1
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Schafer CT, Pauszek RF, Gustavsson M, Handel TM, Millar DP. Distinct Activation Mechanisms of CXCR4 and ACKR3 Revealed by Single-Molecule Analysis of their Conformational Landscapes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.31.564925. [PMID: 37961571 PMCID: PMC10635023 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.31.564925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The canonical chemokine receptor CXCR4 and atypical receptor ACKR3 both respond to CXCL12 but induce different effector responses to regulate cell migration. While CXCR4 couples to G proteins and directly promotes cell migration, ACKR3 is G protein-independent and scavenges CXCL12 to regulate extracellular chemokine levels and maintain CXCR4 responsiveness, thereby indirectly influencing migration. The receptors also have distinct activation requirements. CXCR4 only responds to wild-type CXCL12 and is sensitive to mutation of the chemokine. By contrast, ACKR3 recruits GPCR kinases (GRKs) and β-arrestins and promiscuously responds to CXCL12, CXCL12 variants, other peptides and proteins, and is relatively insensitive to mutation. To investigate the role of conformational dynamics in the distinct pharmacological behaviors of CXCR4 and ACKR3, we employed single-molecule FRET to track discrete conformational states of the receptors in real-time. The data revealed that apo-CXCR4 preferentially populates a high-FRET inactive state, while apo-ACKR3 shows little conformational preference and high transition probabilities among multiple inactive, intermediate and active conformations, consistent with its propensity for activation. Multiple active-like ACKR3 conformations are populated in response to agonists, compared to the single CXCR4 active-state. This and the markedly different conformational landscapes of the receptors suggest that activation of ACKR3 may be achieved by a broader distribution of conformational states than CXCR4. Much of the conformational heterogeneity of ACKR3 is linked to a single residue that differs between ACKR3 and CXCR4. The dynamic properties of ACKR3 may underly its inability to form productive interactions with G proteins that would drive canonical GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T. Schafer
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Raymond F. Pauszek
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Martin Gustavsson
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Tracy M. Handel
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - David P. Millar
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
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2
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Shumate AD, Farrens DL. A rapid, tag-free way to purify functional GPCRs. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105558. [PMID: 38097184 PMCID: PMC10820827 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105558] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play diverse signaling roles and represent major pharmaceutical targets. Consequently, they are the focus of intense study, and numerous advances have been made in their handling and analysis. However, a universal way to purify GPCRs has remained elusive, in part because of their inherent instability when isolated from cells. To address this, we have developed a general, rapid, and tag-free way to purify GPCRs. The method uses short peptide analogs of the Gα subunit C terminus (Gα-CT) that are attached to chromatography beads (Gα-CT resin). Because the Gα-CT peptides bind active GPCRs with high affinity, the Gα-CT resin selectively purifies only active functional receptors. We use this method to purify both rhodopsin and the β2-adrenergic receptor and show they can be purified in either active conformations or inactive conformations, simply by varying elution conditions. While simple in concept-leveraging the conserved GPCR-Gα-CT binding interaction for the purpose of GPCR purification-we think this approach holds excellent potential to isolate functional receptors for a myriad of uses, from structural biology to proteomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony D Shumate
- Department of Chemical Biology and Physiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - David L Farrens
- Department of Chemical Biology and Physiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
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3
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Abstract
Rhodopsin is the photoreceptor in human rod cells responsible for dim-light vision. The visual receptors are part of the large superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that mediate signal transduction in response to diverse diffusible ligands. The high level of sequence conservation within the transmembrane helices of the visual receptors and the family A GPCRs has long been considered evidence for a common pathway for signal transduction. I review recent studies that reveal a comprehensive mechanism for how light absorption by the retinylidene chromophore drives rhodopsin activation and highlight those features of the mechanism that are conserved across the ligand-activated GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Structural Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA;
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4
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Tian H, Gunnison KM, Kazmi MA, Sakmar TP, Huber T. FRET sensors reveal the retinal entry pathway in the G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin. iScience 2022; 25:104060. [PMID: 35355518 PMCID: PMC8958324 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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5
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Abstract
Rapid flip-flop of phospholipids across the two leaflets of biological membranes is crucial for many aspects of cellular life. The transport proteins that facilitate this process are classified as pump-like flippases and floppases and channel-like scramblases. Unexpectedly, Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large class of signaling proteins exemplified by the visual receptor rhodopsin and its apoprotein opsin, are constitutively active as scramblases in vitro. In liposomes, opsin scrambles lipids at a unitary rate of >100,000 per second. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of opsin in a lipid membrane reveal conformational transitions that expose a polar groove between transmembrane helices 6 and 7. This groove enables transbilayer lipid movement, conceptualized as the swiping of a credit card (lipid) through a card reader (GPCR). Conformational changes that facilitate scrambling are distinct from those associated with GPCR signaling. In this review, we discuss the physiological significance of GPCR scramblase activity and the modes of its regulation in cells. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Khelashvili
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA; .,Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA;
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6
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Smith SO. Deconstructing the transmembrane core of class A G protein-coupled receptors. Trends Biochem Sci 2021; 46:1017-1029. [PMID: 34538727 PMCID: PMC8595765 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Class A G protein-coupled receptors have evolved to recognize ligands ranging from small-molecule odorants to proteins. Although they are among the most diverse membrane receptors in eukaryotic organisms, they possess a highly conserved core within their seven-transmembrane helix framework. The conservation of the transmembrane core has led to the idea of a common mechanism by which ligand binding is coupled to the outward rotation of helix H6, the hallmark of an active receptor. Nevertheless, there is still no consensus on the mechanism of coupling or on the roles of specific residues within the core. Recent insights from crystallography and NMR spectroscopy provide a way to decompose the core into its essential structural and functional elements that shed new light on this important region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA.
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7
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Schafer CT, Shumate A, Farrens DL. Novel fluorescent GPCR biosensor detects retinal equilibrium binding to opsin and active G protein and arrestin signaling conformations. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:17486-17496. [PMID: 33453993 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin is a canonical class A photosensitive G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), yet relatively few pharmaceutical agents targeting this visual receptor have been identified, in part due to the unique characteristics of its light-sensitive, covalently bound retinal ligands. Rhodopsin becomes activated when light isomerizes 11-cis-retinal into an agonist, all-trans-retinal (ATR), which enables the receptor to activate its G protein. We have previously demonstrated that, despite being covalently bound, ATR can display properties of equilibrium binding, yet how this is accomplished is unknown. Here, we describe a new approach for both identifying compounds that can activate and attenuate rhodopsin and testing the hypothesis that opsin binds retinal in equilibrium. Our method uses opsin-based fluorescent sensors, which directly report the formation of active receptor conformations by detecting the binding of G protein or arrestin fragments that have been fused onto the receptor's C terminus. We show that these biosensors can be used to monitor equilibrium binding of the agonist, ATR, as well as the noncovalent binding of β-ionone, an antagonist for G protein activation. Finally, we use these novel biosensors to observe ATR release from an activated, unlabeled receptor and its subsequent transfer to the sensor in real time. Taken together, these data support the retinal equilibrium binding hypothesis. The approach we describe should prove directly translatable to other GPCRs, providing a new tool for ligand discovery and mutant characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Schafer
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Anthony Shumate
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - David L Farrens
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
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8
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Pope AL, Sanchez-Reyes OB, South K, Zaitseva E, Ziliox M, Vogel R, Reeves PJ, Smith SO. A Conserved Proline Hinge Mediates Helix Dynamics and Activation of Rhodopsin. Structure 2020; 28:1004-1013.e4. [PMID: 32470317 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite high-resolution crystal structures of both inactive and active G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), it is still not known how ligands trigger the large structural change on the intracellular side of the receptor since the conformational changes that occur within the extracellular ligand-binding region upon activation are subtle. Here, we use solid-state NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on rhodopsin to show that Trp2656.48 within the CWxP motif on transmembrane helix H6 constrains a proline hinge in the inactive state, suggesting that activation results in unraveling of the H6 backbone within this motif, a local change in dynamics that allows helix H6 to swing outward. Notably, Tyr3017.48 within activation switch 2 appears to mimic the negative allosteric sodium ion found in other family A GPCRs, a finding that is broadly relevant to the mechanism of receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreyah L Pope
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA
| | - Omar B Sanchez-Reyes
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA
| | - Kieron South
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Ekaterina Zaitseva
- Biophysics Section, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Hermann Herder Strasse, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martine Ziliox
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA
| | - Reiner Vogel
- Biophysics Section, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Hermann Herder Strasse, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Philip J Reeves
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA.
