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Chen KYM, Keri D, Barth P. Computational design of G Protein-Coupled Receptor allosteric signal transductions. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 16:77-86. [PMID: 31792443 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Membrane receptors sense and transduce extracellular stimuli into intracellular signaling responses but the molecular underpinnings remain poorly understood. We report a computational approach for designing protein allosteric signaling functions. By combining molecular dynamics simulations and design calculations, the method engineers amino-acid 'microswitches' at allosteric sites that modulate receptor stability or long-range coupling, to reprogram specific signaling properties. We designed 36 dopamine D2 receptor variants, whose constitutive and ligand-induced signaling agreed well with our predictions, repurposed the D2 receptor into a serotonin biosensor and predicted the signaling effects of more than 100 known G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) mutations. Our results reveal the existence of distinct classes of allosteric microswitches and pathways that define an unforeseen molecular mechanism of regulation and evolution of GPCR signaling. Our approach enables the rational design of allosteric receptors with enhanced stability and function to facilitate structural characterization, and reprogram cellular signaling in synthetic biology and cell engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuang-Yui Michael Chen
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Keri
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Barth
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Institute of Bioengineering, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Claff T, Yu J, Blais V, Patel N, Martin C, Wu L, Han GW, Holleran BJ, Van der Poorten O, White KL, Hanson MA, Sarret P, Gendron L, Cherezov V, Katritch V, Ballet S, Liu ZJ, Müller CE, Stevens RC. Elucidating the active δ-opioid receptor crystal structure with peptide and small-molecule agonists. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax9115. [PMID: 31807708 PMCID: PMC6881160 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax9115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Selective activation of the δ-opioid receptor (DOP) has great potential for the treatment of chronic pain, benefitting from ancillary anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects. Moreover, DOP agonists show reduced adverse effects as compared to μ-opioid receptor (MOP) agonists that are in the spotlight of the current "opioid crisis." Here, we report the first crystal structures of the DOP in an activated state, in complex with two relevant and structurally diverse agonists: the potent opioid agonist peptide KGCHM07 and the small-molecule agonist DPI-287 at 2.8 and 3.3 Å resolution, respectively. Our study identifies key determinants for agonist recognition, receptor activation, and DOP selectivity, revealing crucial differences between both agonist scaffolds. Our findings provide the first investigation into atomic-scale agonist binding at the DOP, supported by site-directed mutagenesis and pharmacological characterization. These structures will underpin the future structure-based development of DOP agonists for an improved pain treatment with fewer adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Claff
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Ren Building, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
- PharmaCenter Bonn, University of Bonn, Pharmaceutical Chemistry I, An der Immenburg 4, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jing Yu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Ren Building, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Véronique Blais
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Nilkanth Patel
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lijie Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Ren Building, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Gye Won Han
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Brian J. Holleran
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Olivier Van der Poorten
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kate L. White
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | | | - Philippe Sarret
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Louis Gendron
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Ren Building, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Christa E. Müller
- PharmaCenter Bonn, University of Bonn, Pharmaceutical Chemistry I, An der Immenburg 4, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
- Corresponding author. (C.E.M.); (R.C.S.)
| | - Raymond C. Stevens
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Ren Building, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Corresponding author. (C.E.M.); (R.C.S.)
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Evolution of the SpoIISABC Toxin-Antitoxin-Antitoxin System in Bacilli. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8060180. [PMID: 27294956 PMCID: PMC4926146 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8060180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death in bacteria is generally associated with two-component toxin-antitoxin systems. The SpoIISABC system, originally identified in Bacillus subtilis, consists of three components: a SpoIISA toxin and the SpoIISB and SpoIISC antitoxins. SpoIISA is a membrane-bound protein, while SpoIISB and SpoIISC are small cytosolic antitoxins, which are able to bind SpoIISA and neutralize its toxicity. In the presented bioinformatics analysis, a taxonomic distribution of the genes of the SpoIISABC system is investigated; their conserved regions and residues are identified; and their phylogenetic relationships are inferred. The SpoIISABC system is part of the core genome in members of the Bacillus genus of the Firmicutes phylum. Its presence in some non-bacillus species is likely the result of horizontal gene transfer. The SpoIISB and SpoIISC antitoxins originated by gene duplications, which occurred independently in the B. subtilis and B. cereus lineages. In the B. cereus lineage, the SpoIIS module is present in two different architectures.
