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Kogut-Günthel MM, Zara Z, Nicoli A, Steuer A, Lopez-Balastegui M, Selent J, Karanth S, Koehler M, Ciancetta A, Abiko LA, Hagn F, Di Pizio A. The path to the G protein-coupled receptor structural landscape: Major milestones and future directions. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 39209310 DOI: 10.1111/bph.17314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in cell function by transducing signals from the extracellular environment to the inside of the cell. They mediate the effects of various stimuli, including hormones, neurotransmitters, ions, photons, food tastants and odorants, and are renowned drug targets. Advancements in structural biology techniques, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), have driven the elucidation of an increasing number of GPCR structures. These structures reveal novel features that shed light on receptor activation, dimerization and oligomerization, dichotomy between orthosteric and allosteric modulation, and the intricate interactions underlying signal transduction, providing insights into diverse ligand-binding modes and signalling pathways. However, a substantial portion of the GPCR repertoire and their activation states remain structurally unexplored. Future efforts should prioritize capturing the full structural diversity of GPCRs across multiple dimensions. To do so, the integration of structural biology with biophysical and computational techniques will be essential. We describe in this review the progress of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to examine GPCR plasticity and conformational dynamics, of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to explore the spatial-temporal dynamics and kinetic aspects of GPCRs, and the recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence for protein structure prediction to characterize the structures of the entire GPCRome. In summary, the journey through GPCR structural biology provided in this review illustrates how far we have come in decoding these essential proteins architecture and function. Looking ahead, integrating cutting-edge biophysics and computational tools offers a path to navigating the GPCR structural landscape, ultimately advancing GPCR-based applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zeenat Zara
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alessandro Nicoli
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Professorship for Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Alexandra Steuer
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Professorship for Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Marta Lopez-Balastegui
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute & Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jana Selent
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute & Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sanjai Karanth
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Melanie Koehler
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- TUM Junior Fellow at the Chair of Nutritional Systems Biology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Antonella Ciancetta
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Layara Akemi Abiko
- Focal Area Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Franz Hagn
- Structural Membrane Biochemistry, Bavarian NMR Center, Dept. Bioscience, School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Structural Biology (STB), Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Professorship for Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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Scharf MM, Humphrys LJ, Berndt S, Di Pizio A, Lehmann J, Liebscher I, Nicoli A, Niv MY, Peri L, Schihada H, Schulte G. The dark sides of the GPCR tree - research progress on understudied GPCRs. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38339984 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16325] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A large portion of the human GPCRome is still in the dark and understudied, consisting even of entire subfamilies of GPCRs such as odorant receptors, class A and C orphans, adhesion GPCRs, Frizzleds and taste receptors. However, it is undeniable that these GPCRs bring an untapped therapeutic potential that should be explored further. Open questions on these GPCRs span diverse topics such as deorphanisation, the development of tool compounds and tools for studying these GPCRs, as well as understanding basic signalling mechanisms. This review gives an overview of the current state of knowledge for each of the diverse subfamilies of understudied receptors regarding their physiological relevance, molecular mechanisms, endogenous ligands and pharmacological tools. Furthermore, it identifies some of the largest knowledge gaps that should be addressed in the foreseeable future and lists some general strategies that might be helpful in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena M Scharf
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura J Humphrys
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Berndt
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Juliane Lehmann
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ines Liebscher
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alessandro Nicoli
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Peri
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Stockholm, Sweden
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