Mapping of the localization of type 1 angiotensin receptor in membrane microdomains using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer-based sensors

Effect of hormone-induced plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate depletion on receptor endocytosis suggests the importance of local regulation in phosphoinositide signaling

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) has been shown to be critical for the endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We have previously demonstrated that depletion of PIP2 by chemically induced plasma membrane (PM) recruitment of a 5-phosphatase domain prevents the internalization of the β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) from the PM to early endosomes. In this study, we tested the effect of hormone-induced PM PIP2 depletion on β2AR internalization using type-1 angiotensin receptor (AT1R) or M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M3R). We followed the endocytic route of β2ARs in HEK 293T cells using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer between the receptor and endosome marker Rab5. To compare the effect of lipid depletion by different means, we created and tested an AT1R fusion protein that is capable of both recruitment-based and hormone-induced depletion methods. The rate of PM PIP2 depletion was measured using a biosensor based on the PH domain of phospholipase Cδ1. As expected, β2AR internalization was inhibited when PIP2 depletion was evoked by recruiting 5-phosphatase to PM-anchored AT1R. A similar inhibition occurred when wild-type AT1R was activated by adding angiotensin II. However, stimulation of the desensitization/internalization-impaired mutant AT1R (TSTS/4A) caused very little inhibition of β2AR internalization, despite the higher rate of measurable PIP2 depletion. Interestingly, inhibition of PIP2 resynthesis with the selective PI4KA inhibitor GSK-A1 had little effect on the change in PH-domain-measured PM PIP2 levels but did significantly decrease β2AR internalization upon either AT1R or M3R activation, indicating the importance of a locally synthetized phosphoinositide pool in the regulation of this process.

Angiotensin II Treatment Induces Reorganization and Changes in the Lateral Dynamics of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor in the Plasma Membrane Elucidated by Photoactivated Localization Microscopy Combined with Image Spatial Correlation Analysis

The mechanisms by which angiotensin II type 1 receptor is distributed and the diffusional pattern in the plasma membrane (PM) remain unclear, despite their crucial role in cardiovascular homeostasis. In this work, we obtained quantitative information of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) lateral dynamics as well as changes in the diffusion properties after stimulation with ligands in living cells using photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) combined with image spatial-temporal correlation analysis. To study the organization of the receptor at the nanoscale, expansion microscopy (ExM) combined with PALM was performed. This study revealed that AT1R lateral diffusion increased after binding to angiotensin II (Ang II) and the receptor diffusion was transiently confined in the PM. In addition, ExM revealed that AT1R formed nanoclusters at the PM and the cluster size significantly decreased after Ang II treatment. Taking these results together suggest that Ang II binding and activation cause reorganization and changes in the dynamics of AT1R at the PM.

Neurodegenerative Disease: Roles for Sex, Hormones, and Oxidative Stress

Neurodegenerative diseases cause severe impairments in cognitive and motor function. With an increasing aging population and the onset of these diseases between 50 and 70 years, the consequences are bound to be devastating. While age and longevity are the main risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases, sex is also an important risk factor. The characteristic of sex is multifaceted, encompassing sex chromosome complement, sex hormones (estrogens and androgens), and sex hormone receptors. Sex hormone receptors can induce various signaling cascades, ranging from genomic transcription to intracellular signaling pathways that are dependent on the health of the cell. Oxidative stress, associated with aging, can impact the health of the cell. Sex hormones can be neuroprotective under low oxidative stress conditions but not in high oxidative stress conditions. An understudied sex hormone receptor that can induce activation of oxidative stress signaling is the membrane androgen receptor (mAR). mAR can mediate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX)-generated oxidative stress that is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease. Further complicating this is that aging can alter sex hormone signaling. Prior to menopause, women experience more estrogens than androgens. During menopause, this sex hormone profile switches in women due to the dramatic ovarian loss of 17β-estradiol with maintained ovarian androgen (testosterone, androstenedione) production. Indeed, aging men have higher estrogens than aging women due to aromatization of androgens to estrogens. Therefore, higher activation of mAR-NOX signaling could occur in menopausal women compared with aged men, mediating the observed sex differences. Understanding of these signaling cascades could provide therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.