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Weltrowska G, Lemieux C, Chung NN, Guo JJ, Wilkes BC, Schiller PW. 'Carba'-carfentanil (trans isomer): a μ opioid receptor (MOR) partial agonist with a distinct binding mode. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:4581-6. [PMID: 25129170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is strong evidence to indicate that a positively charged nitrogen of endogenous and exogenous opioid ligands forms a salt bridge with the Asp residue in the third transmembrane helix of opioid receptors. To further examine the role of this electrostatic interaction in opioid receptor binding and activation, we synthesized 'carba'-analogues of the highly potent μ opioid analgesic carfentanil (3), in which the piperidine nitrogen was replaced with a carbon. The resulting trans isomer (8b) showed reduced, but still significant MOR binding affinity (Ki(μ)=95.2nM) with no MOR versus DOR binding selectivity and was a MOR partial agonist. The cis isomer (8a) was essentially inactive. A MOR docking study indicated that 8b bound to the same binding pocket as parent 3, but its binding mode was somewhat different. A re-evaluation of the uncharged morphine derivative N-formylnormorphine (9) indicated that it was a weak MOR antagonist showing no preference for MOR over KOR. Taken together, the results indicate that deletion of the positively charged nitrogen in μ opioid analgesics reduces MOR binding affinity by 2-3 orders of magnitude and may have pronounced effects on the intrinsic efficacy and on the opioid receptor selectivity profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazyna Weltrowska
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Carole Lemieux
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Nga N Chung
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Jason J Guo
- Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brian C Wilkes
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Peter W Schiller
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
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Pogozheva ID, Przydzial MJ, Mosberg HI. Homology modeling of opioid receptor-ligand complexes using experimental constraints. AAPS JOURNAL 2005; 7:E434-48. [PMID: 16353922 PMCID: PMC2750980 DOI: 10.1208/aapsj070243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Opioid receptors interact with a variety of ligands, including endogenous peptides, opiates, and thousands of synthetic compounds with different structural scaffolds. In the absence of experimental structures of opioid receptors, theoretical modeling remains an important tool for structure-function analysis. The combination of experimental studies and modeling approaches allows development of realistic models of ligand-receptor complexes helpful for elucidation of the molecular determinants of ligand affinity and selectivity and for understanding mechanisms of functional agonism or antagonism. In this review we provide a brief critical assessment of the status of such theoretical modeling and describe some common problems and their possible solutions. Currently, there are no reliable theoretical methods to generate the models in a completely automatic fashion. Models of higher accuracy can be produced if homology modeling, based on the rhodopsin X-ray template, is supplemented by experimental structural constraints appropriate for the active or inactive receptor conformations, together with receptor-specific and ligand-specific interactions. The experimental constraints can be derived from mutagenesis and cross-linking studies, correlative replacements of ligand and receptor groups, and incorporation of metal binding sites between residues of receptors or receptors and ligands. This review focuses on the analysis of similarity and differences of the refined homology models of mu, delta, and kappa-opioid receptors in active and inactive states, emphasizing the molecular details of interaction of the receptors with some representative peptide and nonpeptide ligands, underlying the multiple modes of binding of small opiates, and the differences in binding modes of agonists and antagonists, and of peptides and alkaloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina D Pogozheva
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Brillet K, Kieffer BL, Massotte D. Enhanced spontaneous activity of the mu opioid receptor by cysteine mutations: characterization of a tool for inverse agonist screening. BMC Pharmacol 2003; 3:14. [PMID: 14641935 PMCID: PMC317294 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2210-3-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2003] [Accepted: 12/01/2003] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The concept of spontaneous- or constitutive-activity has become widely accepted and verified for numerous G protein-coupled receptors and this ligand-independent activity is also acknowledged to play a role in some pathologies. Constitutive activity has been reported for the mu opioid receptor. In some cases the increase in receptor basal activity was induced by chronic morphine administration suggesting that constitutive activity may contribute to the development of drug tolerance and dependence. Constitutively active mutants represent excellent tools for gathering information about the mechanisms of receptor activation and the possible physiological relevance of spontaneous receptor activity. The high basal level of activity of these mutants also allows for easier identification of inverse agonists, defined as ligands able to suppress spontaneous receptor activity, and leads to a better comprehension of their modulatory effects as well as possible in vivo use. Results Cysteines 348 and 353 of the human mu opioid receptor (hMOR) were mutated into alanines and Ala348,353 hMOR was stably expressed in HEK 293 cells. [35S] GTPγS binding experiments revealed that Ala348,353 hMOR basal activity was significantly higher when compared to hMOR, suggesting that the mutant receptor is constitutively active. [35S] GTPγS binding was decreased by cyprodime or CTOP indicating that both ligands have inverse agonist properties. All tested agonists exhibited binding affinities higher for Ala348,353 hMOR than for hMOR, with the exception of endogenous opioid peptides. Antagonist affinity remained virtually unchanged except for CTOP and cyprodime that bound the double mutant with higher affinities. The agonists DAMGO and morphine showed enhanced potency for the Ala348,353 hMOR receptor in [35S] GTPγS experiments. Finally, pretreatment with the antagonists naloxone, cyprodime or CTOP significantly increased Ala348,353 hMOR expression. Conclusion Taken together our data indicate that the double C348/353A mutation results in a constitutively active conformation of hMOR that is still activated by agonists. This is the first report of a stable CAM of hMOR with the potential to screen for inverse agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Brillet
