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Kogut-Günthel MM, Zara Z, Nicoli A, Steuer A, Lopez-Balastegui M, Selent J, Karanth S, Koehler M, Ciancetta A, Abiko LA, Hagn F, Di Pizio A. The path to the G protein-coupled receptor structural landscape: Major milestones and future directions. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 39209310 DOI: 10.1111/bph.17314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in cell function by transducing signals from the extracellular environment to the inside of the cell. They mediate the effects of various stimuli, including hormones, neurotransmitters, ions, photons, food tastants and odorants, and are renowned drug targets. Advancements in structural biology techniques, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), have driven the elucidation of an increasing number of GPCR structures. These structures reveal novel features that shed light on receptor activation, dimerization and oligomerization, dichotomy between orthosteric and allosteric modulation, and the intricate interactions underlying signal transduction, providing insights into diverse ligand-binding modes and signalling pathways. However, a substantial portion of the GPCR repertoire and their activation states remain structurally unexplored. Future efforts should prioritize capturing the full structural diversity of GPCRs across multiple dimensions. To do so, the integration of structural biology with biophysical and computational techniques will be essential. We describe in this review the progress of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to examine GPCR plasticity and conformational dynamics, of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to explore the spatial-temporal dynamics and kinetic aspects of GPCRs, and the recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence for protein structure prediction to characterize the structures of the entire GPCRome. In summary, the journey through GPCR structural biology provided in this review illustrates how far we have come in decoding these essential proteins architecture and function. Looking ahead, integrating cutting-edge biophysics and computational tools offers a path to navigating the GPCR structural landscape, ultimately advancing GPCR-based applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zeenat Zara
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alessandro Nicoli
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Professorship for Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Alexandra Steuer
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Professorship for Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Marta Lopez-Balastegui
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute & Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute & Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sanjai Karanth
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Melanie Koehler
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- TUM Junior Fellow at the Chair of Nutritional Systems Biology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Antonella Ciancetta
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Layara Akemi Abiko
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Franz Hagn
- Structural Membrane Biochemistry, Bavarian NMR Center, Dept. Bioscience, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Structural Biology (STB), Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Professorship for Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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2
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Feng RR, Wang M, Zhang W, Gai F. Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy. Chem Rev 2024; 124:6501-6542. [PMID: 38722769 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Due to advances in methods for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, a large number of UAAs with tailored chemical and/or physical properties have been developed and used in a wide array of biological applications. In particular, UAAs with specific spectroscopic characteristics can be used as external reporters to produce additional signals, hence increasing the information content obtainable in protein spectroscopic and/or imaging measurements. In this Review, we summarize the progress in the past two decades in the development of such UAAs and their applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy, with a focus on UAAs that can be used as site-specific vibrational, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. Wherever applicable, we also discuss future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran-Ran Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Manxi Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Gai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Thakur N, Ray AP, Jin B, Afsharian NP, Lyman E, Gao ZG, Jacobson KA, Eddy MT. Membrane mimetic-dependence of GPCR energy landscapes. Structure 2024; 32:523-535.e5. [PMID: 38401537 PMCID: PMC11069452 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.01.013] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
We leveraged variable-temperature 19F-NMR spectroscopy to compare the conformational equilibria of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR), a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), across a range of temperatures ranging from lower temperatures typically employed in 19F-NMR experiments to physiological temperature. A2AAR complexes with partial agonists and full agonists showed large increases in the population of a fully active conformation with increasing temperature. NMR data measured at physiological temperature were more in line with functional data. This was pronounced for complexes with partial agonists, where the population of active A2AAR was nearly undetectable at lower temperature but became evident at physiological temperature. Temperature-dependent behavior of complexes with either full or partial agonists exhibited a pronounced sensitivity to the specific membrane mimetic employed. Cellular signaling experiments correlated with the temperature-dependent conformational equilibria of A2AAR in lipid nanodiscs but not in some detergents, underscoring the importance of the membrane environment in studies of GPCR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Arka Prabha Ray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Beining Jin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Edward Lyman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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4
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Wei S, Pour NG, Tiruvadi-Krishnan S, Ray AP, Thakur N, Eddy MT, Lamichhane R. Single-molecule visualization of human A 2A adenosine receptor activation by a G protein and constitutively activating mutations. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1218. [PMID: 38036689 PMCID: PMC10689853 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05603-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations that constitutively activate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), known as constitutively activating mutations (CAMs), modify cell signaling and interfere with drugs, resulting in diseases with limited treatment options. We utilize fluorescence imaging at the single-molecule level to visualize the dynamic process of CAM-mediated activation of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) in real time. We observe an active-state population for all CAMs without agonist stimulation. Importantly, activating mutations significantly increase the population of an intermediate state crucial for receptor activation, notably distinct from the addition of a partner G protein. Activation kinetics show that while CAMs increase the frequency of transitions to the intermediate state, mutations altering sodium sensitivity increase transitions away from it. These findings indicate changes in GPCR function caused by mutations may be predicted based on whether they favor or disfavor formation of an intermediate state, providing a framework for designing receptors with altered functions or therapies that target intermediate states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushu Wei
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Niloofar Gopal Pour
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sriram Tiruvadi-Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Arka Prabha Ray
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Rajan Lamichhane
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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5
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Thakur N, Ray AP, Lyman E, Gao ZG, Jacobson KA, Eddy MT. Membrane Mimetic-Dependence of GPCR Energy Landscapes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.16.562552. [PMID: 37905159 PMCID: PMC10614885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Protein function strongly depends on temperature, which is related to temperature-dependent changes in the equilibria of protein conformational states. We leveraged variable-temperature 19F-NMR spectroscopy to interrogate the temperature dependence of the conformational landscape of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR), a class A GPCR. Temperature-induced changes in the conformational equilibria of A2AAR in lipid nanodiscs were markedly dependent on the efficacy of bound drugs. While antagonist complexes displayed only modest changes as the temperature rose, both full and partial agonist complexes exhibited substantial increases in the active state population. Importantly, the temperature-dependent response of complexes with both full and partial agonists exhibited a pronounced sensitivity to the specific membrane mimetic employed. In striking contrast to observations within lipid nanodiscs, in detergent micelles the active state population exhibited different behavior for A2AAR complexes with both full and partial agonists. This underscores the importance of the protein environment in understanding the thermodynamics of GPCR activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Arka Prabha Ray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Edward Lyman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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6
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Prosser RS, Alonzi NA. Discerning conformational dynamics and binding kinetics of GPCRs by 19F NMR. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2023; 72:102377. [PMID: 37612172 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2023.102377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
19F NMR provides a way of monitoring conformational dynamics of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) from the perspective of an ensemble. While X-ray crystallography provides exquisitely resolved high-resolution structures of specific states, it generally does not recapitulate the true ensemble of functional states. Fluorine (19F) NMR provides a highly sensitive spectroscopic window into the conformational ensemble, generally permitting the direct quantification of resolvable states. Moreover, straightforward T1- and T2-based relaxation experiments allow for the study of fluctuations within a given state and exchange between states, on timescales spanning nanoseconds to seconds. Conveniently, most biological systems are free of fluorine. Thus, via fluorinated amino acid analogues or thiol-reactive fluorinated tags, F or CF3 reporters can be site specifically incorporated into proteins of interest. In this review, fluorine labeling protocols and 19F NMR experiments will be presented, from the perspective of small molecule NMR (i.e. drug or small molecule interactions with receptors) or macromolecular NMR (i.e. conformational dynamics of receptors and receptor-G-protein complexes).
