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Mancinelli CD, Marx DC, Gonzalez-Hernandez AJ, Huynh K, Mancinelli L, Arefin A, Khelashvilli G, Levitz J, Eliezer D. Control of G protein-coupled receptor function via membrane-interacting intrinsically disordered C-terminal domains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2407744121. [PMID: 38985766 PMCID: PMC11260148 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2407744121] [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: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) control intracellular signaling cascades via agonist-dependent coupling to intracellular transducers including heterotrimeric G proteins, GPCR kinases (GRKs), and arrestins. In addition to their critical interactions with the transmembrane core of active GPCRs, all three classes of transducers have also been reported to interact with receptor C-terminal domains (CTDs). An underexplored aspect of GPCR CTDs is their possible role as lipid sensors given their proximity to the membrane. CTD-membrane interactions have the potential to control the accessibility of key regulatory CTD residues to downstream effectors and transducers. Here, we report that the CTDs of two closely related family C GPCRs, metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) and mGluR3, bind to membranes and that this interaction can regulate receptor function. We first characterize CTD structure with NMR spectroscopy, revealing lipid composition-dependent modes of membrane binding. Using molecular dynamics simulations and structure-guided mutagenesis, we then identify key conserved residues and cancer-associated mutations that modulate CTD-membrane binding. Finally, we provide evidence that mGluR3 transducer coupling is controlled by CTD-membrane interactions in live cells, which may be subject to regulation by CTD phosphorylation and changes in membrane composition. This work reveals an additional mechanism of GPCR modulation, suggesting that CTD-membrane binding may be a general regulatory mode throughout the broad GPCR superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dagan C. Marx
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | | | - Kevin Huynh
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Lucia Mancinelli
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Anisul Arefin
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - George Khelashvilli
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
| | - David Eliezer
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
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2
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Mancinelli C, Marx DC, Gonzalez-Hernandez AJ, Huynh K, Mancinelli L, Arefin A, Khelashvilli G, Levitz J, Eliezer D. Control of G protein-coupled receptor function via membrane-interacting intrinsically disordered C-terminal domains. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.16.553551. [PMID: 37645938 PMCID: PMC10462050 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) control intracellular signaling cascades via agonist-dependent coupling to intracellular transducers including heterotrimeric G proteins, GPCR kinases (GRKs), and arrestins. In addition to their critical interactions with the transmembrane core of active GPCRs, all three classes of transducers have also been reported to interact with receptor C-terminal domains (CTDs). An underexplored aspect of GPCR CTDs is their possible role as lipid sensors given their proximity to the membrane. CTD-membrane interactions have the potential to control the accessibility of key regulatory CTD residues to downstream effectors and transducers. Here we report that the CTDs of two closely related family C GPCRs, metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) and mGluR3, bind to membranes and that this interaction can regulate receptor function. We first characterize CTD structure with NMR spectroscopy, revealing lipid composition-dependent modes of membrane binding. Using molecular dynamics simulations and structure-guided mutagenesis, we then identify key conserved residues and cancer-associated mutations that modulate CTD-membrane binding. Finally, we provide evidence that mGluR3 transducer coupling is controlled by CTD-membrane interactions in live cells, which may be subject to regulation by CTD phosphorylation and changes in membrane composition. This work reveals a novel mechanism of GPCR modulation, suggesting that CTD-membrane binding may be a general regulatory mode throughout the broad GPCR superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Mancinelli
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- equal contribution
| | - Dagan C. Marx
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- equal contribution
| | | | - Kevin Huynh
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lucia Mancinelli
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anisul Arefin
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - George Khelashvilli
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - David Eliezer
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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3
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Madhu MK, Shewani K, Murarka RK. Biased Signaling in Mutated Variants of β 2-Adrenergic Receptor: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:449-469. [PMID: 38194225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01481] [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: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The molecular basis of receptor bias in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) caused by mutations that preferentially activate specific intracellular transducers over others remains poorly understood. Two experimentally identified biased variants of β2-adrenergic receptors (β2AR), a prototypical GPCR, are a triple mutant (T68F, Y132A, and Y219A) and a single mutant (Y219A); the former bias the receptor toward the β-arrestin pathway by disfavoring G protein engagement, while the latter induces G protein signaling explicitly due to selection against GPCR kinases (GRKs) that phosphorylate the receptor as a prerequisite of β-arrestin binding. Though rigorous characterizations have revealed functional implications of these mutations, the atomistic origin of the observed transducer selectivity is not clear. In this study, we investigated the allosteric mechanism of receptor bias in β2AR using microseconds of all-atom Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations. Our observations reveal distinct rearrangements in transmembrane helices, intracellular loop 3, and critical residues R1313.50 and Y3267.53 in the conserved motifs D(E)RY and NPxxY for the mutant receptors, leading to their specific transducer interactions. Moreover, partial dissociation of G protein from the receptor core is observed in the simulations of the triple mutant in contrast to the single mutant and wild-type receptor. The reorganization of allosteric communications from the extracellular agonist BI-167107 to the intracellular receptor-transducer interfaces drives the conformational rearrangements responsible for receptor bias in the single and triple mutants. The molecular insights into receptor bias of β2AR presented here could improve the understanding of biased signaling in GPCRs, potentially opening new avenues for designing novel therapeutics with fewer side-effects and superior efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midhun K Madhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
| | - Kunal Shewani
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
| | - Rajesh K Murarka
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
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4
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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5
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Guo C, Yang L, Liu Z, Liu D, Wüthrich K. Two-Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy of the G Protein-Coupled Receptor A 2AAR in Lipid Nanodiscs. Molecules 2023; 28:5419. [PMID: 37513291 PMCID: PMC10383251 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145419] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Eight hundred and twenty-six human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the actions of two-thirds of the human hormones and neurotransmitters and over one-third of clinically used drugs. Studying the structure and dynamics of human GPCRs in lipid bilayer environments resembling the native cell membrane milieu is of great interest as a basis for understanding structure-function relationships and thus benefits continued drug development. Here, we incorporate the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) into lipid nanodiscs, which represent a detergent-free environment for structural studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in solution. The [15N,1H]-TROSY correlation spectra confirmed that the complex of [u-15N, ~70% 2H]-A2AAR with an inverse agonist adopts its global fold in lipid nanodiscs in solution at physiological temperature. The global assessment led to two observations of practical interest. First, A2AAR in nanodiscs can be stored for at least one month at 4 °C in an aqueous solvent. Second, LMNG/CHS micelles are a very close mimic of the environment of A2AAR in nanodiscs. The NMR signal of five individually assigned tryptophan indole 15N-1H moieties located in different regions of the receptor structure further enabled a detailed assessment of the impact of nanodiscs and LMNG/CHS micelles on the local structure and dynamics of A2AAR. As expected, the largest effects were observed near the lipid-water interface along the intra- and extracellular surfaces, indicating possible roles of tryptophan side chains in stabilizing GPCRs in lipid bilayer membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canyong Guo
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lingyun Yang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhijun Liu
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, ZhangJiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Dongsheng Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Kurt Wüthrich
