work with in the laboratory, and ultimately helped to solve its three-dimensional structure (which was reported in a separate study, published earlier in 2018) The 5-HT2C receptor is involved in regulating, among other things, mood and appetite. Details of its structure might therefore help researchers to design new antidepressants and obesity treatments. Moreover, CompoMug is already helping structural biologists to solve the structures of other GPCRs, which will further facilitate many aspects of GPCR drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Popov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Yao Peng
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Shen
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Insititute of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States.,Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
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34
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Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a large superfamily of membrane proteins that mediate cell signaling and regulate a variety of physiological processes in the human body. Structure-function studies of this superfamily were enabled a decade ago by multiple breakthroughs in technology that included receptor stabilization, crystallization in a membrane environment, and microcrystallography. The recent emergence of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has further accelerated structural studies of GPCRs and other challenging proteins by overcoming radiation damage and providing access to high-resolution structures and dynamics using micrometer-sized crystals. Here, we summarize key technology advancements and major milestones of GPCR research using XFELs and provide a brief outlook on future developments in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Stauch
- Department of Chemistry and Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA; ,
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Chemistry and Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA; ,
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35
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Qin S, Meng M, Yang D, Bai W, Lu Y, Peng Y, Song G, Wu Y, Zhou Q, Zhao S, Huang X, McCorvy JD, Cai X, Dai A, Roth BL, Hanson MA, Liu ZJ, Wang MW, Stevens RC, Shui W. High-throughput identification of G protein-coupled receptor modulators through affinity mass spectrometry screening. Chem Sci 2018; 9:3192-3199. [PMID: 29732102 PMCID: PMC5916221 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc04698g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput identification of GPCR modulators through affinity MS screening.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest class of cell surface proteins and thus constitute an important family of therapeutic targets. Therefore, significant effort has been put towards the identification of novel ligands that can modulate the activity of a GPCR target with high efficacy and selectivity. However, due to limitations inherent to the most common techniques for GPCR ligand discovery, there is a pressing need for more efficient and effective ligand screening methods especially for the identification of potential allosteric modulators. Here we present a high-throughput, label-free and unbiased screening approach for the identification of small molecule ligands towards GPCR targets based on affinity mass spectrometry. This new approach features the usage of target-expressing cell membranes rather than purified proteins for ligand screening and allows the detection of both orthosteric and allosteric ligands targeting specific GPCRs. Screening a small compound library with this approach led to the rapid discovery of an antagonist for the 5-HT receptor and four positive allosteric modulators for GLP-1 receptor that were not previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Qin
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Mengmeng Meng
- College of Pharmacy , Nankai University , 300071 , Tianjin , China
| | - Dehua Yang
- The National Center for Drug Screening , The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research , Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 201203 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Wenwen Bai
- College of Pharmacy , Nankai University , 300071 , Tianjin , China
| | - Yan Lu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China . .,School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , 201202 , Shanghai , China
| | - Yao Peng
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Gaojie Song
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Qingtong Zhou
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Suwen Zhao
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China . .,School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , 201202 , Shanghai , China
| | - Xiping Huang
- Department of Pharmacology , Chapel Hill School of Medicine , University of North Carolina , NC 27599 Chapel Hill , USA
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Pharmacology , Chapel Hill School of Medicine , University of North Carolina , NC 27599 Chapel Hill , USA
| | - Xiaoqing Cai
- The National Center for Drug Screening , The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research , Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 201203 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Antao Dai
- The National Center for Drug Screening , The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research , Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 201203 , Shanghai , China .