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9
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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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10
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Imamoto Y, Kojima K, Oka T, Maeda R, Shichida Y. Conformational Differences among Metarhodopsin I, Metarhodopsin II, and Opsin Probed by Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:9134-9142. [PMID: 31580080 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b08311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Among the photoproducts of vertebrate rhodopsin, only metarhodopsin II (Meta-II) preferentially adopts the active structure in which transmembrane helices are rearranged. Light-induced helical rearrangement of rhodopsin in membrane-embedded form was directly monitored by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) using nanodiscs. The change in the WAXS curve for the formation of Meta-II was characterized by a peak at 0.2 Å-1 and a valley at 0.6 Å-1, which were not observed in metarhodopsin I and opsin. However, acid-induced active opsin (Opsin*) showed a 0.2 Å-1 peak, but no 0.6 Å-1 valley. Analyses using the model structures based on the crystal structures of dark state and Meta-II suggest that the outward movement of helix VI occurred in Opsin*. However, the displaced helices III and V in Meta-II resulting from the disruption of cytoplasmic ionic lock were restored in Opsin*, which is likely to destabilize the G-protein-activating structure of opsin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Imamoto
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science , Kyoto University , Kyoto 606-8502 , Japan
| | - Keiichi Kojima
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science , Kyoto University , Kyoto 606-8502 , Japan
| | | | - Ryo Maeda
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science , Kyoto University , Kyoto 606-8502 , Japan
| | - Yoshinori Shichida
- Research Organization for Science and Technology , Ritsumeikan University , Kusatsu , Shiga 525-8577 , Japan
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11
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Scott BM, Wybenga-Groot LE, McGlade CJ, Heon E, Peisajovich SG, Chang BSW. Screening of Chemical Libraries Using a Yeast Model of Retinal Disease. SLAS DISCOVERY 2019; 24:969-977. [PMID: 31556794 DOI: 10.1177/2472555219875934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a degenerative retinal disease, often caused by mutations in the G-protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin. The majority of pathogenic rhodopsin mutations cause rhodopsin to misfold, including P23H, disrupting its crucial ability to respond to light. Previous screens to discover pharmacological chaperones of rhodopsin have primarily been based on rescuing rhodopsin trafficking and localization to the plasma membrane. Here, we present methods utilizing a yeast-based assay to screen for compounds that rescue the ability of rhodopsin to activate an associated downstream G-protein signaling cascade. We engineered a yeast strain in which human rhodopsin variants were genomically integrated, and were able to demonstrate functional coupling to the yeast mating pathway, leading to fluorescent protein expression. We confirmed that a known pharmacological chaperone, 9-cis retinal, could partially rescue light-dependent activation of a disease-associated rhodopsin mutation (P23H) expressed in yeast. These novel yeast strains were used to perform a phenotypic screen of 4280 compounds from the LOPAC1280 library and a peptidomimetic library, to discover novel pharmacological chaperones of rhodopsin. The fluorescence-based assay was robust in a 96-well format, with a Z' factor of 0.65 and a signal-to-background ratio of above 14. One compound was selected for additional analysis, but it did not appear to rescue rhodopsin function in yeast. The methods presented here are amenable to future screens of small-molecule libraries, as they are robust and cost-effective. We also discuss how these methods could be further modified or adapted to perform screens of more compounds in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Scott
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | | | - C Jane McGlade
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Program in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elise Heon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sergio G Peisajovich
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Belinda S W Chang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Coupling of Human Rhodopsin to a Yeast Signaling Pathway Enables Characterization of Mutations Associated with Retinal Disease. Genetics 2018; 211:597-615. [PMID: 30514708 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are crucial sensors of extracellular signals in eukaryotes, with multiple GPCR mutations linked to human diseases. With the growing number of sequenced human genomes, determining the pathogenicity of a mutation is challenging, but can be aided by a direct measurement of GPCR-mediated signaling. This is particularly difficult for the visual pigment rhodopsin-a GPCR activated by light-for which hundreds of mutations have been linked to inherited degenerative retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. In this study, we successfully engineered, for the first time, activation by human rhodopsin of the yeast mating pathway, resulting in signaling via a fluorescent reporter. We combine this novel assay for rhodopsin light-dependent activation with studies of subcellular localization, and the upregulation of the unfolded protein response in response to misfolded rhodopsin protein. We use these assays to characterize a panel of rhodopsin mutations with known molecular phenotypes, finding that rhodopsin maintains a similar molecular phenotype in yeast, with some interesting differences. Furthermore, we compare our assays in yeast with clinical phenotypes from patients with novel disease-linked mutations. We demonstrate that our engineered yeast strain can be useful in rhodopsin mutant classification, and in helping to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying their pathogenicity. This approach may also be applied to better understand the clinical relevance of other human GPCR mutations, furthering the use of yeast as a tool for investigating molecular mechanisms relevant to human disease.
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13
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Computational design of orthogonal membrane receptor-effector switches for rewiring signaling pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:7051-7056. [PMID: 29915030 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1718489115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane receptors regulate numerous intracellular functions. However, the molecular underpinnings remain poorly understood because most receptors initiate multiple signaling pathways through distinct interaction interfaces that are structurally uncharacterized. We present an integrated computational and experimental approach to model and rationally engineer membrane receptor-intracellular protein systems signaling with novel pathway selectivity. We targeted the dopamine D2 receptor (D2), a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which primarily signals through Gi, but triggers also the Gq and beta-arrestin pathways. Using this approach, we designed orthogonal D2-Gi complexes, which coupled with high specificity and triggered exclusively the Gi-dependent signaling pathway. We also engineered an orthogonal chimeric D2-Gs/i complex that rewired D2 signaling from a Gi-mediated inhibitory into a Gs-dependent activating pathway. Reinterpreting the evolutionary history of GPCRs in light of the designed proteins, we uncovered an unforeseen hierarchical code of GPCR-G-protein coupling selectivity determinants. The results demonstrate that membrane receptor-cytosolic protein systems can be rationally engineered to regulate mammalian cellular functions. The method should prove useful for creating orthogonal molecular switches that redirect signals at the cell surface for cell-engineering applications.