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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6
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Bumbak F, Bower JB, Zemmer SC, Inoue A, Pons M, Paniagua JC, Yan F, Ford J, Wu H, Robson SA, Bathgate RAD, Scott DJ, Gooley PR, Ziarek JJ. Stabilization of pre-existing neurotensin receptor conformational states by β-arrestin-1 and the biased allosteric modulator ML314. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3328. [PMID: 37286565 PMCID: PMC10247727 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38894-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with promise as a drug target for the treatment of pain, schizophrenia, obesity, addiction, and various cancers. A detailed picture of the NTS1 structural landscape has been established by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM and yet, the molecular determinants for why a receptor couples to G protein versus arrestin transducers remain poorly defined. We used 13CεH3-methionine NMR spectroscopy to show that binding of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to the receptor's intracellular surface allosterically tunes the timescale of motions at the orthosteric pocket and conserved activation motifs - without dramatically altering the structural ensemble. β-arrestin-1 further remodels the receptor ensemble by reducing conformational exchange kinetics for a subset of resonances, whereas G protein coupling has little to no effect on exchange rates. A β-arrestin biased allosteric modulator transforms the NTS1:G protein complex into a concatenation of substates, without triggering transducer dissociation, suggesting that it may function by stabilizing signaling incompetent G protein conformations such as the non-canonical state. Together, our work demonstrates the importance of kinetic information to a complete picture of the GPCR activation landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Bumbak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
- ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins and Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| | - James B Bower
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Skylar C Zemmer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Miquel Pons
- Biomolecular NMR laboratory, Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Paniagua
- Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry & Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fei Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - James Ford
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405-7102, USA
| | - Hongwei Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405-7102, USA
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Scott A Robson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Ross A D Bathgate
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Daniel J Scott
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul R Gooley
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Joshua J Ziarek
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
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7
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Vilardaga JP, Clark LJ, White AD, Sutkeviciute I, Lee JY, Bahar I. Molecular Mechanisms of PTH/PTHrP Class B GPCR Signaling and Pharmacological Implications. Endocr Rev 2023; 44:474-491. [PMID: 36503956 PMCID: PMC10461325 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnac032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The classical paradigm of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling via G proteins is grounded in a view that downstream responses are relatively transient and confined to the cell surface, but this notion has been revised in recent years following the identification of several receptors that engage in sustained signaling responses from subcellular compartments following internalization of the ligand-receptor complex. This phenomenon was initially discovered for the parathyroid hormone (PTH) type 1 receptor (PTH1R), a vital GPCR for maintaining normal calcium and phosphate levels in the body with the paradoxical ability to build or break down bone in response to PTH binding. The diverse biological processes regulated by this receptor are thought to depend on its capacity to mediate diverse modes of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling. These include transient signaling at the plasma membrane and sustained signaling from internalized PTH1R within early endosomes mediated by PTH. Here we discuss recent structural, cell signaling, and in vivo studies that unveil potential pharmacological outputs of the spatial versus temporal dimension of PTH1R signaling via cAMP. Notably, the combination of molecular dynamics simulations and elastic network model-based methods revealed how precise modulation of PTH signaling responses is achieved through structure-encoded allosteric coupling within the receptor and between the peptide hormone binding site and the G protein coupling interface. The implications of recent findings are now being explored for addressing key questions on how location bias in receptor signaling contributes to pharmacological functions, and how to drug a difficult target such as the PTH1R toward discovering nonpeptidic small molecule candidates for the treatment of metabolic bone and mineral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Vilardaga
- Laboratory for GPCR Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Lisa J Clark
- Laboratory for GPCR Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Alex D White
- Laboratory for GPCR Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ieva Sutkeviciute
- Laboratory for GPCR Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ji Young Lee
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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8
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Heng J, Hu Y, Pérez-Hernández G, Inoue A, Zhao J, Ma X, Sun X, Kawakami K, Ikuta T, Ding J, Yang Y, Zhang L, Peng S, Niu X, Li H, Guixà-González R, Jin C, Hildebrand PW, Chen C, Kobilka BK. Function and dynamics of the intrinsically disordered carboxyl terminus of β2 adrenergic receptor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2005. [PMID: 37037825 PMCID: PMC10085991 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37233-1] [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: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in structural biology have provided important mechanistic insights into signaling by the transmembrane core of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs); however, much less is known about intrinsically disordered regions such as the carboxyl terminus (CT), which is highly flexible and not visible in GPCR structures. The β2 adrenergic receptor's (β2AR) 71 amino acid CT is a substrate for GPCR kinases and binds β-arrestins to regulate signaling. Here we show that the β2AR CT directly inhibits basal and agonist-stimulated signaling in cell lines lacking β-arrestins. Combining single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), NMR spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal that the negatively charged β2AR-CT serves as an autoinhibitory factor via interacting with the positively charged cytoplasmic surface of the receptor to limit access to G-proteins. The stability of this interaction is influenced by agonists and allosteric modulators, emphasizing that the CT plays important role in allosterically regulating GPCR activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Heng
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yunfei Hu
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Guillermo Pérez-Hernández
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Jiawei Zhao
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiuyan Ma
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kouki Kawakami
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Ikuta
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Jienv Ding
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yujie Yang
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lujia Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Sijia Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaogang Niu
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongwei Li
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ramon Guixà-González
- Condensed Matter Theory Group, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, PSI, Switzerland
| | - Changwen Jin
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Peter W Hildebrand
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University Leipzig, 04107, Leipzig, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, 10178, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chunlai Chen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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9
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Biophysical investigations of class A GPCRs. Biochimie 2023; 205:86-94. [PMID: 36220484 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a central role in cellular communication, converting external stimuli into intracellular responses. GPCRs bind a very broad panel of ligands, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, peptides and lipids. Ligand binding triggers a series of receptor conformational rearrangements, enabling the coupling to intracellular partners and the activation of signaling cascades. The major breakthrough in GPCRs structural biology of the past decade has considerably advanced our understanding of GPCR activation. However, structural information cannot fully explain the molecular details of GPCRs pharmacology. Biophysical investigations reveal that GPCRs are very dynamic proteins, capable of exploring a wide range of conformational states. Binding to ligands of various pharmacological classes, as well as intracellular effectors and allosteric modulators, can shift the equilibrium between these states and the kinetic of interconversions among the different conformers. Investigation of GPCR dynamic interplay is therefore important to better understand the complex pharmacology and signaling profile of these receptors.