Arrestin-Dependent and -Independent Internalization of G Protein-Coupled Receptors: Methods, Mechanisms, and Implications on Cell Signaling

Agonist-induced endocytosis is a key regulatory mechanism for controlling the responsiveness of the cell by changing the density of cell surface receptors. In addition to the role of endocytosis in signal termination, endocytosed G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been found to signal from intracellular compartments of the cell. Arrestins are generally believed to be the master regulators of GPCR endocytosis by binding to both phosphorylated receptors and adaptor protein 2 (AP-2) or clathrin, thus recruiting receptors to clathrin-coated pits to facilitate the internalization process. However, many other functions have been described for arrestins that do not relate to their role in terminating signaling. Additionally, there are now more than 30 examples of GPCRs that internalize independently of arrestins. Here we review the methods, pharmacological tools, and cellular backgrounds used to determine the role of arrestins in receptor internalization, highlighting their advantages and caveats. We also summarize key examples of arrestin-independent GPCR endocytosis in the literature and their suggested alternative endocytosis pathway (e.g., the caveolae-dependent and fast endophilin-mediated endocytosis pathways). Finally, we consider the possible function of arrestins recruited to GPCRs that are endocytosed independently of arrestins, including the catalytic arrestin activation paradigm. Technological improvements in recent years have advanced the field further, and, combined with the important implications of endocytosis on drug responses, this makes endocytosis an obvious parameter to include in molecular pharmacological characterization of ligand-GPCR interactions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) endocytosis is an important means to terminate receptor signaling, and arrestins play a central role in the widely accepted classical paradigm of GPCR endocytosis. In contrast to the canonical arrestin-mediated internalization, an increasing number of GPCRs are found to be endocytosed via alternate pathways, and the process appears more diverse than the previously defined "one pathway fits all."

A general method for quantifying ligand binding to unmodified receptors using Gaussia luciferase

Reliable measurement of ligand binding to cell surface receptors is of outstanding biological and pharmacological importance. Resonance energy transfer-based assays are powerful approaches to achieve this goal, but the currently available methods are hindered by the necessity of receptor tagging, which can potentially alter ligand binding properties. Therefore, we developed a tag-free system to measure ligand‒receptor interactions in live cells using the Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) as a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer donor. GLuc is as small as the commonly applied Nanoluciferase but has enhanced brightness, and its proper substrate is the frequently used coelenterazine. In our assay, bystander bioluminescence resonance energy transfer is detected between a GLuc-based extracellular surface biosensor and fluorescent ligands bound to their unmodified receptors. The broad spectrum of applications includes equilibrium and kinetic ligand binding measurements for both labeled and competitive unlabeled ligands, and the assay can be utilized for different classes of plasma membrane receptors. Furthermore, the assay is suitable for high-throughput screening, as evidenced by the identification of novel α1 adrenergic receptor ligands. Our data demonstrate that GLuc-based biosensors provide a simple, sensitive, and cost-efficient platform for drug characterization and development.

Sulfatide Inhibits HMGB1 Secretion by Hindering Toll-Like Receptor 4 Localization Within Lipid Rafts

The high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a well-known late mediator of sepsis, secreted by multiple stimuli, involving pathways, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) under inflammation. Sulfatide, in contrast, is a sphingolipid commonly found in myelin sheets with a disputed immunological role. We sought to determine the immunological characteristics of sulfatide in the periphery by analyzing the secretion of HMGB1 triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in Raw 264.7 cells. Suppression of HMGB1 secretion by inhibiting its cytosolic translocation was observed after pre-treatment with sulfatide before LPS stimulation. Further analysis of the downstream molecules of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling revealed suppression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation and p65 translocation. LPS-mediated ROS production was also decreased when sulfatide pre-treatment was provided, caused by the down-regulation of the phosphorylation of activators, such as IRAK4 and TBK1. Investigation of the upstream mechanism that encompasses all the aforementioned inhibitory characteristics unveiled the involvement of lipid rafts. In addition to the co-localization of biotinylated sulfatide and monosialotetrahexosylganglioside, a decrease in LPS-induced co-localization of TLR4 and lipid raft markers was observed when sulfatide treatment was given before LPS stimulation. Overall, sulfatide was found to exert its anti-inflammatory properties by hindering the co-localization of TLR4 and lipid rafts, nullifying the effect of LPS on TLR4 signaling. Similar effects of sulfatide were also confirmed in the LPS-mediated murine experimental sepsis model, showing decreased levels of serum HMGB1, increased survivability, and reduced pathological severity.