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14
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Maeda R, Hiroshima M, Yamashita T, Wada A, Sako Y, Shichida Y, Imamoto Y. Shift in Conformational Equilibrium Induces Constitutive Activity of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor, Rhodopsin. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:4838-4843. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b02819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Maeda
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Michio Hiroshima
- Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Laboratory for Cell Signaling Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamashita
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akimori Wada
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yasushi Sako
- Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Shichida
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Research Organization for Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yasushi Imamoto
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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15
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Elgeti M, Kazmin R, Rose AS, Szczepek M, Hildebrand PW, Bartl FJ, Scheerer P, Hofmann KP. The arrestin-1 finger loop interacts with two distinct conformations of active rhodopsin. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:4403-4410. [PMID: 29363577 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.817890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling of the prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin through its cognate G protein transducin (Gt) is quenched when arrestin binds to the activated receptor. Although the overall architecture of the rhodopsin/arrestin complex is known, many questions regarding its specificity remain unresolved. Here, using FTIR difference spectroscopy and a dual pH/peptide titration assay, we show that rhodopsin maintains certain flexibility upon binding the "finger loop" of visual arrestin (prepared as synthetic peptide ArrFL-1). We found that two distinct complexes can be stabilized depending on the protonation state of E3.49 in the conserved (D)ERY motif. Both complexes exhibit different interaction modes and affinities of ArrFL-1 binding. The plasticity of the receptor within the rhodopsin/ArrFL-1 complex stands in contrast to the complex with the C terminus of the Gt α-subunit (GαCT), which stabilizes only one specific substate out of the conformational ensemble. However, Gt α-subunit binding and both ArrFL-1-binding modes involve a direct interaction to conserved R3.50, as determined by site-directed mutagenesis. Our findings highlight the importance of receptor conformational flexibility and cytoplasmic proton uptake for modulation of rhodopsin signaling and thereby extend the picture provided by crystal structures of the rhodopsin/arrestin and rhodopsin/ArrFL-1 complexes. Furthermore, the two binding modes of ArrFL-1 identified here involve motifs of conserved amino acids, which indicates that our results may have elucidated a common modulation mechanism of class A GPCR-G protein/-arrestin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Elgeti
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany,
| | - Roman Kazmin
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander S Rose
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Group ProteInformatics
| | - Michal Szczepek
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Group Protein X-ray Crystallography and Signal Transduction
| | - Peter W Hildebrand
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Universität Leipzig, Härtelstrasse 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franz J Bartl
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick Scheerer
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Group Protein X-ray Crystallography and Signal Transduction
| | - Klaus Peter Hofmann
- From the Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik (CC2), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Salas-Estrada LA, Leioatts N, Romo TD, Grossfield A. Lipids Alter Rhodopsin Function via Ligand-like and Solvent-like Interactions. Biophys J 2018; 114:355-367. [PMID: 29401433 PMCID: PMC5984976 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin, a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor, is a membrane protein that can sense dim light. This highly effective photoreceptor is known to be sensitive to the composition of its lipidic environment, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this fine-tuned modulation of the receptor's function and structural stability are not fully understood. There are two competing hypotheses to explain how this occurs: 1) lipid modulation occurs via solvent-like interactions, where lipid composition controls membrane properties like hydrophobic thickness, which in turn modulate the protein's conformational equilibrium; or 2) protein-lipid interactions are ligand-like, with specific hot spots and long-lived binding events. By analyzing an ensemble of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of five different states of rhodopsin, we show that a local ordering effect takes place in the membrane upon receptor activation. Likewise, docosahexaenoic acid acyl tails and phosphatidylethanolamine headgroups behave like weak ligands, preferentially binding to the receptor in inactive-like conformations and inducing subtle but significant structural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A Salas-Estrada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Nicholas Leioatts
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Max Plank Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tod D Romo
- Center for Integrated Research Computing, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Alan Grossfield
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
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17
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Eddy MT, Lee MY, Gao ZG, White KL, Didenko T, Horst R, Audet M, Stanczak P, McClary KM, Han GW, Jacobson KA, Stevens RC, Wüthrich K. Allosteric Coupling of Drug Binding and Intracellular Signaling in the A 2A Adenosine Receptor. Cell 2018; 172:68-80.e12. [PMID: 29290469 PMCID: PMC5766378 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Signaling across cellular membranes, the 826 human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) govern a wide range of vital physiological processes, making GPCRs prominent drug targets. X-ray crystallography provided GPCR molecular architectures, which also revealed the need for additional structural dynamics data to support drug development. Here, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with the wild-type-like A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) in solution provides a comprehensive characterization of signaling-related structural dynamics. All six tryptophan indole and eight glycine backbone 15N-1H NMR signals in A2AAR were individually assigned. These NMR probes provided insight into the role of Asp522.50 as an allosteric link between the orthosteric drug binding site and the intracellular signaling surface, revealing strong interactions with the toggle switch Trp 2466.48, and delineated the structural response to variable efficacy of bound drugs across A2AAR. The present data support GPCR signaling based on dynamic interactions between two semi-independent subdomains connected by an allosteric switch at Asp522.50.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Ming-Yue Lee
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kate L White
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Tatiana Didenko
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Reto Horst
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Martin Audet
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Pawel Stanczak
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kyle M McClary
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Gye Won Han
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kurt Wüthrich
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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18
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He Y, Gao X, Goswami D, Hou L, Pal K, Yin Y, Zhao G, Ernst OP, Griffin P, Melcher K, Xu HE. Molecular assembly of rhodopsin with G protein-coupled receptor kinases. Cell Res 2017; 27:728-747. [PMID: 28524165 PMCID: PMC5518878 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2017.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) play pivotal roles in desensitizing GPCR signaling but little is known about how GRKs recognize and phosphorylate GPCRs due to the technical difficulties in detecting the highly dynamic GPCR/GRK interaction. By combining a genetic approach with multiple biochemical assays, we identified the key determinants for the assembly of the prototypical GPCR rhodopsin with its kinase GRK1. Our work reveals that the regulatory G-protein signaling homology (RH) domain of GRKs is the primary binding site to GPCRs and an active conformation of the GRK1 kinase domain is required for efficient interaction with rhodopsin. In addition, we provide a mechanistic solution for the longstanding puzzle about the gain-of-function Q41L mutation in GRK5. This mutation is in the RH domain and increases the capacity of the GRK mutant to interact with and to desensitize GPCRs. Finally we present the principal architecture of a rhodopsin/GRK complex through negative stain electron microscopy reconstruction. Together, these data define the key components for the rhodopsin/GRK1 interaction and provide a framework for understanding GRK-mediated desensitization of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzheng He
- Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Center for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Xiang Gao
- Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Center for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Devrishi Goswami
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.,Current address: Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Li Hou
- VARI-SIMM Center, Center for Structure and Function of Drug Targets, CAS-Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kuntal Pal
- Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Center for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Yanting Yin
- Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Center for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.,VARI-SIMM Center, Center for Structure and Function of Drug Targets, CAS-Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Gongpu Zhao
- The Cryo-EM Core, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Oliver P Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Patrick Griffin
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Karsten Melcher
- Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Center for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - H Eric Xu
- Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Center for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.,VARI-SIMM Center, Center for Structure and Function of Drug Targets, CAS-Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
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19
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Decay of an active GPCR: Conformational dynamics govern agonist rebinding and persistence of an active, yet empty, receptor state. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:11961-11966. [PMID: 27702898 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606347113] [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] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe two insights into the role of receptor conformational dynamics during agonist release (all-trans retinal, ATR) from the visual G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin. First, we show that, after light activation, ATR can continually release and rebind to any receptor remaining in an active-like conformation. As with other GPCRs, we observe that this equilibrium can be shifted by either promoting the active-like population or increasing the agonist concentration. Second, we find that during decay of the signaling state an active-like, yet empty, receptor conformation can transiently persist after retinal release, before the receptor ultimately collapses into an inactive conformation. The latter conclusion is based on time-resolved, site-directed fluorescence labeling experiments that show a small, but reproducible, lag between the retinal leaving the protein and return of transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) to the inactive conformation, as determined from tryptophan-induced quenching studies. Accelerating Schiff base hydrolysis and subsequent ATR dissociation, either by addition of hydroxylamine or introduction of mutations, further increased the time lag between ATR release and TM6 movement. These observations show that rhodopsin can bind its agonist in equilibrium like a traditional GPCR, provide evidence that an active GPCR conformation can persist even after agonist release, and raise the possibility of targeting this key photoreceptor protein by traditional pharmaceutical-based treatments.