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Prosser
- Chemistry Department, University of Toronto, CPS UTM, Davis Building, Rm 4052, 3359 Mississauga Rd North, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada; Biochemistry Department, University of Toronto, CPS UTM, Davis Building, Rm 4052, 3359 Mississauga Rd North, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Nicholas A Alonzi
- Chemistry Department, University of Toronto, CPS UTM, Davis Building, Rm 4052, 3359 Mississauga Rd North, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
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7
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Jin B, Thakur N, Wijesekara AV, Eddy MT. Illuminating GPCR signaling mechanisms by NMR spectroscopy with stable-isotope labeled receptors. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2023; 72:102364. [PMID: 37612173 PMCID: PMC11221349 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2023.102364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) exhibit remarkable structural plasticity, which underlies their capacity to recognize a wide range of extracellular molecules and interact with intracellular partner proteins. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is uniquely well-suited to investigate GPCR structural plasticity, enabled by stable-isotope "probes" incorporated into receptors that inform on structure and dynamics. Progress with stable-isotope labeling methods in Eukaryotic expression systems has enabled production of native or nearly-native human receptors with varied and complementary distributions of NMR probes. These advances have opened up new avenues for investigating the roles of conformational dynamics in signaling processes, including by mapping allosteric communication networks, understanding the specificity of GPCR interactions with partner proteins and exploring the impact of membrane environments on GPCR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beining Jin
- Department of Chemistry; University of Florida; Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry; University of Florida; Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | | | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry; University of Florida; Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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8
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Jacobson KA, Suresh RR, Oliva P. A 2A adenosine receptor agonists, antagonists, inverse agonists and partial agonists. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 170:1-27. [PMID: 37741687 PMCID: PMC10775762 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The Gs-coupled A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) has been explored extensively as a pharmaceutical target, which has led to numerous clinical trials. However, only one selective A2AAR agonist (regadenoson, Lexiscan) and one selective A2AAR antagonist (istradefylline, Nouriast) have been approved by the FDA, as a pharmacological agent for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and as a cotherapy for Parkinson's disease (PD), respectively. Adenosine is widely used in MPI, as Adenoscan. Despite numerous unsuccessful clinical trials, medicinal chemical activity around A2AAR ligands has accelerated recently, particularly through structure-based drug design. New drug-like A2AAR antagonists for PD and cancer immunotherapy have been identified, and many clinical trials have ensued. For example, imaradenant (AZD4635), a compound that was designed computationally, based on A2AAR X-ray structures and biophysical mapping. Mixed A2AAR/A2BAR antagonists are also hopeful for cancer treatment. A2AAR antagonists may also have potential as neuroprotective agents for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Jacobson
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - R Rama Suresh
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Paola Oliva
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Ray AP, Thakur N, Pour NG, Eddy MT. Dual mechanisms of cholesterol-GPCR interactions that depend on membrane phospholipid composition. Structure 2023; 31:836-847.e6. [PMID: 37236187 PMCID: PMC10330489 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is a critical component of mammalian cell membranes and an allosteric modulator of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), but divergent views exist on the mechanisms by which cholesterol influences receptor functions. Leveraging the benefits of lipid nanodiscs, i.e., quantitative control of lipid composition, we observe distinct impacts of cholesterol in the presence and absence of anionic phospholipids on the function-related conformational dynamics of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR). Direct receptor-cholesterol interactions drive activation of agonist-bound A2AAR in membranes containing zwitterionic phospholipids. Intriguingly, the presence of anionic lipids attenuates cholesterol's impact through direct interactions with the receptor, highlighting a more complex role for cholesterol that depends on membrane phospholipid composition. Targeted amino acid replacements at two frequently predicted cholesterol interaction sites showed distinct impacts of cholesterol at different receptor locations, demonstrating the ability to delineate different roles of cholesterol in modulating receptor signaling and maintaining receptor structural integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arka Prabha Ray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Niloofar Gopal Pour
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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10
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Jacobson KA, Pradhan B, Wen Z, Pramanik A. New paradigms in purinergic receptor ligand discovery. Neuropharmacology 2023; 230:109503. [PMID: 36921890 PMCID: PMC10233512 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and clinical implementation of modulators of adenosine, P2Y and P2X receptors (comprising nineteen subtypes) have progressed dramatically in ∼50 years since Burnstock's definition of purinergic signaling. Although most clinical trials of selective ligands (agonists and antagonists) of certain purinergic receptors failed, there is a renewed impetus to redirect efforts to new disease conditions and the discovery of more selective or targeted compounds with potentially reduced side effects, such as biased GPCR agonists. The elucidation of new receptor and enzyme structures is steering rational design of potent and selective agonists, antagonists, allosteric modulators and inhibitors. A2A adenosine receptor (AR) antagonists are being applied to neurodegenerative conditions and cancer immunotherapy. A3AR agonists have potential for treating chronic inflammation (e.g. psoriasis), stroke and pain, as well as cancer. P2YR modulators are being considered for treating inflammation, metabolic disorders, acute kidney injury, cancer, pain and other conditions, often with an immune mechanism. ADP-activated P2Y12R antagonists are widely used as antithrombotic drugs, while their repurposing toward neuroinflammation is considered. P2X3 antagonists have been in clinical trials for chronic cough. P2X7 antagonists have been in clinical trials for inflammatory diseases and depression (compounds that penetrate the blood-brain barrier). Thus, purinergic signaling is now recognized as an immense regulatory system in the body for rebalancing tissues and organs under stress, which can be adjusted by drug intervention for therapeutic purposes. The lack of success of many previous clinical trials can be overcome given more advanced pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic approaches, including structure-based drug design, prodrugs and biased signaling. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Purinergic Signaling: 50 years".