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10
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Xu J, Wang Q, Hübner H, Hu Y, Niu X, Wang H, Maeda S, Inoue A, Tao Y, Gmeiner P, Du Y, Jin C, Kobilka BK. Structural and dynamic insights into supra-physiological activation and allosteric modulation of a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:376. [PMID: 36690613 PMCID: PMC9870890 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35726-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The M2 muscarinic receptor (M2R) is a prototypical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that serves as a model system for understanding GPCR regulation by both orthosteric and allosteric ligands. Here, we investigate the mechanisms governing M2R signaling versatility using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and NMR spectroscopy, focusing on the physiological agonist acetylcholine and a supra-physiological agonist iperoxo, as well as a positive allosteric modulator LY2119620. These studies reveal that acetylcholine stabilizes a more heterogeneous M2R-G-protein complex than iperoxo, where two conformers with distinctive G-protein orientations were determined. We find that LY2119620 increases the affinity for both agonists, but differentially modulates agonists efficacy in G-protein and β-arrestin pathways. Structural and spectroscopic analysis suggest that LY211620 stabilizes distinct intracellular conformational ensembles from agonist-bound M2R, which may enhance β-arrestin recruitment while impairing G-protein activation. These results highlight the role of conformational dynamics in the complex signaling behavior of GPCRs, and could facilitate design of better drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Qinggong Wang
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Life and Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230027, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Harald Hübner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yunfei Hu
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100084, Beijing, China
- Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, CAS, 430071, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaogang Niu
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Haoqing Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Shoji Maeda
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, University of Michigan 1150 Medical Center Dr., 1315 Medical Science Research Bldg III, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuyong Tao
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230027, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Peter Gmeiner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yang Du
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Life and Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Changwen Jin
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100084, Beijing, China.
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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11
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Su X, Zhang L, Zhao L, Pan B, Chen B, Chen J, Zhai C, Li B. Efficient Protein–Protein Couplings Mediated by Small Molecules under Mild Conditions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202205597. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202205597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xun‐Cheng Su
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Ling‐Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Li‐Na Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Bin‐Bin Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Ben‐Guang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Jia‐Liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Cheng‐Liang Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Bin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry College of Chemistry Nankai University Tianjin 300071 China
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12
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Bilbrough T, Piemontese E, Seitz O. Dissecting the role of protein phosphorylation: a chemical biology toolbox. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:5691-5730. [PMID: 35726784 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00991e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is a crucial regulator of protein and cellular function, yet, despite identifying an enormous number of phosphorylation sites, the role of most is still unclear. Each phosphoform, the particular combination of phosphorylations, of a protein has distinct and diverse biological consequences. Aberrant phosphorylation is implicated in the development of many diseases. To investigate their function, access to defined protein phosphoforms is essential. Materials obtained from cells often are complex mixtures. Recombinant methods can provide access to defined phosphoforms if site-specifically acting kinases are known, but the methods fail to provide homogenous material when several amino acid side chains compete for phosphorylation. Chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis has provided an invaluable toolbox to enable access to previously unreachable phosphoforms of proteins. In this review, we selected important tools that enable access to homogeneously phosphorylated protein and discuss examples that demonstrate how they can be applied. Firstly, we discuss the synthesis of phosphopeptides and proteins through chemical and enzymatic means and their advantages and limitations. Secondly, we showcase illustrative examples that applied these tools to answer biological questions pertaining to proteins involved in signal transduction, control of transcription, neurodegenerative diseases and aggregation, apoptosis and autophagy, and transmembrane proteins. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Bilbrough
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Emanuele Piemontese
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Oliver Seitz
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
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13
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Dixon AD, Inoue A, Robson SA, Culhane KJ, Trinidad JC, Sivaramakrishnan S, Bumbak F, Ziarek JJ. Effect of Ligands and Transducers on the Neurotensin Receptor 1 Conformational Ensemble. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:10241-10250. [PMID: 35647863 PMCID: PMC9936889 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Using a discrete, intracellular 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe on transmembrane helix 6 of the neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1), we aim to understand how ligands and transducers modulate the receptor's structural ensemble in a solution. For apo NTS1, 19F NMR spectra reveal an ensemble of at least three conformational substates (one inactive and two active-like) in equilibrium that exchange on the millisecond to second timescale. Dynamic NMR experiments reveal that these substates follow a linear three-site exchange process that is both thermodynamically and kinetically remodeled by orthosteric ligands. As previously observed in other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the full agonist is insufficient to completely stabilize the active-like state. The inactive substate is abolished upon coupling to β-arrestin-1 (βArr1) or the C-terminal helix of Gαq, which comprises ≳60% of the GPCR/G protein interface surface area. Whereas βArr1 exclusively selects for pre-existing active-like substates, the Gαq peptide induces a new substate. Both transducer molecules promote substantial line broadening of active-like states, suggesting contributions from additional microsecond to millisecond exchange processes. Together, our study suggests that (i) the NTS1 allosteric activation mechanism may be alternatively dominated by induced fit or conformational selection depending on the coupled transducer, and (ii) the available static structures do not represent the entire conformational ensemble observed in a solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin D. Dixon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Asuka Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 Miyagi, Japan
| | - Scott A. Robson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Kelly J. Culhane
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States,Present Address: Department of Chemistry, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin, 54911, United States
| | - Jonathan C. Trinidad
- Laboratory for Biological Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Sivaraj Sivaramakrishnan
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Fabian Bumbak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States,Present Address: Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Joshua J. Ziarek
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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14
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Su XC, Zhang LY, Zhao LN, Pan BB, Chen BG, Chen JL, Zhai CL, Li B. Efficient Protein‐Protein Couplings Mediated by Small Molecules under Mild Conditions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202205597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xun-Cheng Su
- Nankai University College of Chemistry Stat Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry Weijing Road 94 300071 Tianjin CHINA
| | | | - Li-Na Zhao
- Nankai University college of chemistry CHINA
| | - Bin-Bin Pan
- Nankai University college of chemistry CHINA
| | | | | | | | - Bin Li
- Nankai University college of chemistry CHINA
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15
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Mühlberg L, Alarcin T, Maass T, Creutznacher R, Küchler R, Mallagaray A. Ligand-induced structural transitions combined with paramagnetic ions facilitate unambiguous NMR assignments of methyl groups in large proteins. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2022; 76:59-74. [PMID: 35397749 PMCID: PMC9247001 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-022-00394-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
NMR spectroscopy allows the study of biomolecules in close-to-native conditions. Structural information can be inferred from the NMR spectra when an assignment is available. Protein assignment is usually a time-consuming task, being specially challenging in the case of large, supramolecular systems. Here, we present an extension of existing state-of-the-art strategies for methyl group assignment that partially overcomes signal overlapping and other difficulties associated to isolated methyl groups. Our approach exploits the ability of proteins to populate two or more conformational states, allowing for unique NOE restraints in each protein conformer. The method is compatible with automated assignment algorithms, granting assignments beyond the limits of a single protein state. The approach also benefits from long-range structural restraints obtained from metal-induced pseudocontact shifts (PCS) and paramagnetic relaxation enhancements (PREs). We illustrate the method with the complete assignment of the 199 methyl groups of a MILproSVproSAT methyl-labeled sample of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase enzyme from Leishmania major (LmUGP). Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania causes Leishmaniasis, a neglected disease affecting over 12 million people worldwide. LmUGP is responsible for the de novo biosynthesis of uridine diphosphate-glucose, a precursor in the biosynthesis of the dense surface glycocalyx involved in parasite survival and infectivity. NMR experiments with LmUGP and related enzymes have the potential to unravel new insights in the host resistance mechanisms used by Leishmania major. Our efforts will help in the development of selective and efficient drugs against Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Mühlberg
- Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Tuncay Alarcin
- Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Thorben Maass
- Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Robert Creutznacher
- Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Richard Küchler
- Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Alvaro Mallagaray
- Institute for Chemistry and Metabolomics, Centre for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany.