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20
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Retinal orientation and interactions in rhodopsin reveal a two-stage trigger mechanism for activation. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12683. [PMID: 27585742 PMCID: PMC5025775 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The 11-cis retinal chromophore is tightly packed within the interior of the visual receptor rhodopsin and isomerizes to the all-trans configuration following absorption of light. The mechanism by which this isomerization event drives the outward rotation of transmembrane helix H6, a hallmark of activated G protein-coupled receptors, is not well established. To address this question, we use solid-state NMR and FTIR spectroscopy to define the orientation and interactions of the retinal chromophore in the active metarhodopsin II intermediate. Here we show that isomerization of the 11-cis retinal chromophore generates strong steric interactions between its β-ionone ring and transmembrane helices H5 and H6, while deprotonation of its protonated Schiff's base triggers the rearrangement of the hydrogen-bonding network involving residues on H6 and within the second extracellular loop. We integrate these observations with previous structural and functional studies to propose a two-stage mechanism for rhodopsin activation.
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21
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Blankenship E, Vahedi-Faridi A, Lodowski DT. The High-Resolution Structure of Activated Opsin Reveals a Conserved Solvent Network in the Transmembrane Region Essential for Activation. Structure 2015; 23:2358-2364. [PMID: 26526852 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Rhodopsin, a light-activated G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), has been the subject of numerous biochemical and structural investigations, serving as a model receptor for GPCRs and their activation. We present the 2.3-Å resolution structure of native source rhodopsin stabilized in a conformation competent for G protein binding. An extensive water-mediated hydrogen bond network linking the chromophore binding site to the site of G protein binding is observed, providing connections to conserved motifs essential for GPCR activation. Comparison of this extensive solvent-mediated hydrogen-bonding network with the positions of ordered solvent in earlier crystallographic structures of rhodopsin photointermediates reveals both static structural and dynamic functional water-protein interactions present during the activation process. When considered along with observations that solvent occupies similar positions in the structures of other GPCRs, these analyses strongly support an integral role for this dynamic ordered water network in both rhodopsin and GPCR activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Blankenship
- Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ardeschir Vahedi-Faridi
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - David T Lodowski
- Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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22
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Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) signal primarily through G proteins or arrestins. Arrestin binding to GPCRs blocks G protein interaction and redirects signalling to numerous G-protein-independent pathways. Here we report the crystal structure of a constitutively active form of human rhodopsin bound to a pre-activated form of the mouse visual arrestin, determined by serial femtosecond X-ray laser crystallography. Together with extensive biochemical and mutagenesis data, the structure reveals an overall architecture of the rhodopsin-arrestin assembly in which rhodopsin uses distinct structural elements, including transmembrane helix 7 and helix 8, to recruit arrestin. Correspondingly, arrestin adopts the pre-activated conformation, with a ∼20° rotation between the amino and carboxy domains, which opens up a cleft in arrestin to accommodate a short helix formed by the second intracellular loop of rhodopsin. This structure provides a basis for understanding GPCR-mediated arrestin-biased signalling and demonstrates the power of X-ray lasers for advancing the frontiers of structural biology.
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23
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Lans I, Dalton JAR, Giraldo J. Selective Protonation of Acidic Residues Triggers Opsin Activation. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:9510-9. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b01908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isaias Lans
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology
and Bioinformatics, Institut de Neurociències and Unitat de
Bioestadística, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - James A. R. Dalton
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology
and Bioinformatics, Institut de Neurociències and Unitat de
Bioestadística, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jesús Giraldo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology
and Bioinformatics, Institut de Neurociències and Unitat de
Bioestadística, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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24
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Structural dynamics and energetics underlying allosteric inactivation of the cannabinoid receptor CB1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:8469-74. [PMID: 26100912 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1500895112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are surprisingly flexible molecules that can do much more than simply turn on G proteins. Some even exhibit biased signaling, wherein the same receptor preferentially activates different G-protein or arrestin signaling pathways depending on the type of ligand bound. Why this behavior occurs is still unclear, but it can happen with both traditional ligands and ligands that bind allosterically outside the orthosteric receptor binding pocket. Here, we looked for structural mechanisms underlying these phenomena in the marijuana receptor CB1. Our work focused on the allosteric ligand Org 27569, which has an unusual effect on CB1-it simultaneously increases agonist binding, decreases G--protein activation, and induces biased signaling. Using classical pharmacological binding studies, we find that Org 27569 binds to a unique allosteric site on CB1 and show that it can act alone (without need for agonist cobinding). Through mutagenesis studies, we find that the ability of Org 27569 to bind is related to how much receptor is in an active conformation that can couple with G protein. Using these data, we estimated the energy differences between the inactive and active states. Finally, site-directed fluorescence labeling studies show the CB1 structure stabilized by Org 27569 is different and unique from that stabilized by antagonist or agonist. Specifically, transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) movements associated with G-protein activation are blocked, but at the same time, helix 8/TM7 movements are enhanced, suggesting a possible mechanism for the ability of Org 27569 to induce biased signaling.
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25
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Kimata N, Reeves PJ, Smith SO. Uncovering the triggers for GPCR activation using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2015; 253:111-118. [PMID: 25797010 PMCID: PMC4391883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2014.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) span cell membranes with seven transmembrane helices and respond to a diverse array of extracellular signals. Crystal structures of GPCRs have provided key insights into the architecture of these receptors and the role of conserved residues. However, the question of how ligand binding induces the conformational changes that are essential for activation remains largely unanswered. Since the extracellular sequences and structures of GPCRs are not conserved between receptor subfamilies, it is likely that the initial molecular triggers for activation vary depending on the specific type of ligand and receptor. In this article, we describe NMR studies on the rhodopsin subfamily of GPCRs and propose a mechanism for how retinal isomerization switches the receptor to the active conformation. These results suggest a general approach for determining the triggers for activation in other GPCR subfamilies using NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kimata
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, United States
| | - Philip J Reeves
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, United States.