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Jacobson
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Balaram Pradhan
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Zhiwei Wen
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Asmita Pramanik
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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11
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Maslov I, Volkov O, Khorn P, Orekhov P, Gusach A, Kuzmichev P, Gerasimov A, Luginina A, Coucke Q, Bogorodskiy A, Gordeliy V, Wanninger S, Barth A, Mishin A, Hofkens J, Cherezov V, Gensch T, Hendrix J, Borshchevskiy V. Sub-millisecond conformational dynamics of the A 2A adenosine receptor revealed by single-molecule FRET. Commun Biol 2023; 6:362. [PMID: 37012383 PMCID: PMC10070357 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04727-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex pharmacology of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is defined by their multi-state conformational dynamics. Single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) is well suited to quantify dynamics for individual protein molecules; however, its application to GPCRs is challenging. Therefore, smFRET has been limited to studies of inter-receptor interactions in cellular membranes and receptors in detergent environments. Here, we performed smFRET experiments on functionally active human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) molecules embedded in freely diffusing lipid nanodiscs to study their intramolecular conformational dynamics. We propose a dynamic model of A2AAR activation that involves a slow (>2 ms) exchange between the active-like and inactive-like conformations in both apo and antagonist-bound A2AAR, explaining the receptor's constitutive activity. For the agonist-bound A2AAR, we detected faster (390 ± 80 µs) ligand efficacy-dependent dynamics. Our work establishes a general smFRET platform for GPCR investigations that can potentially be used for drug screening and/or mechanism-of-action studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Maslov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- Dynamic Bioimaging Lab, Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre, Biomedical Research Institute, Agoralaan C (BIOMED), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Polina Khorn
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Philipp Orekhov
- Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Anastasiia Gusach
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pavel Kuzmichev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Andrey Gerasimov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- Vyatka State University, Kirov, Russia
| | - Aleksandra Luginina
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Quinten Coucke
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrey Bogorodskiy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale J.-P. Ebel, Université Grenoble Alpes-CEA-CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Simon Wanninger
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Nano Science (CENS), Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM) and Nanosystems Initiative München (NIM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anders Barth
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Nano Science (CENS), Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM) and Nanosystems Initiative München (NIM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, HZ, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Alexey Mishin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Johan Hofkens
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Max Plank Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Bridge Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Gensch
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle Hendrix
- Dynamic Bioimaging Lab, Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre, Biomedical Research Institute, Agoralaan C (BIOMED), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Valentin Borshchevskiy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia.
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russian Federation.
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12
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Thakur N, Ray AP, Sharp L, Jin B, Duong A, Pour NG, Obeng S, Wijesekara AV, Gao ZG, McCurdy CR, Jacobson KA, Lyman E, Eddy MT. Anionic phospholipids control mechanisms of GPCR-G protein recognition. Nat Commun 2023; 14:794. [PMID: 36781870 PMCID: PMC9925817 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36425-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are embedded in phospholipids that strongly influence drug-stimulated signaling. Anionic lipids are particularly important for GPCR signaling complex formation, but a mechanism for this role is not understood. Using NMR spectroscopy, we explore the impact of anionic lipids on the function-related conformational equilibria of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) in bilayers containing defined mixtures of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids. Anionic lipids prime the receptor to form complexes with G proteins through a conformational selection process. Without anionic lipids, signaling complex formation proceeds through a less favorable induced fit mechanism. In computational models, anionic lipids mimic interactions between a G protein and positively charged residues in A2AAR at the receptor intracellular surface, stabilizing a pre-activated receptor conformation. Replacing these residues strikingly alters the receptor response to anionic lipids in experiments. High sequence conservation of the same residues among all GPCRs supports a general role for lipid-receptor charge complementarity in signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Arka P Ray
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Liam Sharp
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Beining Jin
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Alexander Duong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Niloofar Gopal Pour
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Samuel Obeng
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Anuradha V Wijesekara
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Christopher R McCurdy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Translational Drug Development Core, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Edward Lyman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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13
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Thakur N, Ray AP, Sharp L, Jin B, Duong A, Pour NG, Obeng S, Wijesekara AV, Gao ZG, McCurdy CR, Jacobson KA, Lyman E, Eddy MT. Anionic Phospholipids Control Mechanisms of GPCR-G Protein Recognition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523010. [PMID: 36711594 PMCID: PMC9882065 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are embedded in phospholipids that strongly influence drug-stimulated signaling. Anionic lipids are particularly important for GPCR signaling complex formation, but a mechanism for this role is not understood. Using NMR spectroscopy, we visualized the impact of anionic lipids on the function-related conformational equilibria of the human A 2A adenosine receptor (A 2A AR) in bilayers containing defined mixtures of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids. Anionic lipids primed the receptor to form complexes with G proteins through a conformational selection process. Without anionic lipids, signaling complex formation proceeded through a less favorable induced fit mechanism. In computational models, anionic lipids mimicked interactions between a G protein and positively charged residues in A 2A AR at the receptor intracellular surface, stabilizing a pre-activated receptor conformation. Replacing these residues strikingly altered the receptor response to anionic lipids in experiments. High sequence conservation of the same residues among all GPCRs supports a general role for lipid-receptor charge complementarity in signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Arka P Ray
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Liam Sharp
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Beining Jin
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alexander Duong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Niloofar Gopal Pour
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Samuel Obeng
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Anuradha V Wijesekara
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Christopher R McCurdy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Translational Drug Development Core, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Edward Lyman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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14
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Ferré G, Anazia K, Silva LO, Thakur N, Ray AP, Eddy MT. Global insights into the fine tuning of human A 2AAR conformational dynamics in a ternary complex with an engineered G protein viewed by NMR. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111844. [PMID: 36543140 PMCID: PMC9832913 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) conformational plasticity enables formation of ternary signaling complexes with intracellular proteins in response to binding extracellular ligands. We investigate the dynamic process of GPCR complex formation in solution with the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) and an engineered Gs protein, mini-Gs. 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data with uniform stable isotope-labeled A2AAR enabled a global comparison of A2AAR conformations between complexes with an agonist and mini-Gs and with an agonist alone. The two conformations are similar and show subtle differences at the receptor intracellular surface, supporting a model whereby agonist binding alone is sufficient to populate a conformation resembling the active state. However, an A2AAR "hot spot" connecting the extracellular ligand-binding pocket to the intracellular surface is observed to be highly dynamic in the ternary complex, suggesting a mechanism for allosteric connection between the bound G protein and the drug-binding pocket involving structural plasticity of the "toggle switch" tryptophan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ferré
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kara Anazia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Larissa O Silva
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Arka P Ray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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15