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16
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Heikkinen HA, Aranko AS, Iwaï H. The NMR structure of the engineered halophilic DnaE intein for segmental isotopic labeling using conditional protein splicing. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2022; 338:107195. [PMID: 35398651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2022.107195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein trans-splicing catalyzed by split inteins has been used for segmental isotopic labeling of proteins for alleviating the complexity of NMR signals. Whereas inteins spontaneously trigger protein splicing upon protein folding, inteins from extremely halophilic organisms require a high salinity condition to induce protein splicing. We designed and created a salt-inducible intein from the widely used DnaE intein from Nostoc punctiforme by introducing 29 mutations, which required a lower salt concentration than naturally occurring halo-obligate inteins. We determined the NMR solution structure of the engineered salt-inducible DnaE intein in 2 M NaCl, showing the essentially identical three-dimensional structure to the original one, albeit it unfolds without salts. The NMR structure of a halo-obligate intein under high salinity suggests that the stabilization of the active folded conformation is not a mere result of various intramolecular interactions but the subtle energy balance from the complex interactions, including the solvation energy, which involve waters, ions, co-solutes, and protein polypeptide chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harri A Heikkinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
| | - A Sesilja Aranko
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland.
| | - Hideo Iwaï
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland.
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17
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Madhu MK, Debroy A, Murarka RK. Molecular Insights into Phosphorylation-Induced Allosteric Conformational Changes in a β 2-Adrenergic Receptor. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1917-1932. [PMID: 35196859 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The large conformational flexibility of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been a puzzle in structural and pharmacological studies for the past few decades. Apart from structural rearrangements induced by ligands, enzymatic phosphorylations by GPCR kinases (GRKs) at the carboxy-terminal tail (C-tail) of a GPCR also make conformational alterations to the transmembrane helices and facilitates the binding of one of its transducer proteins named β-arrestin. The phosphorylation-induced conformational transition of the receptor that causes specific binding to β-arrestin but prevents the association of other transducers such as G proteins lacks atomistic understanding and is elusive to experimental studies. Using microseconds of all-atom conventional and Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations, we investigate the allosteric mechanism of phosphorylation induced-conformational changes in β2-adrenergic receptor, a well-characterized GPCR model system. Free energy profiles reveal that the phosphorylated receptor samples a new conformational state in addition to the canonical active state corroborating with recent nuclear magnetic resonance experimental findings. The new state has a smaller intracellular cavity that is likely to accommodate β-arrestin better than G protein. Using contact map and inter-residue interaction energy calculations, we found the phosphorylated C-tail adheres to the cytosolic surface of the transmembrane domain of the receptor. Transfer entropy calculations show that the C-tail residues drive the correlated motions of TM residues, and the allosteric signal is relayed via several residues at the cytosolic surface. Our results also illustrate how the redistribution of inter-residue nonbonding interaction couples with the allosteric communication from the phosphorylated C-tail to the transmembrane. Atomistic insight into phosphorylation-induced β-arrestin specific conformation is therapeutically important to design drugs with higher efficacy and fewer side effects. Our results, therefore, open novel opportunities to fine-tune β-arrestin bias in GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midhun K Madhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal 462066, MP, India
| | - Annesha Debroy
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal 462066, MP, India
| | - Rajesh K Murarka
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal 462066, MP, India
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18
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Pluhackova K, Wilhelm FM, Müller DJ. Lipids and Phosphorylation Conjointly Modulate Complex Formation of β 2-Adrenergic Receptor and β-arrestin2. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:807913. [PMID: 35004696 PMCID: PMC8733679 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.807913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest class of human membrane proteins that bind extracellular ligands at their orthosteric binding pocket to transmit signals to the cell interior. Ligand binding evokes conformational changes in GPCRs that trigger the binding of intracellular interaction partners (G proteins, G protein kinases, and arrestins), which initiate diverse cellular responses. It has become increasingly evident that the preference of a GPCR for a certain intracellular interaction partner is modulated by a diverse range of factors, e.g., ligands or lipids embedding the transmembrane receptor. Here, by means of molecular dynamics simulations of the β2-adrenergic receptor and β-arrestin2, we study how membrane lipids and receptor phosphorylation regulate GPCR-arrestin complex conformation and dynamics. We find that phosphorylation drives the receptor’s intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) away from a native negatively charged membrane surface to interact with arrestin. If the receptor is embedded in a neutral membrane, the phosphorylated ICL3 attaches to the membrane surface, which widely opens the receptor core. This opening, which is similar to the opening in the G protein-bound state, weakens the binding of arrestin. The loss of binding specificity is manifested by shallower arrestin insertion into the receptor core and higher dynamics of the receptor-arrestin complex. Our results show that receptor phosphorylation and the local membrane composition cooperatively fine-tune GPCR-mediated signal transduction. Moreover, the results suggest that deeper understanding of complex GPCR regulation mechanisms is necessary to discover novel pathways of pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristyna Pluhackova
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian M Wilhelm
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
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19
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Biphasic activation of β-arrestin 1 upon interaction with a GPCR revealed by methyl-TROSY NMR. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7158. [PMID: 34887409 PMCID: PMC8660791 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27482-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
β-arrestins (βarrs) play multifaceted roles in the function of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). βarrs typically interact with phosphorylated C-terminal tail (C tail) and transmembrane core (TM core) of GPCRs. However, the effects of the C tail- and TM core-mediated interactions on the conformational activation of βarrs have remained elusive. Here, we show the conformational changes for βarr activation upon the C tail- and TM core-mediated interactions with a prototypical GPCR by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Our NMR analyses demonstrated that while the C tail-mediated interaction alone induces partial activation, in which βarr exists in equilibrium between basal and activated conformations, the TM core- and the C tail-mediated interactions together completely shift the equilibrium toward the activated conformation. The conformation-selective antibody, Fab30, promotes partially activated βarr into the activated-like conformation. This plasticity of βarr conformation in complex with GPCRs engaged in different binding modes may explain the multifunctionality of βarrs. β-arrestins commonly bind to two distinct elements in GPCRs: the phosphorylated carboxyl terminal tail (C tail) and the cytoplasmic face of the transmembrane region (TM core). Here, the authors use methyl-TROSY NMR measurements to characterise the interactions between β-arrestin 1 (βarr1) and a GPCR and observe that C tail-mediated interaction with a GPCR alone induces the partial activation of βarr1, whereas the TM core- and C tail-mediated interactions together stabilize the activated conformation of βarr1.