- Département des Récepteurs et Protéines Membranaires, UPR 9050, Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, F-67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Département des Récepteurs et Protéines Membranaires, UPR 9050, Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, F-67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
- IGBMC, UMR 7104, F-67404 Illkirch-Graffenstaden cedex, France
| | - Dominique Massotte
- Département des Récepteurs et Protéines Membranaires, UPR 9050, Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, F-67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
- IGBMC, UMR 7104, F-67404 Illkirch-Graffenstaden cedex, France
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Chaipatikul V, Loh HH, Law PY. Ligand-selective activation of mu-oid receptor: demonstrated with deletion and single amino acid mutations of third intracellular loop domain. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2003; 305:909-18. [PMID: 12626655 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.102.046219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism for the differential regulation of the mu-opioid receptor by agonists is investigated by identifying the receptor domains used to define the relative efficacies of three mu-opioid receptor-selective agonists: [D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO), morphine, and [N-MePhe3,D-Pro4]-morphiceptin (PL017) to inhibit forskolin-stimulated intracellular cAMP production in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. This was accomplished by systematically deleting four to five amino acids clusters within the third intracellular loop of rat mu-opioid receptor, Arg258 to Arg280, followed by Ala substitution and scanning studies of the 276RRITR280 sequence, the putative G protein-coupling motif. Deletion of the four to five amino acid clusters resulted in differential effects on the affinities of the agonists and antagonists, and also on the potencies and coupling efficiencies of the three opioid agonists. Ala scanning studies of the 276RRITR280 sequence revealed also the differences between [D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO), morphine, and PL017. Substitution of Arg276 or Ile278 with Ala reduced the potency of DAMGO but not that of morphine PL017. Meanwhile, mutation of Thr279 to Ala increased the potencies of morphine and PL017 but not that of DAMGO. The I278A mutation decreased the DAMGO coupling efficiency but increased the PL017 coupling efficiency. The R280A mutation resulted in the increase in PL017 potency and coupling efficiency without altering those of DAMGO and morphine. Thus, these mutation studies suggested that the activation of mu-opioid receptor and interaction between the critical domains such as RRITR within third intracellular loop and the G proteins are agonist-selective.
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MESH Headings
- Adenylyl Cyclases/metabolism
- Alanine/metabolism
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Cells, Cultured
- Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-/pharmacology
- Enkephalins/pharmacology
- Gene Deletion
- Humans
- Membrane Proteins/chemistry
- Membrane Proteins/drug effects
- Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Membrane Proteins/metabolism
- Morphine/pharmacology
- Narcotic Antagonists/pharmacology
- Pertussis Toxin/pharmacology
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/chemistry
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/drug effects
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipa Chaipatikul
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0217, USA
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Meng F, Wei Q, Hoversten MT, Taylor LP, Akil H. Switching agonist/antagonist properties of opiate alkaloids at the delta opioid receptor using mutations based on the structure of the orphanin FQ receptor. J Biol Chem 2000; 275:21939-45. [PMID: 10777506 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m002864200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In an earlier study, we have demonstrated that by mutating five amino acid residues to those conserved in the opioid receptors, the OFQ receptor could be converted to a functional receptor that bound many opioid alkaloids with nanomolar affinities. Surprisingly, when the reciprocal mutations, Lys-214 --> Ala (TM5), Ile-277 --> Val/His-278 --> Gln/Ile-279 --> Val (TM6), and Ile-304 --> Thr (TM7), are introduced in the delta receptor, neither the individual mutations nor their various combinations significantly reduce the binding affinities of opioid alkaloids tested. However, these mutations cause profound alterations in the functional characteristics of the mutant receptors as measured in guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate binding assays. Some agonists become antagonists at some constructs as they lose their ability to activate them. Some alkaloid antagonists are transformed into agonists at other constructs, but their agonistic effects can still be blocked by the peptide antagonist TIPP. Even the delta inverse agonist 7-benzylidenenaltrexone becomes an agonist at the mutant containing both the Ile-277 --> Val/His-278 --> Gln/Ile-279 --> Val and Ile-304 --> Thr mutations. Thus, although the mutated residues are thought to be part of the binding pocket, they are critically involved in the control of the delta receptor activation process. These findings shed light on some of the structural bases of ligand efficacy. They are also compatible with the hypothesis that a ligand may achieve high affinity binding in several different ways, each having different effects on receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Meng
- Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
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