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26
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Schafer CT, Farrens DL. Conformational selection and equilibrium governs the ability of retinals to bind opsin. J Biol Chem 2014; 290:4304-18. [PMID: 25451936 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.603134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive study, how retinal enters and exits the visual G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin remains unclear. One clue may lie in two openings between transmembrane helix 1 (TM1) and TM7 and between TM5 and TM6 in the active receptor structure. Recently, retinal has been proposed to enter the inactive apoprotein opsin (ops) through these holes when the receptor transiently adopts the active opsin conformation (ops*). Here, we directly test this "transient activation" hypothesis using a fluorescence-based approach to measure rates of retinal binding to samples containing differing relative fractions of ops and ops*. In contrast to what the transient activation hypothesis model would predict, we found that binding for the inverse agonist, 11-cis-retinal (11CR), slowed when the sample contained more ops* (produced using M257Y, a constitutively activating mutation). Interestingly, the increased presence of ops* allowed for binding of the agonist, all-trans-retinal (ATR), whereas WT opsin showed no binding. Shifting the conformational equilibrium toward even more ops* using a G protein peptide mimic (either free in solution or fused to the receptor) accelerated the rate of ATR binding and slowed 11CR binding. An arrestin peptide mimic showed little effect on 11CR binding; however, it stabilized opsin · ATR complexes. The TM5/TM6 hole is apparently not involved in this conformational selection. Increasing its size by mutagenesis did not enable ATR binding but instead slowed 11CR binding, suggesting that it may play a role in trapping 11CR. In summary, our results indicate that conformational selection dictates stable retinal binding, which we propose involves ATR and 11CR binding to different states, the latter a previously unidentified, open-but-inactive conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Schafer
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
| | - David L Farrens
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
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27
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Maeda R, Hiroshima M, Yamashita T, Wada A, Nishimura S, Sako Y, Shichida Y, Imamoto Y. Single-molecule observation of the ligand-induced population shift of rhodopsin, a G-protein-coupled receptor. Biophys J 2014; 106:915-24. [PMID: 24559994 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2013] [Revised: 12/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsin is a G-protein-coupled receptor, in which retinal chromophore acts as inverse-agonist or agonist depending on its configuration and protonation state. Photostimulation of rhodopsin results in a pH-dependent equilibrium between the active state (Meta-II) and its inactive precursor (Meta-I). Here, we monitored conformational changes of rhodopsin using a fluorescent probe Alexa594 at the cytoplasmic surface, which shows fluorescence increase upon the generation of active state, by single-molecule measurements. The fluorescence intensity of a single photoactivated rhodopsin molecule alternated between two states. Interestingly, such a fluorescence alternation was also observed for ligand-free rhodopsin (opsin), but not for dark-state rhodopsin. In addition, the pH-dependences of Meta-I/Meta-II equilibrium estimated by fluorescence measurements deviated notably from estimates based on absorption spectra, indicating that both Meta-I and Meta-II are mixtures of two conformers. Our observations indicate that rhodopsin molecules intrinsically adopt both active and inactive conformations, and the ligand retinal shifts the conformational equilibrium. These findings provide dynamical insights into the activation mechanisms of G-protein-coupled receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Maeda
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Michio Hiroshima
- Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Japan; Laboratory for Cell Signaling Dynamics, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Furuedai, Suita, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamashita
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akimori Wada
- Department of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shoko Nishimura
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yasushi Sako
- Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Shichida
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasushi Imamoto
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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28
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Goren MA, Morizumi T, Menon I, Joseph JS, Dittman JS, Cherezov V, Stevens RC, Ernst OP, Menon AK. Constitutive phospholipid scramblase activity of a G protein-coupled receptor. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5115. [PMID: 25296113 PMCID: PMC4198942 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Opsin, the rhodopsin apoprotein, was recently shown to be an ATP-independent flippase (or scramblase) that equilibrates phospholipids across photoreceptor disc membranes in mammalian retina, a process required for disc homeostasis. Here we show that scrambling is a constitutive activity of rhodopsin, distinct from its light-sensing function. Upon reconstitution into vesicles, discrete conformational states of the protein (rhodopsin, a metarhodopsin II-mimic, and two forms of opsin) facilitated rapid (>10,000 phospholipids per protein per second) scrambling of phospholipid probes. Our results indicate that the large conformational changes involved in converting rhodopsin to metarhodopsin II are not required for scrambling, and that the lipid translocation pathway either lies near the protein surface or involves membrane packing defects in the vicinity of the protein. Additionally, we demonstrate that β2-adrenergic and adenosine A2A receptors scramble lipids, suggesting that rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors may play an unexpected moonlighting role in re-modeling cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Goren
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Takefumi Morizumi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - Indu Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Jeremiah S Joseph
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dittman
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Oliver P Ernst
- 1] Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8 [2] Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - Anant K Menon
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA
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29
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Maeda S, Sun D, Singhal A, Foggetta M, Schmid G, Standfuss J, Hennig M, Dawson RJP, Veprintsev DB, Schertler GFX. Crystallization scale preparation of a stable GPCR signaling complex between constitutively active rhodopsin and G-protein. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98714. [PMID: 24979345 PMCID: PMC4076187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of the G-protein transducin (Gt) by rhodopsin (Rho) has been intensively studied for several decades. It is the best understood example of GPCR activation mechanism and serves as a template for other GPCRs. The structure of the Rho/G protein complex, which is transiently formed during the signaling reaction, is of particular interest. It can help understanding the molecular details of how retinal isomerization leads to the G protein activation, as well as shed some light on how GPCR recognizes its cognate G protein. The native Rho/Gt complex isolated from bovine retina suffers from low stability and loss of the retinal ligand. Recently, we reported that constitutively active mutant of rhodopsin E113Q forms a Rho/Gt complex that is stable in detergent solution. Here, we introduce methods for a large scale preparation of the complex formed by the thermo-stabilized and constitutively active rhodopsin mutant N2C/M257Y/D282C(RhoM257Y) and the native Gt purified from bovine retinas. We demonstrate that the light-activated rhodopsin in this complex contains a covalently bound unprotonated retinal and therefore corresponds to the active metarhodopin II state; that the isolated complex is active and dissociates upon addition of GTPγS; and that the stoichiometry corresponds to a 1∶1 molar ratio of rhodopsin to the heterotrimeric G-protein. And finally, we show that the rhodopsin also forms stable complex with Gi. This complex has significantly higher thermostability than RhoM257Y/Gt complex and is resistant to a variety of detergents. Overall, our data suggest that the RhoM257Y/Gi complex is an ideal target for future structural and mechanistic studies of signaling in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoji Maeda
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dawei Sun
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ankita Singhal
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcello Foggetta
- pRED Pharma Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Discovery Technologies, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georg Schmid
- pRED Pharma Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Discovery Technologies, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Standfuss
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Hennig
- pRED Pharma Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Discovery Technologies, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Roger J. P. Dawson
- pRED Pharma Research and Early Development, Small Molecule Research, Discovery Technologies, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dmitry B. Veprintsev
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (DBV); (GFXS)
| | - Gebhard F. X. Schertler
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (DBV); (GFXS)
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30
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Sinha A, Jones Brunette AM, Fay JF, Schafer CT, Farrens DL. Rhodopsin TM6 can interact with two separate and distinct sites on arrestin: evidence for structural plasticity and multiple docking modes in arrestin-rhodopsin binding. Biochemistry 2014; 53:3294-307. [PMID: 24724832 PMCID: PMC4039336 DOI: 10.1021/bi401534y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
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Various studies have implicated the
concave surface of arrestin
in the binding of the cytosolic surface of rhodopsin. However, specific
sites of contact between the two proteins have not previously been
defined in detail. Here, we report that arrestin shares part of the
same binding site on rhodopsin as does the transducin Gα subunit C-terminal tail, suggesting binding of both proteins to
rhodopsin may share some similar underlying mechanisms. We also identify
two areas of contact between the proteins near this region. Both sites
lie in the arrestin N-domain, one in the so-called “finger”
loop (residues 67–79) and the other in the 160 loop (residues
155–165). We mapped these sites using a novel tryptophan-induced
quenching method, in which we introduced Trp residues into arrestin
and measured their ability to quench the fluorescence of bimane probes
attached to cysteine residues on TM6 of rhodopsin (T242C and T243C).
