Theoretical implications of receptor coupling to multiple G proteins based on analysis of a three-state model

Modelling and simulation of biased agonism dynamics at a G protein-coupled receptor

Theoretical models of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) concentration-response relationships often assume an agonist producing a single functional response via a single active state of the receptor. These models have largely been analysed assuming steady-state conditions. There is now much experimental evidence to suggest that many GPCRs can exist in multiple receptor conformations and elicit numerous functional responses, with ligands having the potential to activate different signalling pathways to varying extents-a concept referred to as biased agonism, functional selectivity or pluri-dimensional efficacy. Moreover, recent experimental results indicate a clear possibility for time-dependent bias, whereby an agonist's bias with respect to different pathways may vary dynamically. Efforts towards understanding the implications of temporal bias by characterising and quantifying ligand effects on multiple pathways will clearly be aided by extending current equilibrium binding and biased activation models to include G protein activation dynamics. Here, we present a new model of time-dependent biased agonism, based on ordinary differential equations for multiple cubic ternary complex activation models with G protein cycle dynamics. This model allows simulation and analysis of multi-pathway activation bias dynamics at a single receptor for the first time, at the level of active G protein (αGTP), towards the analysis of dynamic functional responses. The model is generally applicable to systems with NG G proteins and N* active receptor states. Numerical simulations for NG=N*=2 reveal new insights into the effects of system parameters (including cooperativities, and ligand and receptor concentrations) on bias dynamics, highlighting new phenomena including the dynamic inter-conversion of bias direction. Further, we fit this model to 'wet' experimental data for two competing G proteins (Gi and Gs) that become activated upon stimulation of the adenosine A1 receptor with adenosine derivative compounds. Finally, we show that our model can qualitatively describe the temporal dynamics of this competing G protein activation.

Gaddum Memorial Lecture 2014: receptors as an evolving concept: from switches to biased microprocessors

This review is based on the JR Vane Medal Lecture presented at the BPS Winter Meeting in December 2014 by T. Kenakin. A recording of the lecture is included as supporting information and can also be viewed online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrP81AQ8l-8. Pharmacological models used to describe drug agonism and antagonism have evolved over the past 20 years from a parsimonious model describing single active and inactive receptor states to models of multiconformational receptor systems modified by ligand conformational selection. These latter models describe the observed, presently underexploited, pharmacological mechanism of ligand-directed biased signalling. Biased signals can be quantified with transduction coefficients (ΔΔLog(τ/KA) values), a scale grounded in the Black/Leff operational model; this enables the optimization of biased profiles through medicinal chemistry. The past decades have also brought the availability of new technologies to measure multiple functional effects mediated by seven transmembrane receptors. These have confirmed that drugs can have many efficacies, which may be collaterally linked, that is there is no linear sequence of activities required. In addition, new functional screening assays have introduced increasing numbers of allosteric ligands into drug discovery. These molecules are permissive (they do not necessarily preclude endogenous signalling in vivo); therefore, they may allow better fine tuning of pathological physiology. The permissive quality of allosteric ligands can also change the quality of endogenous signalling efficacy ('induced bias') as well as the quantity of signal; in this regard, indices related to ΔΔLog(τ/KA) values (namely ΔLog(αβ) values) can be used to quantify these effects for optimization in the drug discovery process. All of these added scales of drug activity will, hopefully, allow better targeting of candidate molecules towards therapies.

New concepts in pharmacological efficacy at 7TM receptors: IUPHAR review 2

The present-day concept of drug efficacy has changed completely from its original description as the property of agonists that causes tissue activation. The ability to visualize the multiple behaviours of seven transmembrane receptors has shown that drugs can have many efficacies and also that the transduction of drug stimulus to various cellular stimulus-response cascades can be biased towards some but not all pathways. This latter effect leads to agonist 'functional selectivity', which can be favourable for the improvement of agonist therapeutics. However, in addition, biased agonist potency becomes cell type dependent with the loss of the monotonic behaviour of stimulus-response mechanisms, leading to potential problems in agonist quantification. This has an extremely important effect on the discovery process for new agonists since it now cannot be assumed that a given screening or lead optimization assay will correctly predict therapeutic behaviour. This review discusses these ideas and how new approaches to quantifying agonist effect may be used to circumvent the cell type dependence of agonism. This article, written by a corresponding member of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification (NC-IUPHAR), reviews our current understanding of the interaction of ligands with seven transmembrane receptors. Further information on these pharmacological concepts is being incorporated into the IUPHAR/BPS database GuideToPharmacology.org.

Evidence for distinct antagonist-revealed functional states of 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptor homodimers

The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) 2A receptor is a cell surface class A G protein-coupled receptor that regulates a multitude of physiological functions of the body and is a target for antipsychotic drugs. Here we found by means of fluorescence resonance energy transfer and immunoprecipitation studies that the 5-HT(2A)-receptor homodimerized in live cells, which we linked with its antagonist-dependent fingerprint in both binding and receptor signaling. Some antagonists, like the atypical antipsychotics clozapine and risperidone, differentiate themselves from others, like the typical antipsychotic haloperidol, antagonizing these 5-HT(2A) receptor-mediated functions in a pathway-specific manner, explained here by a new model of multiple active interconvertible conformations at dimeric receptors.

Agonist induction, conformational selection, and mutant receptors

Current models of receptor activation are based on either of two basic mechanisms: agonist induction or conformational selection. The importance of one pathway relative to the other is controversial. In this article, the impossibility of distinguishing between the two mechanisms under a thermodynamic approach is shown. The effect of receptor mutation on the constants governing ligand-receptor equilibria is discussed. The two-state model of agonism both in its original formulation (one cycle) and including multiple active states (multiple cycles) is used. Pharmacological equations for the double (two cycles) two-state model are derived. The simulations performed suggest that the double two-state model of agonism can be a useful model for assessing quantitatively the changes in pharmacological activity following receptor mutation.