Novel mechanisms of G-protein-coupled receptors functions: AT1 angiotensin receptor acts as a signaling hub and focal point of receptor cross-talk

AT₁ angiotensin receptor (AT₁R), a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is the main receptor, which mediates the effects of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). AT₁R plays a crucial role in the regulation of blood pressure and salt-water homeostasis, and in the development of pathological conditions, such as hypertension, heart failure, cardiovascular remodeling, renal fibrosis, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. Stimulation of AT₁R leads to pleiotropic signal transduction pathways generating arrays of complex cellular responses. Growing amount of evidence shows that AT₁R is a versatile GPCR, which has multiple unique faces with distinct conformations and signaling properties providing new opportunities for functionally selective pharmacological targeting of the receptor. Biased ligands of AT₁R have been developed to selectively activate the β-arrestin pathway, which may have therapeutic benefits compared to the conventional angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. In this review, we provide a summary about the most recent findings and novel aspects of the AT₁R function, signaling, regulation, dimerization or oligomerization and its cross-talk with other receptors, including epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, adrenergic receptors and CB₁ cannabinoid receptor. Better understanding of the mechanisms and structural aspects of AT₁R activation and cross-talk can lead to the development of novel type of drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases.

Heterologous phosphorylation-induced formation of a stability lock permits regulation of inactive receptors by β-arrestins

β-Arrestins are key regulators and signal transducers of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The interaction between receptors and β-arrestins is generally believed to require both receptor activity and phosphorylation by GPCR kinases. In this study, we investigated whether β-arrestins are able to bind second messenger kinase-phosphorylated, but inactive receptors as well. Because heterologous phosphorylation is a common phenomenon among GPCRs, this mode of β-arrestin activation may represent a novel mechanism of signal transduction and receptor cross-talk. Here we demonstrate that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol myristate acetate, G_q/11-coupled GPCR, or epidermal growth factor receptor stimulation promotes β-arrestin2 recruitment to unliganded AT₁ angiotensin receptor (AT₁R). We found that this interaction depends on the stability lock, a structure responsible for the sustained binding between GPCRs and β-arrestins, formed by phosphorylated serine-threonine clusters in the receptor's C terminus and two conserved phosphate-binding lysines in the β-arrestin2 N-domain. Using improved FlAsH-based serine-threonine clusters β-arrestin2 conformational biosensors, we also show that the stability lock not only stabilizes the receptor-β-arrestin interaction, but also governs the structural rearrangements within β-arrestins. Furthermore, we found that β-arrestin2 binds to PKC-phosphorylated AT₁R in a distinct active conformation, which triggers MAPK recruitment and receptor internalization. Our results provide new insights into the activation of β-arrestins and reveal their novel role in receptor cross-talk.

Angiotensin type 1A receptor regulates β-arrestin binding of the β2-adrenergic receptor via heterodimerization

Heterodimerization between angiotensin type 1A receptor (AT₁R) and β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂AR) has been shown to modulate G protein-mediated effects of these receptors. Activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) leads to β-arrestin binding, desensitization, internalization and G protein-independent signaling of GPCRs. Our aim was to study the effect of heterodimerization on β-arrestin coupling. We found that β-arrestin binding of β₂AR is affected by activation of AT₁Rs. Costimulation with angiotensin II and isoproterenol markedly enhanced the interaction between β₂AR and β-arrestins, by prolonging the lifespan of β₂AR-induced β-arrestin2 clusters at the plasma membrane. While candesartan, a conventional AT₁R antagonist, had no effect on the β-arrestin2 binding to β₂AR, TRV120023, a β-arrestin biased agonist, enhanced the interaction. These findings reveal a new crosstalk mechanism between AT₁R and β₂AR, and suggest that enhanced β-arrestin2 binding to β₂AR can contribute to the pharmacological effects of biased AT₁R agonists.