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20
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Li Y, Heng J, Sun D, Zhang B, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Shi WW, Wang TY, Li JY, Sun X, Liu X, Zheng JS, Kobilka BK, Liu L. Chemical Synthesis of a Full-Length G-Protein-Coupled Receptor β 2-Adrenergic Receptor with Defined Modification Patterns at the C-Terminus. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:17566-17576. [PMID: 34663067 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that responds to the hormone adrenaline and is an important drug target in the context of respiratory diseases, including asthma. β2AR function can be regulated by post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination at the C-terminus, but access to the full-length β2AR with well-defined and homogeneous modification patterns critical for biochemical and biophysical studies remains challenging. Here, we report a practical synthesis of differentially modified, full-length β2AR based on a combined native chemical ligation (NCL) and sortase ligation strategy. An array of homogeneous samples of full-length β2ARs with distinct modification patterns, including a full-length β2AR bearing both monoubiquitination and octaphosphorylation modifications, were successfully prepared for the first time. Using these homogeneously modified full-length β2AR receptors, we found that different phosphorylation patterns mediate different interactions with β-arrestin1 as reflected in different agonist binding affinities. Our experiments also indicated that ubiquitination can further modulate interactions between β2AR and β-arrestin1. Access to full-length β2AR with well-defined and homogeneous modification patterns at the C-terminus opens a door to further in-depth mechanistic studies into the structure and dynamics of β2AR complexes with downstream transducer proteins, including G proteins, arrestins, and GPCR kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jie Heng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Demeng Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Baochang Zhang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yupeng Zheng
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei-Wei Shi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tong-Yue Wang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiu-Yi Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiangyu Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ji-Shen Zheng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Brian K Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Lei Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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21
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Abstract
Membrane proteins (MPs) play essential roles in numerous cellular processes. Because around 70% of the currently marketed drugs target MPs, a detailed understanding of their structure, binding properties, and functional dynamics in a physiologically relevant environment is crucial for a more detailed understanding of this important protein class. We here summarize the benefits of using lipid nanodiscs for NMR structural investigations and provide a detailed overview of the currently used lipid nanodisc systems as well as their applications in solution-state NMR. Despite the increasing use of other structural methods for the structure determination of MPs in lipid nanodiscs, solution NMR turns out to be a versatile tool to probe a wide range of MP features, ranging from the structure determination of small to medium-sized MPs to probing ligand and partner protein binding as well as functionally relevant dynamical signatures in a lipid nanodisc setting. We will expand on these topics by discussing recent NMR studies with lipid nanodiscs and work out a key workflow for optimizing the nanodisc incorporation of an MP for subsequent NMR investigations. With this, we hope to provide a comprehensive background to enable an informed assessment of the applicability of lipid nanodiscs for NMR studies of a particular MP of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umut Günsel
- Bavarian NMR Center (BNMRZ) at the Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Franz Hagn
- Bavarian NMR Center (BNMRZ) at the Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching, Germany.,Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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22
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Vogl DP, Conibear AC, Becker CFW. Segmental and site-specific isotope labelling strategies for structural analysis of posttranslationally modified proteins. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1441-1461. [PMID: 34704048 PMCID: PMC8496066 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00045d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications can alter protein structures, functions and locations, and are important cellular regulatory and signalling mechanisms. Spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as small-angle scattering, can provide insights into the structural and dynamic effects of protein posttranslational modifications and their impact on interactions with binding partners. However, heterogeneity of modified proteins from natural sources and spectral complexity often hinder analyses, especially for large proteins and macromolecular assemblies. Selective labelling of proteins with stable isotopes can greatly simplify spectra, as one can focus on labelled residues or segments of interest. Employing chemical biology tools for modifying and isotopically labelling proteins with atomic precision provides access to unique protein samples for structural biology and spectroscopy. Here, we review site-specific and segmental isotope labelling methods that are employed in combination with chemical and enzymatic tools to access posttranslationally modified proteins. We discuss illustrative examples in which these methods have been used to facilitate spectroscopic studies of posttranslationally modified proteins, providing new insights into biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik P Vogl
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry Währinger Straße 38 1090 Vienna Austria +43-1-4277-870510 +43-1-4277-70510
| | - Anne C Conibear
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences St Lucia Brisbane 4072 QLD Australia
| | - Christian F W Becker
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry Währinger Straße 38 1090 Vienna Austria +43-1-4277-870510 +43-1-4277-70510
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23
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Sagara A, Nakata K, Matsumoto S, Guan W, Shinkawa T, Iwamoto C, Ikenaga N, Ohuchida K, Nakamura M. Repositioning of duloxetine to target pancreatic stellate cells. Oncol Lett 2021; 22:744. [PMID: 34466156 PMCID: PMC8387862 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.13005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) are surrounded by an abundant stroma, which is produced by pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). PSCs promote tumor cell proliferation and invasion. The objective of the current study was to identify compounds that suppress PSC activation. Gene expression profiles of cancer-derived fibroblasts and normal fibroblasts were used, and the pathway analysis suggested altered pathways that were chosen for validation. It was found that the ‘neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction’ pathway from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis was one of the altered pathways. Several compounds related with this pathway were chosen, and changes in PSC activity were investigated using fluorescence staining of lipid droplets, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blotting, and invasion and migration assays. Among these candidates, duloxetine, a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, was found to suppress PSC activation and disrupt tumor-stromal interaction. Thus, duloxetine may be a potential drug for suppressing PSC activation and pancreatic cancer growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Sagara
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kohei Nakata
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Sokichi Matsumoto
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Weiyu Guan
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Shinkawa
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Chika Iwamoto
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Naoki Ikenaga
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kenoki Ohuchida
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masafumi Nakamura
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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24
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Watkins JM, Ross-Elliott TJ, Shan X, Lou F, Dreyer B, Tunc-Ozdemir M, Jia H, Yang J, Oliveira CC, Wu L, Trusov Y, Schwochert TD, Krysan P, Jones AM. Differential regulation of G protein signaling in Arabidopsis through two distinct pathways that internalize AtRGS1. Sci Signal 2021; 14:14/695/eabe4090. [PMID: 34376571 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abe4090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In animals, endocytosis of a seven-transmembrane GPCR is mediated by arrestins to propagate or arrest cytoplasmic G protein-mediated signaling, depending on the bias of the receptor or ligand, which determines how much one transduction pathway is used compared to another. In Arabidopsis thaliana, GPCRs are not required for G protein-coupled signaling because the heterotrimeric G protein complex spontaneously exchanges nucleotide. Instead, the seven-transmembrane protein AtRGS1 modulates G protein signaling through ligand-dependent endocytosis, which initiates derepression of signaling without the involvement of canonical arrestins. Here, we found that endocytosis of AtRGS1 initiated from two separate pools of plasma membrane: sterol-dependent domains and a clathrin-accessible neighborhood, each with a select set of discriminators, activators, and candidate arrestin-like adaptors. Ligand identity (either the pathogen-associated molecular pattern flg22 or the sugar glucose) determined the origin of AtRGS1 endocytosis. Different trafficking origins and trajectories led to different cellular outcomes. Thus, in this system, compartmentation with its associated signalosome architecture drives biased signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Watkins
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Timothy J Ross-Elliott
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Shan
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Fei Lou
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bernd Dreyer
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Meral Tunc-Ozdemir
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Haiyan Jia
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Celio Cabral Oliveira
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Bioagro, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Luguang Wu
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland Q4072, Australia
| | - Yuri Trusov
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland Q4072, Australia
| | - Timothy D Schwochert
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Patrick Krysan
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Alan M Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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25
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Function-Related Dynamics in Multi-Spanning Helical Membrane Proteins Revealed by Solution NMR. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11080604. [PMID: 34436367 PMCID: PMC8398610 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11080604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
A primary biological function of multi-spanning membrane proteins is to transfer information and/or materials through a membrane by changing their conformations. Therefore, particular dynamics of the membrane proteins are tightly associated with their function. The semi-atomic resolution dynamics information revealed by NMR is able to discriminate function-related dynamics from random fluctuations. This review will discuss several studies in which quantitative dynamics information by solution NMR has contributed to revealing the structural basis of the function of multi-spanning membrane proteins, such as ion channels, GPCRs, and transporters.