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Department of Pharmacology , Chapel Hill School of Medicine , University of North Carolina , NC 27599 Chapel Hill , USA
| | | | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China . .,School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , 201202 , Shanghai , China
| | - Ming-Wei Wang
- The National Center for Drug Screening , The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research , Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 201203 , Shanghai , China . .,School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , 201202 , Shanghai , China.,School of Pharmacy , Fudan University , 201203 , Shanghai , China
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China . .,School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , 201202 , Shanghai , China
| | - Wenqing Shui
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 201210 , Shanghai , China . .,School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , 201202 , Shanghai , China
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36
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White KL, Eddy MT, Gao ZG, Han GW, Lian T, Deary A, Patel N, Jacobson KA, Katritch V, Stevens RC. Structural Connection between Activation Microswitch and Allosteric Sodium Site in GPCR Signaling. Structure 2018; 26:259-269.e5. [PMID: 29395784 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2017.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sodium ions are endogenous allosteric modulators of many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Mutation of key residues in the sodium binding motif causes a striking effect on G-protein signaling. We report the crystal structures of agonist complexes for two variants in the first sodium coordination shell of the human A2A adenosine receptor, D522.50N and S913.39A. Both structures present an overall active-like conformation; however, the variants show key changes in the activation motif NPxxY. Changes in the hydrogen bonding network in this microswitch suggest a possible mechanism for modified G-protein signaling and enhanced thermal stability. These structures, signaling data, and thermal stability analysis with a panel of pharmacological ligands provide a basis for understanding the role of the sodium-coordinating residues on stability and G-protein signaling. Utilizing the D2.50N variant is a promising method for stabilizing class A GPCRs to accelerate structural efforts and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L White
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gye Won Han
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Tiffany Lian
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Alexander Deary
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Nilkanth Patel
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center, University of Southern California, 1002 West Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Schwalbe T, Kaindl J, Hübner H, Gmeiner P. Potent haloperidol derivatives covalently binding to the dopamine D2 receptor. Bioorg Med Chem 2017; 25:5084-5094. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Strege A, Carpenter B, Edwards PC, Tate CG. Strategy for the Thermostabilization of an Agonist-Bound GPCR Coupled to a G Protein. Methods Enzymol 2017; 594:243-264. [PMID: 28779842 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Structure determination of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the inactive state bound to high-affinity antagonists has been very successful through the implementation of a number of protein engineering and crystallization strategies. However, the structure determination of GPCRs in their fully active state coupled to a G protein is still very challenging. Recently, mini-G proteins were developed, which recapitulate the coupling of a full heterotrimeric G protein to a GPCR despite being less than one-third of the size. This allowed the structure determination of the agonist-bound adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) coupled to mini-Gs. Although this is extremely encouraging, A2AR is very stable compared with many other GPCRs, particularly when an agonist is bound. In contrast, the agonist-bound conformation of the human corticotropin-releasing factor receptor is considerably less stable, impeding the formation of good quality crystals for structure determination. We have therefore developed a novel strategy for the thermostabilization of a GPCR-mini-G protein complex. In this chapter, we will describe the theoretical and practical principles of the thermostability assay for stabilizing this complex, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and show some typical results from the thermostabilization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Strege
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Byron Carpenter
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Ye L, Ding K, Zhao F, Liu X, Wu Y, Liu Y, Xue D, Zhou F, Zhang X, Stevens RC, Xu F, Zhao S, Tao H. A structurally guided dissection-then-evolution strategy for ligand optimization of smoothened receptor. MEDCHEMCOMM 2017; 8:1332-1336. [PMID: 30108845 PMCID: PMC6072208 DOI: 10.1039/c7md00104e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
We present herein a novel dissection-then-evolution strategy for ligand optimization. Using the co-crystal structure of the smoothened receptor (SMO) as a guide, we studied the modular contribution of LY2940680 by systematically "silencing" the specific interaction between the individual residue(s) and the fragment in the ligand. Following evolution by focusing on the benzoyl part finally yielded an improved ligand 21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lintao Ye
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Building 3, Room 426 , Shanghai , 201203 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A, Yuquan Road , Beijing 100049 , China
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Kang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology , CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology , Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai , 200031 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A, Yuquan Road , Beijing 100049 , China