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Cheung E, Xia Y, Caporini MA, Gilmore JL. Tools shaping drug discovery and development. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:031301. [PMID: 38505278 PMCID: PMC10903431 DOI: 10.1063/5.0087583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Spectroscopic, scattering, and imaging methods play an important role in advancing the study of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical therapies. The tools more familiar to scientists within industry and beyond, such as nuclear magnetic resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy, serve two functions: as simple high-throughput techniques for identification and purity analysis, and as potential tools for measuring dynamics and structures of complex biological systems, from proteins and nucleic acids to membranes and nanoparticle delivery systems. With the expansion of commercial small-angle x-ray scattering instruments into the laboratory setting and the accessibility of industrial researchers to small-angle neutron scattering facilities, scattering methods are now used more frequently in the industrial research setting, and probe-less time-resolved small-angle scattering experiments are now able to be conducted to truly probe the mechanism of reactions and the location of individual components in complex model or biological systems. The availability of atomic force microscopes in the past several decades enables measurements that are, in some ways, complementary to the spectroscopic techniques, and wholly orthogonal in others, such as those related to nanomechanics. As therapies have advanced from small molecules to protein biologics and now messenger RNA vaccines, the depth of biophysical knowledge must continue to serve in drug discovery and development to ensure quality of the drug, and the characterization toolbox must be opened up to adapt traditional spectroscopic methods and adopt new techniques for unraveling the complexities of the new modalities. The overview of the biophysical methods in this review is meant to showcase the uses of multiple techniques for different modalities and present recent applications for tackling particularly challenging situations in drug development that can be solved with the aid of fluorescence spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and small-angle scattering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Cheung
- Moderna, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Yan Xia
- Moderna, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Marc A. Caporini
- Moderna, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Jamie L. Gilmore
- Moderna, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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16
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Jacobson KA, Gao ZG, Matricon P, Eddy MT, Carlsson J. Adenosine A 2A receptor antagonists: from caffeine to selective non-xanthines. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:3496-3511. [PMID: 32424811 PMCID: PMC9251831 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A long evolution of knowledge of the psychostimulant caffeine led in the 1960s to another purine natural product, adenosine and its A2A receptor. Adenosine is a short-lived autocrine/paracrine mediator that acts pharmacologically at four different adenosine receptors in a manner opposite to the pan-antagonist caffeine and serves as an endogenous allostatic regulator. Although detrimental in the developing brain, caffeine appears to be cerebroprotective in aging. Moderate caffeine consumption in adults, except in pregnancy, may also provide benefit in pain, diabetes, and kidney and liver disorders. Inhibition of A2A receptors is one of caffeine's principal effects and we now understand this interaction at the atomic level. The A2A receptor has become a prototypical example of utilizing high-resolution structures of GPCRs for the rational design of chemically diverse drug molecules. The previous focus on discovery of selective A2A receptor antagonists for neurodegenerative diseases has expanded to include immunotherapy for cancer, and clinical trials have ensued. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Structure Guided Pharmacology of Membrane Proteins (BJP 75th Anniversary). To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.14/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A. Jacobson
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhan-Guo Gao
- Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pierre Matricon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matthew T. Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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G Protein-coupled Receptor (GPCR) Reconstitution and Labeling for Solution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Studies of the Structural Basis of Transmembrane Signaling. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27092658. [PMID: 35566006 PMCID: PMC9101874 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large membrane protein family found in higher organisms, including the human body. GPCRs mediate cellular responses to diverse extracellular stimuli and thus control key physiological functions, which makes them important targets for drug design. Signaling by GPCRs is related to the structure and dynamics of these proteins, which are modulated by extrinsic ligands as well as by intracellular binding partners such as G proteins and arrestins. Here, we review some basics of using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution for the characterization of GPCR conformations and intermolecular interactions that relate to transmembrane signaling.
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18
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IJzerman AP, Jacobson KA, Müller CE, Cronstein BN, Cunha RA. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. CXII: Adenosine Receptors: A Further Update. Pharmacol Rev 2022; 74:340-372. [PMID: 35302044 PMCID: PMC8973513 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology report on the nomenclature and classification of adenosine receptors (2011) contained a number of emerging developments with respect to this G protein-coupled receptor subfamily, including protein structure, protein oligomerization, protein diversity, and allosteric modulation by small molecules. Since then, a wealth of new data and results has been added, allowing us to explore novel concepts such as target binding kinetics and biased signaling of adenosine receptors, to examine a multitude of receptor structures and novel ligands, to gauge new pharmacology, and to evaluate clinical trials with adenosine receptor ligands. This review should therefore be considered a further update of our previous reports from 2001 and 2011. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Adenosine receptors (ARs) are of continuing interest for future treatment of chronic and acute disease conditions, including inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative afflictions, and cancer. The design of AR agonists ("biased" or not) and antagonists is largely structure based now, thanks to the tremendous progress in AR structural biology. The A2A- and A2BAR appear to modulate the immune response in tumor biology. Many clinical trials for this indication are ongoing, whereas an A2AAR antagonist (istradefylline) has been approved as an anti-Parkinson agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriaan P IJzerman
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (A.P.IJ.); National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Molecular Recognition Section, Bethesda, Maryland (K.A.J.); Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany (C.E.M.); New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (B.N.C.); and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (R.A.C.)
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (A.P.IJ.); National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Molecular Recognition Section, Bethesda, Maryland (K.A.J.); Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany (C.E.M.); New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (B.N.C.); and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (R.A.C.)
| | - Christa E Müller
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (A.P.IJ.); National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Molecular Recognition Section, Bethesda, Maryland (K.A.J.); Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany (C.E.M.); New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (B.N.C.); and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (R.A.C.)
| | - Bruce N Cronstein
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (A.P.IJ.); National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Molecular Recognition Section, Bethesda, Maryland (K.A.J.); Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany (C.E.M.); New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (B.N.C.); and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (R.A.C.)
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (A.P.IJ.); National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Molecular Recognition Section, Bethesda, Maryland (K.A.J.); Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany (C.E.M.); New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (B.N.C.); and Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (R.A.C.)
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19
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Wang J, Bhattarai A, Do HN, Akhter S, Miao Y. Molecular Simulations and Drug Discovery of Adenosine Receptors. Molecules 2022; 27:2054. [PMID: 35408454 PMCID: PMC9000248 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of human membrane proteins. Four subtypes of adenosine receptors (ARs), the A1AR, A2AAR, A2BAR and A3AR, each with a unique pharmacological profile and distribution within the tissues in the human body, mediate many physiological functions and serve as critical drug targets for treating numerous human diseases including cancer, neuropathic pain, cardiac ischemia, stroke and diabetes. The A1AR and A3AR preferentially couple to the Gi/o proteins, while the A2AAR and A2BAR prefer coupling to the Gs proteins. Adenosine receptors were the first subclass of GPCRs that had experimental structures determined in complex with distinct G proteins. Here, we will review recent studies in molecular simulations and computer-aided drug discovery of the adenosine receptors and also highlight their future research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yinglong Miao
- Center for Computational Biology and Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA; (J.W.); (A.B.); (H.N.D.); (S.A.)