Activated G Protein Gαs Samples Multiple Endomembrane Compartments

Heterotrimeric G proteins are localized to the plasma membrane where they transduce extracellular signals to intracellular effectors. G proteins also act at intracellular locations, and can translocate between cellular compartments. For example, Gαs can leave the plasma membrane and move to the cell interior after activation. However, the mechanism of Gαs translocation and its intracellular destination are not known. Here we use bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) to show that after activation, Gαs rapidly associates with the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and endosomes, consistent with indiscriminate sampling of intracellular membranes from the cytosol rather than transport via a specific vesicular pathway. The primary source of Gαs for endosomal compartments is constitutive endocytosis rather than activity-dependent internalization. Recycling of Gαs to the plasma membrane is complete 25 min after stimulation is discontinued. We also show that an acylation-deacylation cycle is important for the steady-state localization of Gαs at the plasma membrane, but our results do not support a role for deacylation in activity-dependent Gαs internalization.

Monitoring G protein-coupled receptor and β-arrestin trafficking in live cells using enhanced bystander BRET

Endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of receptors are pivotal to maintain physiological functions and drug action; however, robust quantitative approaches are lacking to study such processes in live cells. Here we present new bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) sensors to quantitatively monitor G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and β-arrestin trafficking. These sensors are based on bystander BRET and use the naturally interacting chromophores luciferase (RLuc) and green fluorescent protein (rGFP) from Renilla. The versatility and robustness of this approach are exemplified by anchoring rGFP at the plasma membrane or in endosomes to generate high dynamic spectrometric BRET signals on ligand-promoted recruitment or sequestration of RLuc-tagged proteins to, or from, specific cell compartments, as well as sensitive subcellular BRET imaging for protein translocation visualization. These sensors are scalable to high-throughput formats and allow quantitative pharmacological studies of GPCR trafficking in real time, in live cells, revealing ligand-dependent biased trafficking of receptor/β-arrestin complexes.

Cellular signaling processes often involve trafficking of receptors and other proteins between subcellular compartments. Here the authors demonstrate a method based on the concept of Enhanced bystander Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (EbBRET) that allows efficient real time monitoring of endocytosis and trafficking.

Mutation in the V2 vasopressin receptor gene, AVPR2, causes nephrogenic syndrome of inappropriate diuresis

Nephrogenic syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (NSIAD) is a recently discovered rare disease caused by gain-of-function mutations of the V2 vasopressin receptor gene, AVPR2. To date, mutations of Phe229 and Arg137 have been identified as gain-of-function in the V2 vasopressin receptor (V2R). These receptor mutations lead to hyponatremia, which may lead to clinical symptoms in infants. Here we present a newly identified I130N substitution in exon 2 of the V2R gene in a family, causing NSIAD. This I130N mutation resulted in constitutive activity of the V2R with constitutive cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) generation in HEK293 cells. This basal activity could be blocked by the inverse agonist tolvaptan and arginine-vasopressin stimulation enhanced the cAMP production of I130N-V2R. The mutation causes a biased receptor conformation as the basal cAMP generation activity of I130N does not lead to interaction with β-arrestin. The constitutive activity of the mutant receptor caused constitutive dynamin-dependent and β-arrestin-independent internalization. The inhibition of basal internalization using dominant-negative dynamin resulted in an increased cell surface expression. In contrast to the constitutive internalization, agonist-induced endocytosis was β-arrestin dependent. Thus, tolvaptan could be used for treatment of hyponatremia in patients with NSIAD who carry the I130N-V2R mutation.