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Fei Zhao
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
| | - Yang Liu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
| | - Dongxiang Xue
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Building 3, Room 426 , Shanghai , 201203 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A, Yuquan Road , Beijing 100049 , China
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Fang Zhou
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Building 3, Room 426 , Shanghai , 201203 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A, Yuquan Road , Beijing 100049 , China
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Xianjun Zhang
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology , Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai , 200031 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A, Yuquan Road , Beijing 100049 , China
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Fei Xu
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Suwen Zhao
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
- School of Life Science and Technology , ShanghaiTech University , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | - Houchao Tao
- iHuman Institute , ShanghaiTech University , 2F Building 6, 99 Haike Road, Pudong New District , Shanghai 201210 , China . ;
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Hofrnann L, Alexander NS, Sun W, Zhang J, Orban T, Palczewski K. Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry of Human Green Opsin Reveals a Conserved Pro-Pro Motif in Extracellular Loop 2 of Monostable Visual G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2338-2348. [PMID: 28402104 PMCID: PMC5501310 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Opsins comprise the protein component of light sensitive G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the retina of the eye that are responsible for the transduction of light into a biochemical signal. Here, we used hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange coupled with mass spectrometry to map conformational changes in green cone opsin upon light activation. We then compared these findings with those reported for rhodopsin. The extent of H/D exchange in green cone opsin was greater than in rhodopsin in the dark and bleached states, suggesting a higher structural heterogeneity for green cone opsin. Further analysis revealed that green cone opsin exists as a dimer in both dark (inactive) and bleached (active) states, and that the predicted glycosylation sites at N32 and N34 are indeed glycosylated. Comparison of deuterium uptake between inactive and active states of green cone opsin also disclosed a reduced solvent accessibility of the extracellular N-terminal region and an increased accessibility of the chromophore binding site. Increased H/D exchange at the extracellular side of transmembrane helix four (TM4) combined with an analysis of sequence alignments revealed a conserved Pro-Pro motif in extracellular loop 2 (EL2) of monostable visual GPCRs. These data present new insights into the locus of chromophore release at the extracellular side of TM4 and TM5 and provide a foundation for future functional evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Hofrnann
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Nathan S. Alexander
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Wenyu Sun
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Jianye Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Tivadar Orban
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Krzysztof Palczewski
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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Nehmé R, Carpenter B, Singhal A, Strege A, Edwards PC, White CF, Du H, Grisshammer R, Tate CG. Mini-G proteins: Novel tools for studying GPCRs in their active conformation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175642. [PMID: 28426733 PMCID: PMC5398546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mini-G proteins are the engineered GTPase domains of Gα subunits. They couple to GPCRs and recapitulate the increase in agonist affinity observed upon coupling of a native heterotrimeric G protein. Given the small size and stability of mini-G proteins, and their ease of expression and purification, they are ideal for biophysical studies of GPCRs in their fully active state. The first mini-G protein developed was mini-Gs. Here we extend the family of mini-G proteins to include mini-Golf, mini-Gi1, mini-Go1 and the chimeras mini-Gs/q and mini-Gs/i. The mini-G proteins were shown to couple to relevant GPCRs and to form stable complexes with purified receptors that could be purified by size exclusion chromatography. Agonist-bound GPCRs coupled to a mini-G protein showed higher thermal stability compared to the agonist-bound receptor alone. Fusion of GFP at the N-terminus of mini-G proteins allowed receptor coupling to be monitored by fluorescence-detection size exclusion chromatography (FSEC) and, in a separate assay, the affinity of mini-G protein binding to detergent-solubilised receptors was determined. This work provides the foundation for the development of any mini-G protein and, ultimately, for the structure determination of GPCRs in a fully active state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rony Nehmé
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Byron Carpenter
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ankita Singhal
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Annette Strege
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Courtney F. White
- Membrane Protein Structure Function Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, United States of America
| | - Haijuan Du
- Membrane Protein Structure Function Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, United States of America
| | - Reinhard Grisshammer
- Membrane Protein Structure Function Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, United States of America