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20
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Wei S, Thakur N, Ray AP, Jin B, Obeng S, McCurdy CR, McMahon LR, Gutiérrez-de-Terán H, Eddy MT, Lamichhane R. Slow conformational dynamics of the human A 2A adenosine receptor are temporally ordered. Structure 2022; 30:329-337.e5. [PMID: 34895472 PMCID: PMC8897252 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A more complete depiction of protein energy landscapes includes the identification of different function-related conformational states and the determination of the pathways connecting them. We used total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging to investigate the conformational dynamics of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR), a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), at the single-molecule level. Slow, reversible conformational exchange was observed among three different fluorescence emission states populated for agonist-bound A2AAR. Transitions among these states predominantly occurred in a specific order, and exchange between inactive and active-like conformations proceeded through an intermediate state. Models derived from molecular dynamics simulations with available A2AAR structures rationalized the relative fluorescence emission intensities for the highest and lowest emission states but not the transition state. This suggests that the functionally critical intermediate state required to achieve activation is not currently visualized among available A2AAR structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushu Wei
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, 1311 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA
| | - Naveen Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Arka P Ray
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Beining Jin
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Samuel Obeng
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Christopher R McCurdy
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Translational Drug Development Core, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Lance R McMahon
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Hugo Gutiérrez-de-Terán
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, B.M.C., Box 596, Uppsala 751 24, Sweden
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, 126 Sisler Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Rajan Lamichhane
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, 1311 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37932, USA.
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21
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Mulry E, Ray AP, Eddy MT. Production of a Human Histamine Receptor for NMR Spectroscopy in Aqueous Solutions. Biomolecules 2021; 11:632. [PMID: 33923140 PMCID: PMC8146376 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) bind a broad array of extracellular molecules and transmit intracellular signals that initiate physiological responses. The signal transduction functions of GPCRs are inherently related to their structural plasticity, which can be experimentally observed by spectroscopic techniques. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in particular is an especially advantageous method to study the dynamic behavior of GPCRs. The success of NMR studies critically relies on the production of functional GPCRs containing stable-isotope labeled probes, which remains a challenging endeavor for most human GPCRs. We report a protocol for the production of the human histamine H1 receptor (H1R) in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris for NMR experiments. Systematic evaluation of multiple expression parameters resulted in a ten-fold increase in the yield of expressed H1R over initial efforts in defined media. The expressed receptor could be purified to homogeneity and was found to respond to the addition of known H1R ligands. Two-dimensional transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy (TROSY) NMR spectra of stable-isotope labeled H1R show well-dispersed and resolved signals consistent with a properly folded protein, and 19F-NMR data register a response of the protein to differences in efficacies of bound ligands.
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MESH Headings
- Gene Expression
- Humans
- Ligands
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular/methods
- Protein Binding
- Protein Conformation
- Protein Engineering/methods
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/chemistry
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/isolation & purification
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/metabolism
- Receptors, Histamine/chemistry
- Receptors, Histamine/isolation & purification
- Receptors, Histamine/metabolism
- Receptors, Histamine H1/chemistry
- Receptors, Histamine H1/isolation & purification
- Receptors, Histamine H1/metabolism
- Saccharomycetales/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew T. Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (E.M.); (A.P.R.)
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22
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Krug U, Gloge A, Schmidt P, Becker‐Baldus J, Bernhard F, Kaiser A, Montag C, Gauglitz M, Vishnivetskiy SA, Gurevich VV, Beck‐Sickinger AG, Glaubitz C, Huster D. The Conformational Equilibrium of the Neuropeptide Y2 Receptor in Bilayer Membranes. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:23854-23861. [PMID: 32790043 PMCID: PMC7736470 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202006075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic structural transitions within the seven-transmembrane bundle represent the mechanism by which G-protein-coupled receptors convert an extracellular chemical signal into an intracellular biological function. Here, the conformational dynamics of the neuropeptide Y receptor type 2 (Y2R) during activation was investigated. The apo, full agonist-, and arrestin-bound states of Y2R were prepared by cell-free expression, functional refolding, and reconstitution into lipid membranes. To study conformational transitions between these states, all six tryptophans of Y2R were 13 C-labeled. NMR-signal assignment was achieved by dynamic-nuclear-polarization enhancement and the individual functional states of the receptor were characterized by monitoring 13 C NMR chemical shifts. Activation of Y2R is mediated by molecular switches involving the toggle switch residue Trp2816.48 of the highly conserved SWLP motif and Trp3277.55 adjacent to the NPxxY motif. Furthermore, a conformationally preserved "cysteine lock"-Trp11623.50 was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Krug
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Anika Gloge
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Johanna Becker‐Baldus
- Institute of Biophysical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
| | - Anette Kaiser
- Institute of BiochemistryUniversity of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Cindy Montag
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Marcel Gauglitz
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
- Berlin Joint Electron Paramagnetic Resonance LaboratoryFree University BerlinGermany
| | | | | | | | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Institute of Biophysical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University FrankfurtGermany
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute of Medical Physics and BiophysicsUniversity of LeipzigHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
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23
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Krug U, Gloge A, Schmidt P, Becker‐Baldus J, Bernhard F, Kaiser A, Montag C, Gauglitz M, Vishnivetskiy SA, Gurevich VV, Beck‐Sickinger AG, Glaubitz C, Huster D. Das Konformationsgleichgewicht des Neuropeptid‐Y2‐Rezeptors in Lipidmembranen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202006075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Krug
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Anika Gloge
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Johanna Becker‐Baldus
- Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
- Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetresonanz Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
- Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetresonanz Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
| | - Anette Kaiser
- Institut für Biochemie Universität Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Cindy Montag
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
| | - Marcel Gauglitz
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
- Berlin Joint Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Laboratory Freie Universität Berlin Deutschland
| | | | | | | | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
- Zentrum für Biomolekulare Magnetresonanz Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main Deutschland
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik Universität Leipzig Härtelstr. 16–18 04107 Leipzig Deutschland
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Eddy MT, Martin BT, Wüthrich K. A 2A Adenosine Receptor Partial Agonism Related to Structural Rearrangements in an Activation Microswitch. Structure 2020; 29:170-176.e3. [PMID: 33238145 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In drug design, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) partial agonists enable one to fine-tune receptor output between basal and maximal signaling levels. Here, we add to the structural basis for rationalizing and monitoring partial agonism. NMR spectroscopy of partial agonist complexes of the A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) revealed conformations of the P-I-F activation motif that are distinctly different from full agonist complexes. At the intracellular surface, different conformations of helix VI observed for partial and full agonist complexes manifest a correlation between the efficacy-related structural rearrangement of this activation motif and intracellular signaling to partner proteins. While comparisons of A2AAR in complexes with partial and full agonists with different methods showed close similarity of the global folds, this NMR study now reveals subtle but distinct local structural differences related to partial agonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7200, USA.