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26
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Aydin Y, Coin I. Biochemical insights into structure and function of arrestins. FEBS J 2021; 288:2529-2549. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Aydin
- Institute of Biochemistry Faculty of Life Sciences University of Leipzig Germany
| | - Irene Coin
- Institute of Biochemistry Faculty of Life Sciences University of Leipzig Germany
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27
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Smith JS, Pack TF. Noncanonical interactions of G proteins and β‐arrestins: from competitors to companions. FEBS J 2021; 288:2550-2561. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Smith
- Department of Dermatology Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA USA
- Department of Dermatology Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston MA USA
- Department of Dermatology Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston MA USA
- Dermatology Program Boston Children's Hospital Boston MA USA
- Harvard Medical School Boston MA USA
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28
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Liao S, Tan K, Floyd C, Bong D, Pino MJ, Wu C. Probing biased activation of mu-opioid receptor by the biased agonist PZM21 using all atom molecular dynamics simulation. Life Sci 2021; 269:119026. [PMID: 33444617 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Morphine is a commonly used opioid drug to treat acute pain by binding to the mu-opioid receptor (MOR), but its effective analgesic efficacy via triggering of the heterotrimeric Gi protein pathway is accompanied by a series of adverse side effects via triggering of the β-arrestin pathway. Recently, PZM21, a recently developed MOR biased agonist, shows preferentially activating the G protein pathway over β-arrestin pathway. However, there is no high-resolution receptor structure in complex with PZM21 and its action mechanism remains elusive. In this study, PZM21 and Morphine were docked to the active human MOR-1 homology structure and then subjected to the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in two different situations (i.e., one situation includes the crystal waters but another does not). Detailed comparisons between the two systems were made to characterize the differences in protein-ligand interactions, protein secondary and tertiary structures and dynamics networks. PZM21 could strongly interact with Y3287.43 of TM7, besides the residues (Asp1493.32 and Tyr1503.33) of TM3. The two systems' network paths to the intracellular end of TM6 were roughly similar but the paths to the end of TM7 were different. The PZM21-bound MOR's intracellular ends of TM5-7 bent outward more along with the distance changes of the three key molecular switches (ionic lock, transmission and Tyr toggle) and the distance increase of some conserved inter-helical residue pairs. The larger intracellular opening of the receptor could potentially facilitate G protein binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyan Liao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China; College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Kai Tan
- College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Cecilia Floyd
- College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Daegun Bong
- College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Michael James Pino
- College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Chun Wu
- College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
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29
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GPCR Activation States Induced by Nanobodies and Mini-G Proteins Compared by NMR Spectroscopy. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 25:molecules25245984. [PMID: 33348734 PMCID: PMC7767065 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25245984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we examine methyl nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the methionine ε-[13CH3] labelled thermostabilized β1 adrenergic receptor from turkey in association with a variety of different effectors, including mini-Gs and nanobody 60 (Nb60), which have not been previously studied in complex with β1 adrenergic receptor (β1AR) by NMR. Complexes with pindolol and Nb60 induce highly similar inactive states of the receptor, closely resembling the resting state conformational ensemble. We show that, upon binding of mini-Gs or nanobody 80 (Nb80), large allosteric changes throughout the receptor take place. The conformation of tβ1AR stabilized by the native-like mini-Gs protein is highly similar to the conformation induced by the currently used surrogate Nb80. Interestingly, in both cases residual dynamics are present, which were not observed in the resting states. Finally, we reproduce a pharmaceutically relevant situation, where an antagonist abolishes the interaction of the receptor with the mini-G protein in a competitive manner, validating the functional integrity of our preparation. The presented system is therefore well suited for reproducing the individual steps of the activation cycle of a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) in vitro and serves as a basis for functional and pharmacological characterizations of more native-like systems in the future.
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30
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Lavington S, Watts A. Lipid nanoparticle technologies for the study of G protein-coupled receptors in lipid environments. Biophys Rev 2020; 12:10.1007/s12551-020-00775-5. [PMID: 33215301 PMCID: PMC7755959 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00775-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large family of integral membrane proteins which conduct a wide range of biological roles and represent significant drug targets. Most biophysical and structural studies of GPCRs have been conducted on detergent-solubilised receptors, and it is clear that detergents can have detrimental effects on GPCR function. Simultaneously, there is increasing appreciation of roles for specific lipids in modulation of GPCR function. Lipid nanoparticles such as nanodiscs and styrene maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs) offer opportunities to study integral membrane proteins in lipid environments, in a form that is soluble and amenable to structural and biophysical experiments. Here, we review the application of lipid nanoparticle technologies to the study of GPCRs, assessing the relative merits and limitations of each system. We highlight how these technologies can provide superior platforms to detergents for structural and biophysical studies of GPCRs and inform on roles for protein-lipid interactions in GPCR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Lavington
- Biochemistry Department, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Anthony Watts
- Biochemistry Department, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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31
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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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32
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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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33
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Conibear AC. Deciphering protein post-translational modifications using chemical biology tools. Nat Rev Chem 2020; 4:674-695. [PMID: 37127974 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-020-00223-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Proteins carry out a wide variety of catalytic, regulatory, signalling and structural functions in living systems. Following their assembly on ribosomes and throughout their lifetimes, most eukaryotic proteins are modified by post-translational modifications; small functional groups and complex biomolecules are conjugated to amino acid side chains or termini, and the protein backbone is cleaved, spliced or cyclized, to name just a few examples. These modifications modulate protein activity, structure, location and interactions, and, thereby, control many core biological processes. Aberrant post-translational modifications are markers of cellular stress or malfunction and are implicated in several diseases. Therefore, gaining an understanding of which proteins are modified, at which sites and the resulting biological consequences is an important but complex challenge requiring interdisciplinary approaches. One of the key challenges is accessing precisely modified proteins to assign functional consequences to specific modifications. Chemical biologists have developed a versatile set of tools for accessing specifically modified proteins by applying robust chemistries to biological molecules and developing strategies for synthesizing and ligating proteins. This Review provides an overview of these tools, with selected recent examples of how they have been applied to decipher the roles of a variety of protein post-translational modifications. Relative advantages and disadvantages of each of the techniques are discussed, highlighting examples where they are used in combination and have the potential to address new frontiers in understanding complex biological processes.