Investigation of the fate of type I angiotensin receptor after biased activation

Biased agonism on the type I angiotensin receptor (AT1-R) can achieve different outcomes via activation of G protein-dependent and -independent cellular responses. In this study, we investigated whether the biased activation of AT1-R can lead to different regulation and intracellular processing of the receptor. We analyzed β-arrestin binding, endocytosis, and subsequent trafficking steps, such as early and late phases of recycling of AT1-R in human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing wild-type or biased mutant receptors in response to different ligands. We used Renilla luciferase-tagged receptors and yellow fluorescent protein-tagged β-arrestin2, Rab5, Rab7, and Rab11 proteins in bioluminescence resonance energy transfer measurements to follow the fate of the receptor after stimulation. We found that not only is the signaling of the receptor different upon using selective ligands, but the fate within the cells is also determined by the type of the stimulation. β-arrestin binding and the internalization kinetics of the angiotensin II-stimulated AT1-R differed from those stimulated by the biased agonists. Similarly, angiotensin II-stimulated wild-type AT1-R showed differences compared with a biased mutant AT1-R (DRY/AAY AT1-R) with regards to β-arrestin binding and endocytosis. We found that the differences in the internalization kinetics of the receptor in response to biased agonist stimulation are due to the differences in plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate depletion. Moreover, the stability of the β-arrestin binding is a major determinant of the later fate of the internalized AT1-R receptor.

Mutations in the 'DRY' motif of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor result in biased receptor variants

The role of the highly conserved 'DRY' motif in the signaling of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) was investigated by inducing single-, double-, and triple-alanine mutations into this site of the receptor. We found that the CB1R-R3.50A mutant displays a partial decrease in its ability to activate heterotrimeric Go proteins (∼80% of WT CB1R (CB1R-WT)). Moreover, this mutant showed an enhanced basal β-arrestin2 (β-arr2) recruitment. More strikingly, the double-mutant CB1R-D3.49A/R3.50A was biased toward β-arrs, as it gained a robustly increased β-arr1 and β-arr2 recruitment ability compared with the WT receptor, while its G-protein activation was decreased. In contrast, the double-mutant CB1R-R3.50A/Y3.51A proved to be G-protein-biased, as it was practically unable to recruit β-arrs in response to agonist stimulus, while still activating G-proteins, although at a reduced level (∼70% of CB1R-WT). Agonist-induced ERK1/2 activation of the CB1R mutants showed a good correlation with their β-arr recruitment ability but not with their G-protein activation or inhibition of cAMP accumulation. Our results suggest that G-protein activation and β-arr binding of the CB1R are mediated by distinct receptor conformations, and the conserved 'DRY' motif plays different roles in the stabilization of these conformations, thus mediating both G-protein- and β-arr-mediated functions of CB1R.

Improved methodical approach for quantitative BRET analysis of G Protein Coupled Receptor dimerization

G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR) can form dimers or higher ordered oligomers, the process of which can remarkably influence the physiological and pharmacological function of these receptors. Quantitative Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (qBRET) measurements are the gold standards to prove the direct physical interaction between the protomers of presumed GPCR dimers. For the correct interpretation of these experiments, the expression of the energy donor Renilla luciferase labeled receptor has to be maintained constant, which is hard to achieve in expression systems. To analyze the effects of non-constant donor expression on qBRET curves, we performed Monte Carlo simulations. Our results show that the decrease of donor expression can lead to saturation qBRET curves even if the interaction between donor and acceptor labeled receptors is non-specific leading to false interpretation of the dimerization state. We suggest here a new approach to the analysis of qBRET data, when the BRET ratio is plotted as a function of the acceptor labeled receptor expression at various donor receptor expression levels. With this method, we were able to distinguish between dimerization and non-specific interaction when the results of classical qBRET experiments were ambiguous. The simulation results were confirmed experimentally using rapamycin inducible heterodimerization system. We used this new method to investigate the dimerization of various GPCRs, and our data have confirmed the homodimerization of V2 vasopressin and CaSR calcium sensing receptors, whereas our data argue against the heterodimerization of these receptors with other studied GPCRs, including type I and II angiotensin, β2 adrenergic and CB1 cannabinoid receptors.