| | - Bryan T Martin
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kurt Wüthrich
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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25
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Salmaso V, Jacobson KA. Purinergic Signaling: Impact of GPCR Structures on Rational Drug Design. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:1958-1973. [PMID: 32803849 PMCID: PMC8276773 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The purinergic signaling system includes membrane-bound receptors for extracellular purines and pyrimidines, and enzymes/transporters that regulate receptor activation by endogenous agonists. Receptors include: adenosine (A1 , A2A , A2B, and A3 ) and P2Y (P2Y1 , P2Y2 , P2Y4 , P2Y6 , P2Y11 , P2Y12 , P2Y13 , and P2Y14 ) receptors (all GPCRs), as well as P2X receptors (ion channels). Receptor activation, especially accompanying physiological stress or damage, creates a temporal sequence of signaling to counteract this stress and either mobilize (P2Rs) or suppress (ARs) immune responses. Thus, modulation of this large signaling family has broad potential for treating chronic diseases. Experimentally determined structures represent each of the three receptor families. We focus on selective purinergic agonists (A1 , A3 ), antagonists (A3 , P2Y14 ), and allosteric modulators (P2Y1 , A3 ). Examples of applying structure-based design, including the rational modification of known ligands, are presented for antithrombotic P2Y1 R antagonists and anti-inflammatory P2Y14 R antagonists and A3 AR agonists. A3 AR agonists are a potential, nonaddictive treatment for chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Salmaso
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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26
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Jones AJY, Gabriel F, Tandale A, Nietlispach D. Structure and Dynamics of GPCRs in Lipid Membranes: Physical Principles and Experimental Approaches. Molecules 2020; 25:E4729. [PMID: 33076366 PMCID: PMC7587580 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the vast amount of information generated through structural and biophysical studies of GPCRs has provided unprecedented mechanistic insight into the complex signalling behaviour of these receptors. With this recent information surge, it has also become increasingly apparent that in order to reproduce the various effects that lipids and membranes exert on the biological function for these allosteric receptors, in vitro studies of GPCRs need to be conducted under conditions that adequately approximate the native lipid bilayer environment. In the first part of this review, we assess some of the more general effects that a membrane environment exerts on lipid bilayer-embedded proteins such as GPCRs. This is then followed by the consideration of more specific effects, including stoichiometric interactions with specific lipid subtypes. In the final section, we survey a range of different membrane mimetics that are currently used for in vitro studies, with a focus on NMR applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel Nietlispach
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; (A.J.Y.J.); (F.G.); (A.T.)
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27
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Capturing Peptide-GPCR Interactions and Their Dynamics. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25204724. [PMID: 33076289 PMCID: PMC7587574 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biological functions of peptides are mediated through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Upon ligand binding, GPCRs undergo conformational changes that facilitate the binding and activation of multiple effectors. GPCRs regulate nearly all physiological processes and are a favorite pharmacological target. In particular, drugs are sought after that elicit the recruitment of selected effectors only (biased ligands). Understanding how ligands bind to GPCRs and which conformational changes they induce is a fundamental step toward the development of more efficient and specific drugs. Moreover, it is emerging that the dynamic of the ligand–receptor interaction contributes to the specificity of both ligand recognition and effector recruitment, an aspect that is missing in structural snapshots from crystallography. We describe here biochemical and biophysical techniques to address ligand–receptor interactions in their structural and dynamic aspects, which include mutagenesis, crosslinking, spectroscopic techniques, and mass-spectrometry profiling. With a main focus on peptide receptors, we present methods to unveil the ligand–receptor contact interface and methods that address conformational changes both in the ligand and the GPCR. The presented studies highlight a wide structural heterogeneity among peptide receptors, reveal distinct structural changes occurring during ligand binding and a surprisingly high dynamics of the ligand–GPCR complexes.
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28
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Structural biology of human GPCR drugs and endogenous ligands - insights from NMR spectroscopy. Methods 2020; 180:79-88. [PMID: 32911074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest class of "druggable" proteins in the human genome. For more than a decade, crystal structures and, more recently, cryoEM structures of GPCR complexes have provided unprecedented insight into GPCR drug binding and cell signaling. Nevertheless, structure determination of receptors in complexes with weakly binding molecules or complex polypeptides remains especially challenging, including for hormones, many of which have so far eluded researchers. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a promising approach to determine structures of ligands bound to their receptors and to provide insights into the dynamics of GPCR-bound drugs. The capability to investigate compounds with weak binding affinities has also been leveraged in NMR applications to identify novel lead compounds in drug screening campaigns. We review recent structural biology studies of GPCR ligands by NMR, highlighting new methodologies enabling studies of GPCRs with native sequences and in native-like membrane environments that provide insights into important drugs and endogenous ligands.