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34
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Wingler LM, Lefkowitz RJ. Conformational Basis of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling Versatility. Trends Cell Biol 2020; 30:736-747. [PMID: 32622699 PMCID: PMC7483927 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2020.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are privileged structural scaffolds in biology that have the versatility to regulate diverse physiological processes. Interestingly, many GPCR ligands exhibit significant 'bias' - the ability to preferentially activate subsets of the many cellular pathways downstream of these receptors. Recently, complementary information from structural and spectroscopic approaches has made significant inroads into understanding the mechanisms of these biased ligands. The consistently emerging theme is that GPCRs are highly dynamic proteins, and ligands with varying pharmacological properties differentially modulate the equilibrium among multiple conformations. Biased signaling and other recently appreciated complexities of GPCR signaling thus appear to be a natural consequence of the conformational heterogeneity of GPCRs and GPCR-transducer complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Wingler
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Robert J Lefkowitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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35
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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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36
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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: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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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37
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Khoo KK, Galleano I, Gasparri F, Wieneke R, Harms H, Poulsen MH, Chua HC, Wulf M, Tampé R, Pless SA. Chemical modification of proteins by insertion of synthetic peptides using tandem protein trans-splicing. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2284. [PMID: 32385250 PMCID: PMC7210297 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16208-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Manipulation of proteins by chemical modification is a powerful way to decipher their function. However, most ribosome-dependent and semi-synthetic methods have limitations in the number and type of modifications that can be introduced, especially in live cells. Here, we present an approach to incorporate single or multiple post-translational modifications or non-canonical amino acids into proteins expressed in eukaryotic cells. We insert synthetic peptides into GFP, NaV1.5 and P2X2 receptors via tandem protein trans-splicing using two orthogonal split intein pairs and validate our approach by investigating protein function. We anticipate the approach will overcome some drawbacks of existing protein enigineering methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Khoo
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - I Galleano
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - F Gasparri
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R Wieneke
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - H Harms
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M H Poulsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - H C Chua
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Wulf
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - S A Pless
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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38
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Beyond structure: emerging approaches to study GPCR dynamics. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 63:18-25. [PMID: 32305785 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest superfamily of membrane proteins that are involved in regulation of sensory and physiological processes and implicated in many diseases. The last decade revolutionized the GPCR field by unraveling multiple high-resolution structures of many different receptors in complexes with various ligands and signaling partners. A complete understanding of the complex nature of GPCR function is, however, impossible to attain without combining static structural snapshots with information about GPCR dynamics obtained by complementary spectroscopic techniques. As illustrated in this review, structure and dynamics studies are now paving the way for understanding important questions of GPCR biology such as partial and biased agonism, allostery, oligomerization, and other fundamental aspects of GPCR signaling.
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Abstract
Protein semisynthesis-defined herein as the assembly of a protein from a combination of synthetic and recombinant fragments-is a burgeoning field of chemical biology that has impacted many areas in the life sciences. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of this area. We begin by discussing the various chemical and enzymatic methods now available for the manufacture of custom proteins containing noncoded elements. This section begins with a discussion of methods that are more chemical in origin and ends with those that employ biocatalysts. We also illustrate the commonalities that exist between these seemingly disparate methods and show how this is allowing for the development of integrated chemoenzymatic methods. This methodology discussion provides the technical foundation for the second part of the review where we cover the great many biological problems that have now been addressed using these tools. Finally, we end the piece with a short discussion on the frontiers of the field and the opportunities available for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom W. Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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40
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Ciragan A, Backlund SM, Mikula KM, Beyer HM, Samuli Ollila OH, Iwaï H. NMR Structure and Dynamics of TonB Investigated by Scar-Less Segmental Isotopic Labeling Using a Salt-Inducible Split Intein. Front Chem 2020; 8:136. [PMID: 32266203 PMCID: PMC7098700 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing understanding of partially unfolded proteins increasingly points to their biological relevance in allosteric regulation, complex formation, and protein design. However, the structural characterization of disordered proteins remains challenging. NMR methods can access both the dynamics and structures of such proteins, yet suffering from a high degeneracy of NMR signals. Here, we overcame this bottleneck utilizing a salt-inducible split intein to produce segmentally isotope-labeled samples with the native sequence, including the ligation junction. With this technique, we investigated the NMR structure and conformational dynamics of TonB from Helicobacter pylori in the presence of a proline-rich low complexity region. Spin relaxation experiments suggest that the several nano-second time scale dynamics of the C-terminal domain (CTD) is almost independent of the faster pico-to-nanosecond dynamics of the low complexity central region (LCCR). Our results demonstrate the utility of segmental isotopic labeling for proteins with heterogenous dynamics such as TonB and could advance NMR studies of other partially unfolded proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Ciragan
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sofia M Backlund
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kornelia M Mikula
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannes M Beyer
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - O H Samuli Ollila
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hideo Iwaï
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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41
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Biased GPCR signaling: Possible mechanisms and inherent limitations. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 211:107540. [PMID: 32201315 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are targeted by about a third of clinically used drugs. Many GPCRs couple to more than one type of heterotrimeric G proteins, become phosphorylated by any of several different GRKs, and then bind one or more types of arrestin. Thus, classical therapeutically active drugs simultaneously initiate several branches of signaling, some of which are beneficial, whereas others result in unwanted on-target side effects. The development of novel compounds to selectively channel the signaling into the desired direction has the potential to become a breakthrough in health care. However, there are natural and technological hurdles that must be overcome. The fact that most GPCRs are subject to homologous desensitization, where the active receptor couples to G proteins, is phosphorylated by GRKs, and then binds arrestins, suggest that in most cases the GPCR conformations that facilitate their interactions with these three classes of binding partners significantly overlap. Thus, while partner-specific conformations might exist, they are likely low-probability states. GPCRs are inherently flexible, which suggests that complete bias is highly unlikely to be feasible: in the conformational ensemble induced by any ligand, there would be some conformations facilitating receptor coupling to unwanted partners. Things are further complicated by the fact that virtually every cell expresses numerous G proteins, several GRK subtypes, and two non-visual arrestins with distinct signaling capabilities. Finally, novel screening methods for measuring ligand bias must be devised, as the existing methods are not specific for one particular branch of signaling.