The involvement of finger loop binding to rhodopsin was expected,
but the evidence of the arrestin 160 loop contacting rhodopsin was
not. Remarkably, our data indicate one site on rhodopsin can interact
with multiple structurally separate sites on arrestin that are almost
30 Å apart. Although this observation at first seems paradoxical,
in fact, it provides strong support for recent hypotheses that structural
plasticity and conformational changes are involved in the arrestin–rhodopsin
binding interface and that the two proteins may be able to interact
through multiple docking modes, with arrestin binding to both monomeric
and dimeric rhodopsin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University , Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, United States
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31
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Tehan BG, Bortolato A, Blaney FE, Weir MP, Mason JS. Unifying family A GPCR theories of activation. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 143:51-60. [PMID: 24561131 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Several new pairs of active and inactive GPCR structures have recently been solved enabling detailed structural insight into the activation process, not only of rhodopsin but now also of the β2 adrenergic, M2 muscarinic and adenosine A2A receptors. Combined with structural analyses they have enabled us to examine the different recent theories proposed for GPCR activation and show that they are all indeed parts of the same process, and are intrinsically related through their effect on the central hydrophobic core of GPCRs. This new unifying general process of activation is consistent with the identification of known constitutively active mutants and an in-depth conservational analysis of significant residues implicated in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin G Tehan
- Heptares Therapeutics BioPark, Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3AX United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea Bortolato
- Heptares Therapeutics BioPark, Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3AX United Kingdom
| | - Frank E Blaney
- Heptares Therapeutics BioPark, Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3AX United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm P Weir
- Heptares Therapeutics BioPark, Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3AX United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S Mason
- Heptares Therapeutics BioPark, Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3AX United Kingdom
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32
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Abstract
Chemokines are low-molecular-weight, secreted proteins that act as leukocyte-specific chemoattractants. The chemokine family has more than 40 members. Based on the position of two conserved cysteines in the N-terminal domain, chemokines can be divided into the CXC, C, CC, and CX3C subfamilies. The interaction of chemokines with their receptors mediates signaling pathways that play critical roles in cell migration, differentiation, and proliferation. The receptors for chemokines are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and thus far, seven CXC receptors have been cloned and are designated CXCR1-7. Constitutively active GPCRs are present in several human immune-mediated diseases and in tumors, and they have provided valuable information in understanding the molecular mechanism of GPCR activation. Several constitutively active CXC chemokine receptors include the V6.40A and V6.40N mutants of CXCR1; the D3.49V variant of CXCR2; the N3.35A, N3.35S, and T2.56P mutants of CXCR3; the N3.35 mutation of CXCR4; and the naturally occurring KSHV-GPCR. Here, we review the regulation of CXC chemokine receptor signaling, with a particular focus on the constitutive activation of these receptors and the implications in physiological conditions and in pathogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms behind the constitutive activation of CXC chemokine receptors may aid in pharmaceutical design and the screening of inverse agonists and allosteric modulators for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinbing Han
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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33
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Park PSH. Constitutively active rhodopsin and retinal disease. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2014; 70:1-36. [PMID: 24931191 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-417197-8.00001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Rhodopsin is the light receptor in rod photoreceptor cells of the retina that initiates scotopic vision. In the dark, rhodopsin is bound to the chromophore 11-cis retinal, which locks the receptor in an inactive state. The maintenance of an inactive rhodopsin in the dark is critical for rod photoreceptor cells to remain highly sensitive. Perturbations by mutation or the absence of 11-cis retinal can cause rhodopsin to become constitutively active, which leads to the desensitization of photoreceptor cells and, in some instances, retinal degeneration. Constitutive activity can arise in rhodopsin by various mechanisms and can cause a variety of inherited retinal diseases including Leber congenital amaurosis, congenital night blindness, and retinitis pigmentosa. In this review, the molecular and structural properties of different constitutively active forms of rhodopsin are overviewed, and the possibility that constitutive activity can arise from different active-state conformations is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Shin-Hyun Park
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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34
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Vishnivetskiy SA, Ostermaier MK, Singhal A, Panneels V, Homan KT, Glukhova A, Sligar SG, Tesmer JJG, Schertler GF, Standfuss J, Gurevich VV. Constitutively active rhodopsin mutants causing night blindness are effectively phosphorylated by GRKs but differ in arrestin-1 binding. Cell Signal 2013; 25:2155-62. [PMID: 23872075 PMCID: PMC3774132 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2013.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The effects of activating mutations associated with night blindness on the stoichiometry of rhodopsin interactions with G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1 (GRK1) and arrestin-1 have not been reported. Here we show that the monomeric form of WT rhodopsin and its constitutively active mutants M257Y, G90D, and T94I, reconstituted into HDL particles are effectively phosphorylated by GRK1, as well as two more ubiquitously expressed subtypes, GRK2 and GRK5. All versions of arrestin-1 tested (WT, pre-activated, and constitutively monomeric mutants) bind to monomeric rhodopsin and show the same selectivity for different functional forms of rhodopsin as in native disc membranes. Rhodopsin phosphorylation by GRK1 and GRK2 promotes arrestin-1 binding to a comparable extent, whereas similar phosphorylation by GRK5 is less effective, suggesting that not all phosphorylation sites on rhodopsin are equivalent in promoting arrestin-1 binding. The binding of WT arrestin-1 to phospho-opsin is comparable to the binding to its preferred target, P-Rh*, suggesting that in photoreceptors arrestin-1 only dissociates after opsin regeneration with 11-cis-retinal, which converts phospho-opsin into inactive phospho-rhodopsin that has lower affinity for arrestin-1. Reduced binding of arrestin-1 to the phospho-opsin form of G90D mutant likely contributes to night blindness caused by this mutation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin K. Ostermaier
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
| | - Ankita Singhal
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
| | - Valerie Panneels
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
| | - Kristoff T. Homan
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2216, USA
| | - Alisa Glukhova
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2216, USA
| | - Stephen G. Sligar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - John J. G. Tesmer
- Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2216, USA
| | - Gebhard F.X. Schertler
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Standfuss
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
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35
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Pope A, Eilers M, Reeves PJ, Smith SO. Amino acid conservation and interactions in rhodopsin: probing receptor activation by NMR spectroscopy. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2013; 1837:683-93. [PMID: 24183693 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2013.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rhodopsin is a classical two-state G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). In the dark, its 11-cis retinal chromophore serves as an inverse agonist to lock the receptor in an inactive state. Retinal-protein and protein-protein interactions have evolved to reduce the basal activity of the receptor in order to achieve low dark noise in the visual system. In contrast, absorption of light triggers rapid isomerization of the retinal, which drives the conversion of the receptor to a fully active conformation. Several specific protein-protein interactions have evolved that maintain the lifetime of the active state in order to increase the sensitivity of this receptor for dim-light vision in vertebrates. In this article, we review the molecular interactions that stabilize rhodopsin in the dark-state and describe the use of solid-state NMR spectroscopy for probing the structural changes that occur upon light-activation. Amino acid conservation provides a guide for those interactions that are common in the class A GPCRs as well as those that are unique to the visual system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Retinal Proteins - You can teach an old dog new tricks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreyah Pope
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA
| | - Markus Eilers
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA
| | - Philip J Reeves
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215, USA.
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36
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Tsukamoto H, Farrens DL. A constitutively activating mutation alters the dynamics and energetics of a key conformational change in a ligand-free G protein-coupled receptor. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:28207-16. [PMID: 23940032 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.472464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) undergo dynamic transitions between active and inactive conformations. Usually, these conversions are triggered when the receptor detects an external signal, but some so-called constitutively activating mutations, or CAMs, induce a GPCR to bind and activate G proteins in the absence of external stimulation, in ways still not fully understood. Here, we investigated how a CAM alters the structure of a GPCR and the dynamics involved as the receptor transitions between different conformations. Our approach used site-directed fluorescence labeling (SDFL) spectroscopy to compare opsin, the ligand-free form of the GPCR rhodopsin, with opsin containing the CAM M257Y, focusing specifically on key movements that occur in the sixth transmembrane helix (TM6) during GPCR activation. The site-directed fluorescence labeling data indicate opsin is constrained to an inactive conformation both in detergent micelles and lipid membranes, but when it contains the M257Y CAM, opsin is more dynamic and can interact with a G protein mimetic. Further study of these receptors using tryptophan-induced quenching (TrIQ) methods indicates that in detergent, the CAM significantly increases the population of receptors in the active state, but not in lipids. Subsequent Arrhenius analysis of the TrIQ data suggests that, both in detergent and lipids, the CAM lowers the energy barrier for TM6 movement, a key transition required for conversion between the inactive and active conformations. Together, these data suggest that the lowered energy barrier is a primary effect of the CAM on the receptor dynamics and energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisao Tsukamoto
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
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37
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Relocating the active-site lysine in rhodopsin and implications for evolution of retinylidene proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:13351-5. [PMID: 23904486 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1306826110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Type I and type II rhodopsins share several structural features including a G protein-coupled receptor fold and a highly conserved active-site Lys residue in the seventh transmembrane segment of the protein. However, the two families lack significant sequence similarity that would indicate common ancestry. Consequently, the rhodopsin fold and conserved Lys are widely thought to have arisen from functional constraints during convergent evolution. To test for the existence of such a constraint, we asked whether it were possible to relocate the highly conserved Lys296 in the visual pigment bovine rhodopsin. We show here that the Lys can be moved to three other locations in the protein while maintaining the ability to form a pigment with 11-cis-retinal and activate the G protein transducin in a light-dependent manner. These results contradict the convergent hypothesis and support the homology of type I and type II rhodopsins by divergent evolution from a common ancestral protein.