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29
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Schuster M, Deluigi M, Pantić M, Vacca S, Baumann C, Scott DJ, Plückthun A, Zerbe O. Optimizing the α 1B-adrenergic receptor for solution NMR studies. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183354. [PMID: 32413443 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sample preparation for NMR studies of G protein-coupled receptors faces special requirements: Proteins need to be stable for prolonged measurements at elevated temperatures, they should ideally be uniformly labeled with the stable isotopes 13C, 15N, and all carbon-bound protons should be replaced by deuterons. In addition, certain NMR experiments require protonated methyl groups in the presence of a perdeuterated background. All these requirements are most easily satisfied when using Escherichia coli as the expression host. Here we describe a workflow, starting from a temperature-stabilized mutant of the α1B-adrenergic receptor, obtained using the CHESS methodology, into an even more stable species, in which flexible parts from termini were removed and the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) was stabilized against proteolytic cleavage. The yield after purification corresponds to 1-2 mg/L of D2O culture. The final purification step is ligand-affinity chromatography to ensure that only well-folded ligand-binding protein is isolated. Proper selection of detergent has a remarkable influence on the quality of NMR spectra. All optimization steps of sequence and detergent are monitored on a small scale by monitoring the melting temperature and long-term thermal stability to allow for screening of many conditions. The stabilized mutant of the α1B-adrenergic receptor was additionally incorporated in nanodiscs, but displayed slightly inferior spectra compared to a sample in detergent micelles. Finally, both [15N,1H]- as well as [13C,1H]-HSQC spectra are shown highlighting the high quality of the final NMR sample. Importantly, the quality of [13C,1H]-HSQC spectra indicates that the so prepared receptor could be used for studying side-chain dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schuster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Deluigi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Milica Pantić
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Santiago Vacca
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Baumann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Scott
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Zerbe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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30
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Gao ZG, Toti KS, Campbell R, Suresh RR, Yang H, Jacobson KA. Allosteric Antagonism of the A 2A Adenosine Receptor by a Series of Bitopic Ligands. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051200. [PMID: 32408534 PMCID: PMC7290864 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Allosteric antagonism by bitopic ligands, as reported for many receptors, is a distinct modulatory mechanism. Although several bitopic A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) ligand classes were reported as pharmacological tools, their receptor binding and functional antagonism patterns, i.e., allosteric or competitive, were not well characterized. Therefore, here we systematically characterized A2AAR binding and functional antagonism of two distinct antagonist chemical classes. i.e., fluorescent conjugates of xanthine amine congener (XAC) and SCH442416. Bitopic ligands were potent, weak, competitive or allosteric, based on the combination of pharmacophore, linker and fluorophore. Among antagonists tested, XAC, XAC245, XAC488, SCH442416, MRS7352 showed Ki binding values consistent with KB values from functional antagonism. Interestingly, MRS7396, XAC-X-BY630 (XAC630) and 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)amiloride (HMA) were 9–100 times weaker in displacing fluorescent MRS7416 binding than radioligand binding. XAC245, XAC630, MRS7396, MRS7416 and MRS7322 behaved as allosteric A2AAR antagonists, whereas XAC488 and MRS7395 antagonized competitively. Schild analysis showed antagonism slopes of 0.42 and 0.47 for MRS7396 and XAC630, respectively. Allosteric antagonists HMA and MRS7396 were more potent in displacing [3H]ZM241385 binding than MRS7416 binding. Sodium site D52N mutation increased and decreased affinity of HMA and MRS7396, respectively, suggesting possible preference for different A2AAR conformations. The allosteric binding properties of some bitopic ligands were rationalized and analyzed using the Hall two-state allosteric model. Thus, fluorophore tethering to an orthosteric ligand is not neutral pharmacologically and may confer unexpected properties to the conjugate.
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31
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Insights into adenosine A2A receptor activation through cooperative modulation of agonist and allosteric lipid interactions. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007818. [PMID: 32298258 PMCID: PMC7188303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation process of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been extensively studied, both experimentally and computationally. In particular, Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations have proven useful in exploring GPCR conformational space. The typical behaviour of class A GPCRs, when subjected to unbiased MD simulations from their crystallized inactive state, is to fluctuate between inactive and intermediate(s) conformations, even with bound agonist. Fully active conformation(s) are rarely stabilized unless a G protein is also bound. Despite several crystal structures of the adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) having been resolved in complex with co-crystallized agonists and Gs protein, its agonist-mediated activation process is still not completely understood. In order to thoroughly examine the conformational landscape of A2aR activation, we performed unbiased microsecond-length MD simulations in quadruplicate, starting from the inactive conformation either in apo or with bound agonists: endogenous adenosine or synthetic NECA, embedded in two homogeneous phospholipid membranes: 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoglycerol (DOPG) or 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). In DOPC with bound adenosine or NECA, we observe transition to an intermediate receptor conformation consistent with the known adenosine-bound crystal state. In apo state in DOPG, two different intermediate conformations are obtained. One is similar to that observed with bound adenosine in DOPC, while the other is closer to the active state but not yet fully active. Exclusively, in DOPG with bound adenosine or NECA, we reproducibly identify receptor conformations with fully active features, which are able to dock Gs protein. These different receptor conformations can be attributed to the action/absence of agonist and phospholipid-mediated allosteric effects on the intracellular side of the receptor.
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32
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Guyot L, Hartmann L, Mohammed-Bouteben S, Caro L, Wagner R. Preparation of Recombinant Membrane Proteins from Pichia pastoris for Molecular Investigations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 100:e104. [PMID: 32289210 DOI: 10.1002/cpps.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pichia pastoris is a eukaryotic microorganism reputed for its ability to mass-produce recombinant proteins, including integral membrane proteins, for various applications. This article details a series of protocols that progress towards the production of integral membrane proteins, their extraction and purification in the presence of detergents, and their eventual reconstitution in lipid nanoparticles. These basic procedures can be further optimized to provide integral membrane protein samples that are compatible with a number of structural and/or functional investigations at the molecular level. Each protocol provides general guidelines, technical hints, and specific recommendations, and is illustrated with case studies corresponding to several representative mammalian proteins. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol 1: Production of membrane proteins in a P. pastoris recombinant clone using methanol induction Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of whole-membrane fractions Alternate Protocol 1: Preparation of yeast protoplasts Basic Protocol 3: Extraction of membrane proteins from whole-membrane fractions Basic Protocol 4: Purification of membrane proteins Alternate Protocol 2: Purification of membrane proteins from yeast protoplasts Alternate Protocol 3: Simultaneous protoplast preparation and membrane solubilization for purification of membrane proteins Basic Protocol 5: Reconstitution of detergent-purified membrane proteins in lipid nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Guyot
- IMPReSs Facility, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling UMR 7242, CNRS-University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, Cedex, France.,NovAliX, Illkirch, France
| | - Lucie Hartmann
- IMPReSs Facility, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling UMR 7242, CNRS-University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, Cedex, France
| | - Sarah Mohammed-Bouteben
- IMPReSs Facility, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling UMR 7242, CNRS-University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, Cedex, France
| | - Lydia Caro
- IMPReSs Facility, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling UMR 7242, CNRS-University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, Cedex, France
| | - Renaud Wagner
- IMPReSs Facility, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling UMR 7242, CNRS-University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, Cedex, France
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33
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Park SH, Lee JH. Dynamic G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling Probed by Solution NMR Spectroscopy. Biochemistry 2020; 59:1065-1080. [PMID: 32092261 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating various dynamic features of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. In this Perspective, we focus on NMR techniques to characterize ligand-dependent conformational dynamics of GPCRs as well as the interaction of GPCRs with their environment and ligands. We also describe circumstances under which each technique should be applied, their advantages and disadvantages, and how they can be combined with other strategies to deepen the understanding of GPCR signaling at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Hee Park
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jung Ho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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34
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Zhang M. Recent developments of methyl-labeling strategies in Pichia pastoris for NMR spectroscopy. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 166:105521. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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35