Altered agonist sensitivity of a mutant v2 receptor suggests a novel therapeutic strategy for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

Loss-of-function mutations of the type 2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) in kidney can lead to nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). We studied a previously described, but uncharacterized, mutation of the V2R (N321K missense mutation) of a patient with NDI. The properties of the mutant receptor were evaluated. We constructed a highly sensitive Epac-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer biosensor to perform real-time cAMP measurements after agonist stimulation of transiently transfected HEK293 cells with V2Rs. β-Arrestin binding of the activated receptors was examined with luciferase-tagged β-arrestin and mVenus-tagged V2Rs using the bioluminescence resonance energy transfer technique. Cell surface expression levels of hemagglutinin-tagged receptors were determined with flow cytometry using anti-hemagglutinin-Alexa 488 antibodies. Cellular localization examinations were implemented with fluorescent tagged receptors visualized with confocal laser scanning microscopy. The effect of various vasopressin analogs on the type 1 vasopressin receptor (V1R) was tested on mouse arteries by wire myography. The N321K mutant V2R showed normal cell surface expression, but the potency of arginine vasopressin for cAMP generation was low, whereas the clinically used desmopressin was not efficient. The β-arrestin binding and internalization properties of the mutant receptor were also different than those for the wild type. The function of the mutant receptor can be rescued with administration of the V2R agonist Val(4)-desmopressin, which had no detectable side effects on V1R in the effective cAMP generating concentrations. Based on these findings we propose a therapeutic strategy for patients with NDI carrying the N321K mutation, as our in vivo experiments suggest that Val(4)-desmopressin could rescue the function of the N321K-V2R without significant side effects on the V1R.

Biosensors in clinical practice: focus on oncohematology

Biosensors are devices that are capable of detecting specific biological analytes and converting their presence or concentration into some electrical, thermal, optical or other signal that can be easily analysed. The first biosensor was designed by Clark and Lyons in 1962 as a means of measuring glucose. Since then, much progress has been made and the applications of biosensors are today potentially boundless. This review is limited to their clinical applications, particularly in the field of oncohematology. Biosensors have recently been developed in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients affected by hematological malignancies, such as the biosensor for assessing the in vitro pre-treatment efficacy of cytarabine in acute myeloid leukemia, and the fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensor for assessing the efficacy of imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia. The review also considers the challenges and future perspectives of biosensors in clinical practice.

Allosteric interactions within the AT₁ angiotensin receptor homodimer: role of the conserved DRY motif

G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) dimerization has a remarkable impact on the diversity of receptor signaling. Allosteric communication between the protomers of the dimer can alter ligand binding, receptor conformation and interactions with different effector proteins. In this study we investigated the allosteric interactions between wild type and mutant protomers of type 1 angiotensin receptor (AT₁R) dimers transiently expressed in CHO cells. In our experimental setup, one protomer of the dimer was selectively stimulated and the β-arrestin2 binding and conformation alteration of the other protomer was followed. The interaction between β-arrestin2 and the non-stimulated protomer was monitored through a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) based method. To measure the conformational alterations in the non-stimulated protomer directly, we also used a BRET based intramolecular receptor biosensor, which was created by inserting yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) into the 3rd intracellular loop of AT₁R and fusing Renilla luciferase (RLuc) to its C terminal region. We have detected β-arrestin2 binding, and altered conformation of the non-stimulated protomer. The cooperative ligand binding of the receptor homodimer was also observed by radioligand dissociation experiments. Mutation of the conserved DRY sequence in the activated protomer, which is also required for G protein activation, abolished all the observed allosteric effects. These data suggest that allosteric interactions in the homodimers of AT₁R significantly affect the function of the non-stimulated protomer, and the conserved DRY motif has a crucial role in these interactions.