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38
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Cordomí A, Gómez-Tamayo JC, Gigoux V, Fourmy D. Sulfur-containing amino acids in 7TMRs: molecular gears for pharmacology and function. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2013; 34:320-31. [PMID: 23611707 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2013.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Revised: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Seven-transmembrane receptors (7TMRs) mediate the majority of physiological responses to hormones and neurotransmitters in higher organisms. Tertiary structure stability and activation of these versatile membrane proteins require formation or disruption of complex networks of well-recognized interactions (such as H-bonds, ionic, or aromatic-aromatic) but also of other type of interactions which have been less studied. In this review, we compile evidence from crystal structure, biophysical, and site-directed mutagenesis data that indicate or support the importance of interactions involving Met and Cys in 7TMRs in terms of pharmacology and function. We show examples of Met/Cys-aromatic and Met-Met interactions participating in ligand binding, in tuning the orientation of functionally important aromatic residues during activation or even in modulating the type of signaling response. Collectively, data presented enlarge the repertoire of interactions governing 7TMR functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnau Cordomí
- Laboratori de Medicina Computacional, Unitat de Bioestadística, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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39
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Insights into congenital stationary night blindness based on the structure of G90D rhodopsin. EMBO Rep 2013; 14:520-6. [PMID: 23579341 DOI: 10.1038/embor.2013.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We present active-state structures of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCRs) rhodopsin carrying the disease-causing mutation G90D. Mutations of G90 cause either retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB), a milder, non-progressive form of RP. Our analysis shows that the CSNB-causing G90D mutation introduces a salt bridge with K296. The mutant thus interferes with the E113Q-K296 activation switch and the covalent binding of the inverse agonist 11-cis-retinal, two interactions that are crucial for the deactivation of rhodopsin. Other mutations, including G90V causing RP, cannot promote similar interactions. We discuss our findings in context of a model in which CSNB is caused by constitutive activation of the visual signalling cascade.
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40
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Han X, Tachado SD, Koziel H, Boisvert WA. Leu128(3.43) (l128) and Val247(6.40) (V247) of CXCR1 are critical amino acid residues for g protein coupling and receptor activation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42765. [PMID: 22936990 PMCID: PMC3427349 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
CXCR1, a classic GPCR that binds IL-8, plays a key role in neutrophil activation and migration by activating phospholipase C (PLC)β through Gα15 and Gαi which generates diacylglycerol and inositol phosphates (IPs). In this study, two conserved amino acid residues of CXCR1 on the transmembrane domain (TM) 3 and TM6, Leu1283.43 (L128) and Val2476.40 (V247), respectively, were selectively substituted with other amino acids to investigate the role of these conserved residues in CXCR1 activation. Although two selective mutants on Leu128, Leu128Ala (L128A) and Leu128Arg (L128R), demonstrated high binding affinity to IL-8, they were not capable of coupling to G proteins and consequently lost the functional response of the receptors. By contrast, among the four mutants at residue Val247 (TM6.40), replacing Val247 with Ala (V247A) and Asn (V247N) led to constitutive activation of mutant receptors when cotransfected with Gα15. The V247N mutant also constitutively activated the Gαi protein. These results indicate that L128 on TM3.43 is involved in G protein coupling and receptor activation but is unimportant for ligand binding. On the other hand, V247 on TM6.40 plays a critical role in maintaining the receptor in the inactive state, and the substitution of V247 impaired the receptor constraint and stabilized an active conformation. Functionally, there was an increase in chemotaxis in response to IL-8 in cells expressing V247A and V247N. Our findings indicate that Leu1283.43 and Val2476.40 are critical for G protein coupling and activation of signaling effectors, providing a valuable insight into the mechanism of CXCR1 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinbing Han
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Vascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (XH); (WAB)
| | - Souvenir D. Tachado
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Henry Koziel
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - William A. Boisvert
- Department of Vascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
- * E-mail: (XH); (WAB)
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41
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Atilgan AR, Atilgan C. Local motifs in proteins combine to generate global functional moves. Brief Funct Genomics 2012; 11:479-88. [PMID: 22811517 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/els027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Literature on the topological properties of folded proteins that has emerged as a field in its own right in the past decade is reviewed. Physics-based construction of coarse-grained models of proteins from knowledge of all-atom coordinates of the average structure is discussed. Once network is thus obtained with the node and link information, local motifs provide plethora of information on protein function. The hierarchical structure of the proteins manifested in the interrelations of local motifs is emphasized. Motifs are also related to modularity of the structure, and they quantify shifts in the landscapes upon conformational changes induced by, e.g. ligand binding. Redundancy emerges as a balance between local and global network descriptors and is related to the collectivity of the protein motions. Introducing weight on links followed by sequential removal of least cohesive contacts allows interactions in proteins to be represented as the superposition of essential and redundant sets. Lack of the former makes the network non-functional, while the latter ensures robust functioning under a wide range of perturbation scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rana Atilgan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey
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42
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Park K, Kim D. Structure-based rebuilding of coevolutionary information reveals functional modules in rhodopsin structure. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2012; 1824:1484-9. [PMID: 22684088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2012.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Revised: 05/01/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Correlated mutation analysis (CMA) has been used to investigate protein functional sites. However, CMA has suffered from low signal-to-noise ratio caused by meaningless phylogenetic signals or structural constraints. We present a new method, Structure-based Correlated Mutation Analysis (SCMA), which encodes coevolution scores into a protein structure network. A path-based network model is adapted to describe information transfer between residues, and the statistical significance is estimated by network shuffling. This model intrinsically assumes that residues in physical contact have a more reliable coevolution score than distant residues, and that coevolution in distant residues likely arises from a series of contacting and coevolving residues. In addition, coevolutionary coupling is statistically controlled to remove the structural effects. When applied to the rhodopsin structure, the SCMA method identified a much higher percentage of functional residues than the typical coevolution score (61% vs. 22%). In addition, statistically significant residues are used to construct the coevolved residue-residue subnetwork. The network has one highly connected node (retinal bound Lys296), indicating that Lys296 can induce and regulate most other coevolved residues in a variety of locations. The coevolved network consists of a few modular clusters which have distinct functional roles. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Computational Methods for Protein Interaction and Structural Prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keunwan Park
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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43
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Janovick JA, Pogozheva ID, Mosberg HI, Cornea A, Conn PM. Rescue of misrouted GnRHR mutants reveals its constitutive activity. Mol Endocrinol 2012; 26:1179-88. [PMID: 22595961 DOI: 10.1210/me.2012-1089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) play central roles in almost all physiological functions, and mutations in GPCR are responsible for over 30 hereditary diseases associated with loss or gain of receptor function. Gain of function mutants are frequently described as having constitutive activity (CA), that is, they activate effectors in the absence of agonist occupancy. Although many GPCR have mutants with CA, the GnRH receptor (GnRHR) was not, until 2010, associated with any CA mutants. The explanation for the failure to observe CA appears to be that the quality control system of the cell recognizes CA mutants of GnRHR as misfolded and retains them in the endoplasmic reticulum. In the present study, we identified several human (h)GnRHR mutants with substitutions in transmembrane helix 6 (F(272)K, F(272)Q, Y(284)F, C(279)A, and C(279)S) that demonstrate varying levels of CA after being rescued by pharmacoperones from different chemical classes and/or deletion of residue K(191), a modification that increases trafficking to the plasma membrane. The movement of the mutants from the endoplasmic reticulum (unrescued) to the plasma membrane (after rescue) is supported by confocal microscopy. Judging from the receptor-stimulated inositol phosphate production, mutants F(272)K and F(272)Q, after rescue, display the largest level of CA, an amount that is comparable with agonist-stimulated activation. Because mutations in other GPCR are, like the hGnRHR, scrutinized by the quality control system, this general approach may reveal CA in receptor mutants from other systems. A computer model of the hGnRHR and these mutants was used to evaluate the conformation associated with CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Ann Janovick