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Jörg M, Glukhova A, Abdul-Ridha A, Vecchio EA, Nguyen ATN, Sexton PM, White PJ, May LT, Christopoulos A, Scammells PJ. Novel Irreversible Agonists Acting at the A 1 Adenosine Receptor. J Med Chem 2016; 59:11182-11194. [PMID: 27958734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The A1 adenosine receptor (A1AR) is an important G protein-coupled receptor that regulates a range of physiological functions. Herein we report the discovery of novel irreversible agonists acting at the A1AR, which have the potential to serve as useful research tools for studying receptor structure and function. A series of novel adenosine derivatives bearing electrophilic substituents was synthesized, and four compounds, 8b, 15a, 15b, and 15d, were shown to possess similar potency and efficacy to the reference high efficacy agonist, NECA, in an assay of ERK1/2 phosphorylation assay. Insensitivity to antagonist addition in a real-time, label-free, xCELLigence assay was subsequently used to identify compounds that likely mediated their agonism through an irreversible interaction with the A1AR. Of these compounds, 15b and 15d were more directly validated as irreversible agonists of the A1AR using membrane-based [3H]DPCPX and [35S]GTPγS binding experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Jörg
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Alisa Glukhova
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Alaa Abdul-Ridha
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Vecchio
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Anh T N Nguyen
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Patrick M Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Paul J White
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Lauren T May
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Arthur Christopoulos
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Biology, and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Peter J Scammells
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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Lee S, Mao A, Bhattacharya S, Robertson N, Grisshammer R, Tate CG, Vaidehi N. How Do Short Chain Nonionic Detergents Destabilize G-Protein-Coupled Receptors? J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:15425-15433. [PMID: 27792324 PMCID: PMC5148649 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b08742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Stability of detergent-solubilized G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is crucial for their purification in a biologically relevant state, and it is well-known that short chain detergents such as octylglucoside are more denaturing than long chain detergents such as dodecylmaltoside. However, the molecular basis for this phenomenon is poorly understood. To gain insights into the mechanism of detergent destabilization of GPCRs, we used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of thermostabilized adenosine receptor (A2AR) mutants embedded in either a lipid bilayer or detergent micelles of alkylmaltosides and alkylglucosides. A2AR mutants in dodecylmaltoside or phospholipid showed low flexibility and good interhelical packing. In contrast, A2AR mutants in either octylglucoside or nonylglucoside showed decreased α-helicity in transmembrane regions, decreased α-helical packing, and the interpenetration of detergent molecules between transmembrane α-helices. This was not observed in octylglucoside containing phospholipid. Cholesteryl hemisuccinate in dodecylmaltoside increased the energetic stability of the receptor by wedging into crevices on the hydrophobic surface of A2AR, increasing packing interactions within the receptor and stiffening the detergent micelle. The data suggest a three-stage process for the initial events in the destabilization of GPCRs by octylglucoside: (i) highly mobile detergent molecules form small micelles around the receptor; (ii) loss of α-helicity and decreased interhelical packing interactions in transmembrane regions are promoted by increased receptor thermal motion; (iii) transient separation of transmembrane helices allowed penetration of detergent molecules into the core of the receptor. The relative hydration of the headgroup and alkyl chain correlates with detergent harshness and suggests new avenues to develop milder versions of octylglucoside for receptor crystallization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangbae Lee
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Allen Mao
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Supriyo Bhattacharya
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Nathan Robertson
- Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, BioPark, Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 3AX, UK
| | - Reinhard Grisshammer
- Membrane Protein Structure Function Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
| | - Christopher G. Tate
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Nagarajan Vaidehi
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, California 91010, USA
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44
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Lu M, Wu B. Structural studies of G protein-coupled receptors. IUBMB Life 2016; 68:894-903. [PMID: 27766738 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the largest membrane protein family. These receptors sense a variety of signaling molecules, activate multiple intracellular signal pathways, and act as the targets of over 40% of marketed drugs. Recent progress on GPCR structural studies provides invaluable insights into the structure-function relationship of the GPCR superfamily, deepening our understanding about the molecular mechanisms of GPCR signal transduction. Here, we review recent breakthroughs on GPCR structure determination and the structural features of GPCRs, and take the structures of chemokine receptor CCR5 and purinergic receptors P2Y1 R and P2Y12 R as examples to discuss the importance of GPCR structures on functional studies and drug discovery. In addition, we discuss the prospect of GPCR structure-based drug discovery. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(11):894-903, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjie Lu
- CAS Key laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Beili Wu
- CAS Key laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Pudong, Shanghai, China.