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42
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Spotlight on the Ballet of Proteins: The Structural Dynamic Properties of Proteins Illuminated by Solution NMR. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051829. [PMID: 32155847 PMCID: PMC7084655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Solution NMR spectroscopy is a unique and powerful technique that has the ability to directly connect the structural dynamics of proteins in physiological conditions to their activity and function. Here, we summarize recent studies in which solution NMR contributed to the discovery of relationships between key dynamic properties of proteins and functional mechanisms in important biological systems. The capacity of NMR to quantify the dynamics of proteins over a range of time scales and to detect lowly populated protein conformations plays a critical role in its power to unveil functional protein dynamics. This analysis of dynamics is not only important for the understanding of biological function, but also in the design of specific ligands for pharmacologically important proteins. Thus, the dynamic view of structure provided by NMR is of importance in both basic and applied biology.
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43
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Huang B, Liu Y, Yao H, Zhao Y. NMR-based investigation into protein phosphorylation. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 145:53-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.12.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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44
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Schütz S, Sprangers R. Methyl TROSY spectroscopy: A versatile NMR approach to study challenging biological systems. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2020; 116:56-84. [PMID: 32130959 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A major goal in structural biology is to unravel how molecular machines function in detail. To that end, solution-state NMR spectroscopy is ideally suited as it is able to study biological assemblies in a near natural environment. Based on methyl TROSY methods, it is now possible to record high-quality data on complexes that are far over 100 kDa in molecular weight. In this review, we discuss the theoretical background of methyl TROSY spectroscopy, the information that can be extracted from methyl TROSY spectra and approaches that can be used to assign methyl resonances in large complexes. In addition, we touch upon insights that have been obtained for a number of challenging biological systems, including the 20S proteasome, the RNA exosome, molecular chaperones and G-protein-coupled receptors. We anticipate that methyl TROSY methods will be increasingly important in modern structural biology approaches, where information regarding static structures is complemented with insights into conformational changes and dynamic intermolecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schütz
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Remco Sprangers
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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45
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Jatana N, Aswin SK, Rathore S, Thukral L. Revealing Conformational Transitions in G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin upon Phosphorylation. Biochemistry 2020; 59:297-302. [PMID: 31846310 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have evolved as highly specialized cellular machinery that can dictate biological outcomes in response to diverse stimuli. Specifically, they induce multiple pathway responses upon structural perturbations induced at local protein sites. GPCRs utilize a concurrent strategy involving a central transmembrane topology and biochemical modifications for precise functional implementation. However, the specific role of the latter is not known due to the lack of precise probing techniques that can characterize receptor dynamics upon biochemical modifications. Phosphorylation is known to be one of the critical biochemical modifications in GPCRs that aids in receptor desensitization via arrestin binding. Here, we carry out all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of rhodopsin in a membrane environment to study its conformational dynamics induced upon phosphorylation. Interestingly, our comparative analysis of non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated rhodopsin structure demonstrated enhanced receptor stability upon phosphorylation at the C-terminal region that leads to the opening of the extracellular part of the transmembrane helices. In addition, monitoring the distinct number of phosphorylation states showed that having fewer phosphorylated residues does not bring about appropriate conformational changes in the extracellular region. Since phosphorylation results in receptor desensitization and recycling of the ligand, our findings provide significant insights into the conformational dynamics of the mechanism of ligand exit from the receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Jatana
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology , South Campus, Mathura Road , New Delhi , India 110025
| | - S Keerthic Aswin
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology , South Campus, Mathura Road , New Delhi , India 110025
| | - Surabhi Rathore
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology , South Campus, Mathura Road , New Delhi , India 110025.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) , CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre , (CSIR-HRDC) Campus Postal Staff College Area, Ghaziabad , Uttar Pradesh , India 201002
| | - Lipi Thukral
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology , South Campus, Mathura Road , New Delhi , India 110025.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) , CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre , (CSIR-HRDC) Campus Postal Staff College Area, Ghaziabad , Uttar Pradesh , India 201002.,Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing , University of Heidelberg , 69117 Heidelberg , Germany
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46
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Guillien M, le Maire A, Mouhand A, Bernadó P, Bourguet W, Banères JL, Sibille N. IDPs and their complexes in GPCR and nuclear receptor signaling. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 174:105-155. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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47
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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: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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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48
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Hu W, Wang H, Hou Y, Hao Y, Liu D. Trimethylsilyl reporter groups for NMR studies of conformational changes in G protein-coupled receptors. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:1113-1121. [PMID: 30953343 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Large membrane proteins such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are difficult for NMR study due to severe signal overlaps and unfavorable relaxation properties. We used a trimethylsilyl (TMS) group as a reporter group for 1 H NMR study of conformational changes in proteins, utilizing high-intensity 1 H NMR signals near 0 p.p.m. The β2 -adrenergic receptor was labeled with TMS groups at two cysteines located at the cytoplasmic ends of helices VI and VII. Binding of various ligands led to changes in 1 H NMR signals, which manifested that helix VI is sensitive to G protein-specific activation, whereas helix VII is sensitive to β-arrestin-specific activation. Thus, the TMS group is a useful reporter group in NMR for studying conformational changes in membrane proteins such as GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhui Hu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, China
| | - Huixia Wang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, China.,Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaguang Hou
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, China.,Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yimei Hao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, China.,Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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49
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Selenko P. Quo Vadis Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20061278. [PMID: 30875725 PMCID: PMC6472163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In-cell nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers the possibility to study proteins and other biomolecules at atomic resolution directly in cells. As such, it provides compelling means to complement existing tools in cellular structural biology. Given the dominance of electron microscopy (EM)-based methods in current structure determination routines, I share my personal view about the role of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy in the aftermath of the revolution in resolution. Specifically, I focus on spin-off applications that in-cell NMR has helped to develop and how they may provide broader and more generally applicable routes for future NMR investigations. I discuss the use of ‘static’ and time-resolved solution NMR spectroscopy to detect post-translational protein modifications (PTMs) and to investigate structural consequences that occur in their response. I argue that available examples vindicate the need for collective and systematic efforts to determine post-translationally modified protein structures in the future. Furthermore, I explain my reasoning behind a Quinary Structure Assessment (QSA) initiative to interrogate cellular effects on protein dynamics and transient interactions present in physiological environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Selenko
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Biological Regulation, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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50
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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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