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon 97006-3448, USA
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Okada T. Comparative analysis of the heptahelical transmembrane bundles of G protein-coupled receptors. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35802. [PMID: 22545139 PMCID: PMC3335790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background G protein-coupled receptors represent a large family of eukaryotic membrane proteins, and are involved in almost all physiological processes in humans. Recent advances in the crystallographic study of these receptors enable a detailed comparative analysis of the commonly shared heptahelical transmembrane bundle. Systematic comparison of the bundles from a variety of receptors is indispensable for understanding not only of the structural diversification optimized for the binding of respective ligands but also of the structural conservation required for the common mechanism of activation accompanying the interaction changes among the seven helices. Methodology/Principal Findings We have examined the bundles of 94 polypeptide chains from almost all available structures of 11 receptors, which we classified into either inactivated chain or activated chain, based on the type of bound ligand. For the inactivated chains, superposition of 200 residue bundles by secondary structure matching demonstrated that the bound ligands share a laterally limited cavity in the extracellular section of the bundle. Furthermore, a distinct feature was found for helix III of bovine rhodopsin, which might have evolved to lower its activity in the presence of 11-cis-retinal, to a level that other receptors could hardly achieve with any currently available ligands. Conclusions/Significance Systematic analysis described here would be valuable for understanding of the rearrangement of seven helices which depends on the ligand specificity and activation state of the receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuji Okada
- Department of Life Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Shenker A. Activating Mutations of the Lutropin Choriogonadotropin Receptor in Precocious Puberty. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.3109/10606820212138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Highly conserved tyrosine stabilizes the active state of rhodopsin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:19861-6. [PMID: 21041664 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1009405107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Light-induced isomerization of the 11-cis-retinal chromophore in the visual pigment rhodopsin triggers displacement of the second extracellular loop (EL2) and motion of transmembrane helices H5, H6, and H7 leading to the active intermediate metarhodopsin II (Meta II). We describe solid-state NMR measurements of rhodopsin and Meta II that target the molecular contacts in the region of the ionic lock involving these three helices. We show that a contact between Arg135(3.50) and Met257(6.40) forms in Meta II, consistent with the outward rotation of H6 and breaking of the dark-state Glu134(3.49)-Arg135(3.50)-Glu247(6.30) ionic lock. We also show that Tyr223(5.58) and Tyr306(7.53) form molecular contacts with Met257(6.40). Together these results reveal that the crystal structure of opsin in the region of the ionic lock reflects the active state of the receptor. We further demonstrate that Tyr223(5.58) and Ala132(3.47) in Meta II stabilize helix H5 in an active orientation. Mutation of Tyr223(5.58) to phenylalanine or mutation of Ala132(3.47) to leucine decreases the lifetime of the Meta II intermediate. Furthermore, the Y223F mutation is coupled to structural changes in EL2. In contrast, mutation of Tyr306(7.53) to phenylalanine shows only a moderate influence on the Meta II lifetime and is not coupled to EL2.
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Min KC, Jin Y, Hendrickson WA. Large-scale production of a disulfide-stabilized constitutively active mutant opsin. Protein Expr Purif 2010; 75:236-41. [PMID: 20858543 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2010.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2010] [Revised: 09/13/2010] [Accepted: 09/14/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies of constitutively activated mutants of opsin in the absence of chromophore were carried out in crude cell membranes because such mutants could not be recovered in a detergent-solubilized form in the active state. We employed a strategy in which a stabilizing disulfide bond allowed for successful purification of a constitutively activated mutant opsin, N2C/E113Q/M257Y/D282C, solubilized in nonionic detergent from mammalian cell culture. The purified mutant opsin is able to activate transducin to a higher degree than opsin and may prove useful for future structural studies of the active state of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Christopher Min
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Choe HW, Park JH, Kim YJ, Ernst OP. Transmembrane signaling by GPCRs: insight from rhodopsin and opsin structures. Neuropharmacology 2010; 60:52-7. [PMID: 20708633 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2010] [Revised: 07/21/2010] [Accepted: 07/25/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-transmembrane (7TM) receptors, are the largest family of membrane proteins in the human genome. As versatile signaling molecules, they mediate cellular responses to extracellular signals. Diffusible ligands like hormones and neurotransmitters bind to GPCRs to modulate GPCR activity. An extraordinary and highly specialized GPCR is the photoreceptor rhodopsin which contains the chromophore retinal as its covalently bound ligand. For receptor activation the configuration of retinal is altered by photon absorption. To date, rhodopsin is the only GPCR for which crystal structures of inactive, active and ligand-free conformations are known. Although the photochemical activation is unique to rhodopsin, many mechanistic insights from this receptor can be generalized for GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Woog Choe
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik CC2, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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Abstract
Rhodopsin is a specialized G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) found in vertebrate rod cells. Absorption of light by its 11-cis retinal chromophore leads to rapid photochemical isomerization and receptor activation. Recent results from protein crystallography and NMR spectroscopy show how structural changes on the extracellular side of rhodopsin induced by retinal isomerization are coupled to the motion of membrane-spanning helices to create a G protein binding pocket on the intracellular side of the receptor. The signaling pathway provides a comprehensive explanation for the conservation of specific amino acids and structural motifs across the class A family of GPCRs, as well as for the conservation of selected residues within the visual receptor subfamily. The emerging model of activation indicates that, rather than being unique, the visual receptors provide a basis for understanding the common structural and dynamic elements in the class A GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven O Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215, USA.
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Ahuja S, Eilers M, Hirshfeld A, Yan ECY, Ziliox M, Sakmar TP, Sheves M, Smith SO. 6-s-cis Conformation and polar binding pocket of the retinal chromophore in the photoactivated state of rhodopsin. J Am Chem Soc 2010; 131:15160-9. [PMID: 19795853 DOI: 10.1021/ja9034768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The visual pigment rhodopsin is unique among the G protein-coupled receptors in having an 11-cis retinal chromophore covalently bound to the protein through a protonated Schiff base linkage. The chromophore locks the visual receptor in an inactive conformation through specific steric and electrostatic interactions. This efficient inverse agonist is rapidly converted to an agonist, the unprotonated Schiff base of all-trans retinal, upon light activation. Here, we use magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy to obtain the (13)C chemical shifts (C5-C20) of the all-trans retinylidene chromophore and the (15)N chemical shift of the Schiff base nitrogen in the active metarhodopsin II intermediate. The retinal chemical shifts are sensitive to the conformation of the chromophore and its molecular interactions within the protein-binding site. Comparison of the retinal chemical shifts in metarhodopsin II with those of retinal model compounds reveals that the Schiff base environment is polar. In particular, the (13)C15 and (15)Nepsilon chemical shifts indicate that the C horizontal lineN bond is highly polarized in a manner that would facilitate Schiff base hydrolysis. We show that a strong perturbation of the retinal (13)C12 chemical shift observed in rhodopsin is reduced in wild-type metarhodopsin II and in the E181Q mutant of rhodopsin. On the basis of the T(1) relaxation time of the retinal (13)C18 methyl group and the conjugated retinal (13)C5 and (13)C8 chemical shifts, we have determined that the conformation of the retinal C6-C7 single bond connecting the beta-ionone ring and the retinylidene chain is 6-s-cis in both the inactive and the active states of rhodopsin. These results are discussed within the general framework of ligand-activated G protein-coupled receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Ahuja
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215, USA
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