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Zarzycka B, Zaidi SA, Roth BL, Katritch V. Harnessing Ion-Binding Sites for GPCR Pharmacology. Pharmacol Rev 2019; 71:571-595. [PMID: 31551350 PMCID: PMC6782022 DOI: 10.1124/pr.119.017863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous ions play important roles in the function and pharmacology of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Historically the evidence for ionic modulation of GPCR function dates to 1973 with studies of opioid receptors, where it was demonstrated that physiologic concentrations of sodium allosterically attenuated agonist binding. This Na+-selective effect was distinct from effects of other monovalent and divalent cations, with the latter usually counteracting sodium's negative allosteric modulation of binding. Since then, numerous studies documenting the effects of mono- and divalent ions on GPCR function have been published. While ions can act selectively and nonselectively at many sites in different receptors, the discovery of the conserved sodium ion site in class A GPCR structures in 2012 revealed the unique nature of Na+ site, which has emerged as a near-universal site for allosteric modulation of class A GPCR structure and function. In this review, we synthesize and highlight recent advances in the functional, biophysical, and structural characterization of ions bound to GPCRs. Taken together, these findings provide a molecular understanding of the unique roles of Na+ and other ions as GPCR allosteric modulators. We will also discuss how this knowledge can be applied to the redesign of receptors and ligand probes for desired functional and pharmacological profiles. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The function and pharmacology of GPCRs strongly depend on the presence of mono and divalent ions in experimental assays and in living organisms. Recent insights into the molecular mechanism of this ion-dependent allosterism from structural, biophysical, biochemical, and computational studies provide quantitative understandings of the pharmacological effects of drugs in vitro and in vivo and open new avenues for the rational design of chemical probes and drug candidates with improved properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Zarzycka
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Saheem A Zaidi
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Departments of Biological Sciences (B.Z., S.A.Z., V.K.) and Chemistry (V.K.), Bridge Institute, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Pharmacology (B.L.R.) and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy (B.L.R.), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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36
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NMR investigation of protein-ligand interactions for G-protein coupled receptors. Future Med Chem 2019; 11:1811-1825. [PMID: 31287732 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we report NMR studies of ligand-GPCR interactions, including both ligand-observed and protein-observed NMR experiments. Published studies exemplify how NMR can be used as a powerful tool to design novel GPCR ligands and investigate the ligand-induced conformational changes of GPCRs. The strength of NMR also lies in its capability to explore the diverse signaling pathways and probe the allosteric modulation of these highly dynamic receptors. By offering unique opportunities for the identification, structural and functional characterization of GPCR ligands, NMR will likely play a major role for the generation of novel molecules both as new tools for the understanding of the GPCR function and as therapeutic compounds for a large diversity of pathologies.
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37
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Bostock MJ, Solt AS, Nietlispach D. The role of NMR spectroscopy in mapping the conformational landscape of GPCRs. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 57:145-156. [PMID: 31075520 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Over recent years, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has developed into a powerful mechanistic tool for the investigation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). NMR provides insights which underpin the dynamic nature of these important receptors and reveals experimental evidence for a complex conformational energy landscape that is explored during receptor activation resulting in signalling. NMR studies have highlighted both the dynamic properties of different receptor states as well as the exchange pathways and intermediates formed during activation, extending the static view of GPCRs obtained from other techniques. NMR studies can be undertaken in realistic membrane-like phospholipid environments and an ever-increasing choice of labelling strategies provides comprehensive, receptor-wide information. Combined with other structural methods, NMR is contributing to our understanding of allosteric signal propagation and the interaction of GPCRs with intracellular binding partners (IBP), crucial to explaining cellular signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Bostock
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Andras S Solt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Daniel Nietlispach
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
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38
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Sušac L, Eddy MT, Didenko T, Stevens RC, Wüthrich K. A 2A adenosine receptor functional states characterized by 19F-NMR. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12733-12738. [PMID: 30463958 PMCID: PMC6294957 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1813649115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human proteome contains 826 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), which control a wide array of key physiological functions, making them important drug targets. GPCR functions are based on allosteric coupling from the extracellular orthosteric drug binding site across the cell membrane to intracellular binding sites for partners such as G proteins and arrestins. This signaling process is related to dynamic equilibria in conformational ensembles that can be observed by NMR in solution. A previous high-resolution NMR study of the A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) resulted in a qualitative characterization of a network of such local polymorphisms. Here, we used 19F-NMR experiments with probes at the A2AAR intracellular surface, which provides the high sensitivity needed for a refined description of different receptor activation states by ensembles of simultaneously populated conformers and the rates of exchange among them. We observed two agonist-stabilized substates that are not measurably populated in apo-A2AAR and one inactive substate that is not seen in complexes with agonists, suggesting that A2AAR activation includes both induced fit and conformational selection mechanisms. Comparison of A2AAR and a constitutively active mutant established relations between the 19F-NMR spectra and signaling activity, which enabled direct assessment of the difference in basal activity between the native protein and its variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Sušac
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Matthew T Eddy
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
- The Bridge Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Tatiana Didenko
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Raymond C Stevens
- The Bridge Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Kurt Wüthrich
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037;
- Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
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Kleist AB, Peterson F, Tyler RC, Gustavsson M, Handel TM, Volkman BF. Solution NMR spectroscopy of GPCRs: Residue-specific labeling strategies with a focus on 13C-methyl methionine labeling of the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR3. Methods Cell Biol 2018; 149:259-288. [PMID: 30616824 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed remarkable progress in the determination of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) structures, profoundly expanding our understanding of how GPCRs recognize ligands, become activated, and interact with intracellular signaling components. In recent years, numerous studies have used solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to investigate GPCRs, providing fundamental insights into GPCR conformational changes, allostery, dynamics, and other facets of GPCR function are challenging to study using other structural techniques. Despite these advantages, NMR-based studies of GPCRs are few relative to the number of published structures, due in part to the challenges and limitations of NMR for the characterization of large membrane proteins. Several studies have circumvented these challenges using a variety of isotopic labeling strategies, including side chain derivatization and metabolic incorporation of NMR-active nuclei. In this chapter, we provide an overview of different isotopic labeling strategies and describe an in-depth protocol for the expression, purification, and NMR studies of the chemokine GPCR atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) via 13CH3-methionine incorporation. The goal of this chapter is to provide a resource to the GPCR community for those interested in pursuing NMR studies of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Kleist
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Francis Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Robert C Tyler
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Martin Gustavsson
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tracy M Handel
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.
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GPCR drug discovery: integrating solution NMR data with crystal and cryo-EM structures. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2018; 18:59-82. [PMID: 30410121 DOI: 10.1038/nrd.2018.180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The 826 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the human proteome regulate key physiological processes and thus have long been attractive drug targets. With the crystal structures of more than 50 different human GPCRs determined over the past decade, an initial platform for structure-based rational design has been established for drugs that target GPCRs, which is currently being augmented with cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of higher-order GPCR complexes. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution is one of the key approaches for expanding this platform with dynamic features, which can be accessed at physiological temperature and with minimal modification of the wild-type GPCR covalent structures. Here, we review strategies for the use of advanced biochemistry and NMR techniques with GPCRs, survey projects in which crystal or cryo-EM structures have been complemented with NMR investigations and discuss the impact of this integrative approach on GPCR biology and drug discovery.
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