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Kufareva I. Chemokines and their receptors: insights from molecular modeling and crystallography. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2016; 30:27-37. [PMID: 27459124 PMCID: PMC5071139 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemokines are small secreted proteins that direct cell migration in development, immunity, inflammation, and cancer. They do so by binding and activating specific G protein coupled receptors on the surface of migrating cells. Despite the importance of receptor:chemokine interactions, their structural basis remained unclear for a long time. In 2015, the first atomic resolution insights were obtained with the publication of X-ray structures for two distantly related receptors bound to chemokines. In conjunction with experiment-guided molecular modeling, the structures suggest a conserved receptor:chemokine complex architecture, while highlighting the diverse details and functional roles of individual interaction epitopes. Novel findings promote the development and detailed structural interpretation of the canonical two-site hypothesis of receptor:chemokine recognition, and suggest new avenues for pharmacological modulation of chemokine receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kufareva
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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46
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Costa-Neto CM, Parreiras-E-Silva LT, Bouvier M. A Pluridimensional View of Biased Agonism. Mol Pharmacol 2016; 90:587-595. [PMID: 27638872 DOI: 10.1124/mol.116.105940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When studying G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and ligand-biased agonism, at least three dimensional spaces must be considered, as follows: 1) the distinct conformations that can be stabilized by different ligands promoting the engagement of different signaling effectors and accessory regulators; 2) the distinct subcellular trafficking that can be conferred by different ligands, which results in spatially distinct signals; and 3) the differential binding kinetics that maintain the receptor in specific conformation and/or subcellular localization for different periods of time, allowing for the engagement of distinct signaling effector subsets. These three pluridimensional aspects of signaling contribute to different faces of functional selectivity and provide a complex, interconnected way to define the signaling profile of each individual ligand acting at GPCRs. In this review, we discuss how each of these aspects may contribute to the diversity of signaling, but also how they shed light on the complexity of data analyses and interpretation. The impact of phenotype variability as a source of signaling diversity, and the influence of novel and more sensitive assays in the detection and analysis of signaling pluridimensionality, is also discussed. Finally, we discuss perspectives for the use of the concept of pluridimensional signaling in drug discovery, in which we highlight future predictive tools that may facilitate the identification of compounds with optimal therapeutic and safety properties based on the signaling signatures of drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio M Costa-Neto
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil (C.M.C.-N., L.T.P.-S.); and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montréal, Montréal, Canada (L.T.P.-S., M.B.)
| | - Lucas T Parreiras-E-Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil (C.M.C.-N., L.T.P.-S.); and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montréal, Montréal, Canada (L.T.P.-S., M.B.)
| | - Michel Bouvier
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil (C.M.C.-N., L.T.P.-S.); and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montréal, Montréal, Canada (L.T.P.-S., M.B.)
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47
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Magnani F, Serrano-Vega MJ, Shibata Y, Abdul-Hussein S, Lebon G, Miller-Gallacher J, Singhal A, Strege A, Thomas JA, Tate CG. A mutagenesis and screening strategy to generate optimally thermostabilized membrane proteins for structural studies. Nat Protoc 2016; 11:1554-71. [PMID: 27466713 PMCID: PMC5268090 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The thermostability of an integral membrane protein (MP) in detergent solution is a key parameter that dictates the likelihood of obtaining well-diffracting crystals that are suitable for structure determination. However, many mammalian MPs are too unstable for crystallization. We developed a thermostabilization strategy based on systematic mutagenesis coupled to a radioligand-binding thermostability assay that can be applied to receptors, ion channels and transporters. It takes ∼6-12 months to thermostabilize a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) containing 300 amino acid (aa) residues. The resulting thermostabilized MPs are more easily crystallized and result in high-quality structures. This methodology has facilitated structure-based drug design applied to GPCRs because it is possible to determine multiple structures of the thermostabilized receptors bound to low-affinity ligands. Protocols and advice are given on how to develop thermostability assays for MPs and how to combine mutations to make an optimally stable mutant suitable for structural studies. The steps in the procedure include the generation of ∼300 site-directed mutants by Ala/Leu scanning mutagenesis, the expression of each mutant in mammalian cells by transient transfection and the identification of thermostable mutants using a thermostability assay that is based on binding of an (125)I-labeled radioligand to the unpurified, detergent-solubilized MP. Individual thermostabilizing point mutations are then combined to make an optimally stable MP that is suitable for structural biology and other biophysical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ankita Singhal
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Annette Strege
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Jennifer A. Thomas
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Christopher G. Tate
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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48
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Shinoda T, Shinya N, Ito K, Ishizuka-Katsura Y, Ohsawa N, Terada T, Hirata K, Kawano Y, Yamamoto M, Tomita T, Ishibashi Y, Hirabayashi Y, Kimura-Someya T, Shirouzu M, Yokoyama S. Cell-free methods to produce structurally intact mammalian membrane proteins. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30442. [PMID: 27465719 PMCID: PMC4964339 DOI: 10.1038/srep30442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The crystal structures of four membrane proteins, from bacteria or a unicellular alga, have been solved with samples produced by cell-free protein synthesis. In this study, for mammalian membrane protein production, we established the precipitating and soluble membrane fragment methods: membrane proteins are synthesized with the Escherichia coli cell-free system in the presence of large and small membrane fragments, respectively, and are simultaneously integrated into the lipid environments. We applied the precipitating membrane fragment method to produce various mammalian membrane proteins, including human claudins, glucosylceramide synthase, and the γ-secretase subunits. These proteins were produced at levels of about 0.1–1.0 mg per ml cell-free reaction under the initial conditions, and were obtained as precipitates by ultracentrifugation. Larger amounts of membrane proteins were produced by the soluble membrane fragment method, collected in the ultracentrifugation supernatants, and purified directly by column chromatography. For several proteins, the conditions of the membrane fragment methods were further optimized, such as by the addition of specific lipids/detergents. The functional and structural integrities of the purified proteins were confirmed by analyses of their ligand binding activities, size-exclusion chromatography profiles, and/or thermal stabilities. We successfully obtained high-quality crystals of the complex of human claudin-4 with an enterotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehiro Shinoda
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Naoko Shinya
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kaori Ito
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Ishizuka-Katsura
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Noboru Ohsawa
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Takaho Terada
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Structural Biology Laboratory, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kunio Hirata
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Kawano
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Masaki Yamamoto
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Taisuke Tomita
- Department of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yohei Ishibashi
- Laboratory for Molecular Membrane Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoshio Hirabayashi
- Laboratory for Molecular Membrane Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kimura-Someya
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Division of Structural and Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Yokoyama
- RIKEN Systems and Structural Biology Center, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Structural Biology Laboratory, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
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49
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Asano M, Ide S, Kamata A, Takahasi K, Okada T. Sequence and intramolecular distance scoring analyses of microbial rhodopsins. F1000Res 2016; 5:165. [PMID: 26998236 PMCID: PMC4792210 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.7920.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent accumulation of sequence and structural data, in conjunction with systematical classification into a set of families, has significantly advanced our understanding of diverse and specific protein functions. Analysis and interpretation of protein family data requires comprehensive sequence and structural alignments. Here, we present a simple scheme for analyzing a set of experimental structures of a given protein or family of proteins, using microbial rhodopsins as an example. For a data set comprised of around a dozen highly similar structures to each other (overall pairwise root-mean-squared deviation < 2.3 Å), intramolecular distance scoring analysis yielded valuable information with respect to structural properties, such as differences in the relative variability of transmembrane helices. Furthermore, a comparison with recent results for G protein-coupled receptors demonstrates how the results of the present analysis can be interpreted and effectively utilized for structural characterization of diverse protein families in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Asano
- Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shunta Ide
- Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kamata
- Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Tetsuji Okada
- Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
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50
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Okuta A, Tani K, Nishimura S, Fujiyoshi Y, Doi T. Thermostabilization of the Human Endothelin Type B Receptor. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:2265-2274. [PMID: 27038509 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The peptide hormone endothelin, produced by the vascular endothelium, is involved in several physiological functions, including maintenance of vascular tone and humoral homeostasis. Endothelin transmits signals through the endothelin receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor. Structural studies of the endothelin type B receptor (ETBR) have been unsuccessful due to its structural flexibility and instability in detergent-solubilized solution. To overcome these problems, we explored thermostabilization of human ETBR by establishing an ETBR expression system in Escherichia coli, followed by systematic alanine scanning mutagenesis. Among 297 point mutations, 11 thermostabilizing residues were selected and further mutated to other amino acids. The thermostability indices of these residues, represented by the ratios of endothelin-1 (ET-1) binding activities with or without heat treatment at 27°C for 30min in a ligand-free form, were compared. The ligand affinity and apparent melting temperature (Tm) of the five most thermostable mutants, R124Y, D154A, K270A, S342A, and I381A, were then examined. The apparent Tm of three single mutants, R124Y, D154A, and K270A, was approximately 7°C higher than that of the wild type. The apparent Tm value of a combination of the five residues, named the Y5 ETBR mutant, was 17°C higher than that of the wild type. The Y5 ETBR mutant exhibited an affinity for ET-1 and activated Gq similar to the wild type. Further investigation of the pharmacological properties affected by combinatorial mutations of ET-1, ET-3, TxET-1, and K8794 suggested that Y5 ETBR is highly suitable for representing a ligand-free form of ETBR and is potentially applicable for studying an ET-1-bound form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Okuta
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan; Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Tani
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Shoko Nishimura
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Fujiyoshi
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; Department of Basic Medicinal Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Tomoko Doi
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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