1
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Sun D, Sun Y, Janezic E, Zhou T, Johnson M, Azumaya C, Noreng S, Chiu C, Seki A, Arenzana TL, Nicoludis JM, Shi Y, Wang B, Ho H, Joshi P, Tam C, Payandeh J, Comps-Agrar L, Wang J, Rutz S, Koerber JT, Masureel M. Structural basis of antibody inhibition and chemokine activation of the human CC chemokine receptor 8. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7940. [PMID: 38040762 PMCID: PMC10692165 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The C-C motif chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) is a class A G-protein coupled receptor that has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in cancer. Targeting CCR8 with an antibody has appeared to be an attractive therapeutic approach, but the molecular basis for chemokine-mediated activation and antibody-mediated inhibition of CCR8 are not fully elucidated. Here, we obtain an antagonist antibody against human CCR8 and determine structures of CCR8 in complex with either the antibody or the endogenous agonist ligand CCL1. Our studies reveal characteristic antibody features allowing recognition of the CCR8 extracellular loops and CCL1-CCR8 interaction modes that are distinct from other chemokine receptor - ligand pairs. Informed by these structural insights, we demonstrate that CCL1 follows a two-step, two-site binding sequence to CCR8 and that antibody-mediated inhibition of CCL1 signaling can occur by preventing the second binding event. Together, our results provide a detailed structural and mechanistic framework of CCR8 activation and inhibition that expands our molecular understanding of chemokine - receptor interactions and offers insight into the development of therapeutic antibodies targeting chemokine GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Sun
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yonglian Sun
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Eric Janezic
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Tricia Zhou
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Matthew Johnson
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Caleigh Azumaya
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Sigrid Noreng
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Septerna Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Cecilia Chiu
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Akiko Seki
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Tune Therapeutics, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Teresita L Arenzana
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- HIBio, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - John M Nicoludis
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yongchang Shi
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Baomei Wang
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Hoangdung Ho
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Prajakta Joshi
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Christine Tam
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jian Payandeh
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Exelixis Inc., Alameda, CA, 94502, USA
| | - Laëtitia Comps-Agrar
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jianyong Wang
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Sascha Rutz
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - James T Koerber
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - Matthieu Masureel
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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2
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Larsen O, van der Velden WJC, Mavri M, Schuermans S, Rummel PC, Karlshøj S, Gustavsson M, Proost P, Våbenø J, Rosenkilde MM. Identification of a conserved chemokine receptor motif that enables ligand discrimination. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabg7042. [PMID: 35258997 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abg7042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Extensive ligand-receptor promiscuity in the chemokine signaling system balances beneficial redundancy and specificity. However, this feature poses a major challenge to selectively modulate the system pharmacologically. Here, we identified a conserved cluster of three aromatic receptor residues that anchors the second extracellular loop (ECL2) to the top of receptor transmembrane helices (TM) 4 and 5 and enables recognition of both shared and specific characteristics of interacting chemokines. This cluster was essential for the activation of several chemokine receptors. Furthermore, characteristic motifs of the ß1 strand and 30s loop make the two main CC-chemokine subgroups-the macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIPs) and monocyte chemoattractant proteins (MCPs)-differentially dependent on this cluster in the promiscuous receptors CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5. The cluster additionally enabled CCR1 and CCR5 to discriminate between closely related MIPs based on the N terminus of the chemokine. G protein signaling and β-arrestin2 recruitment assays confirmed the importance of the conserved cluster in receptor discrimination of chemokine ligands. This extracellular site may facilitate the development of chemokine-related therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Larsen
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wijnand J C van der Velden
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maša Mavri
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Institute of Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sara Schuermans
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pia C Rummel
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefanie Karlshøj
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Gustavsson
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jon Våbenø
- Helgeland Hospital Trust, Prestmarkveien 1, 8800 Sandnessjøen, Norway
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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3
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Ashokan A, Harisankar HS, Kameswaran M, Aradhyam GK. Critical APJ receptor residues in extracellular domains that influence effector selectivity. FEBS J 2021; 288:6543-6562. [PMID: 34076959 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human APJ receptor/apelin receptor (APJR), activated by apelin peptide isoforms, regulates a wide range of physiological processes. The role of extracellular loop (ECL) domain residues of APJR in ligand binding and receptor activation has not been established yet. Based on multiple sequence alignment of APJ receptor from various organisms, we identified conserved residues in the extracellular domains. Alanine substitutions of specific residues were characterized to evaluate their ligand binding efficiency and Gq -, Gi -, and β-arrestin-mediated signaling. Mutation-dependent variation in ligand binding and signaling was observed. W197 A in ECL2 and L276 L277 W279 -AAA in ECL3 were deficient in Gi and β-arrestin signaling pathways with relatively preserved Gq -mediated signaling. T169 T170 -AA, Y182 A, and T190 A mutants in ECL2 showed impaired β-arrestin-dependent cell signaling while maintaining G protein- mediated signaling. Structural comparison with angiotensin II type I receptor revealed the importance of ECL2 and ECL3 residues in APJR ligand binding and signaling. Our results unequivocally confirm the specific role of these ECL residues in ligand binding and in orchestrating receptor conformations that are involved in preferential/biased signaling functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha Ashokan
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Harikumar Sheela Harisankar
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Mythili Kameswaran
- Radiopharmaceuticals Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Gopala Krishna Aradhyam
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
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4
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Kline JM, Heusinkveld LE, Taranto E, Martin CB, Tomasi AG, Hsu IJ, Cho K, Khillan JS, Murphy PM, Pontejo SM. Structural and functional analysis of Ccr1l1, a Rodentia-restricted eosinophil-selective chemokine receptor homologue. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100373. [PMID: 33548230 PMCID: PMC7949164 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100373] [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: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse Ccr1l1 (Ccr1-like 1) encodes an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with the highest homology to the inflammatory and highly promiscuous chemokine receptors Ccr1 and Ccr3 (70 and 50% amino acid identity, respectively). Ccr1l1 was first cloned in 1995, yet current knowledge of this putative chemokine receptor is limited to its gene organization and chromosomal localization. Here we report that Ccr1l1 is a Rodentia-specific gene selectively expressed in eosinophils. However, eosinophil phenotypes, development, and responsiveness to chemokines were all normal in naïve Ccr1l1 knockout mice. We demonstrate for the first time that recombinant Ccr1l1 is expressed on the plasma membrane of transfected cells and contains an extracellular N terminus and an intracellular C terminus, consistent with GPCR topology. Using receptor internalization, β-arrestin recruitment, calcium flux, and chemotaxis assays, we excluded all 37 available mouse chemokines, including Ccr1 ligands, and two viral chemokines as Ccr1l1 ligands, and demonstrated that mouse Ccr1, but not Ccr1l1, exhibits constitutive signaling activity. However, sequence analysis and structural modeling revealed that Ccr1l1 is well equipped to act as a classical signaling GPCR, with N-terminal sulfotyrosines as the only signaling and chemokine-binding determinant absent in Ccr1l1. Hereof, we show that a sulfatable N-terminal Ccr1 Y18 residue is essential for chemotaxis and calcium responses induced by Ccl3 and Ccl9/10, but substituting the corresponding Ccr1l1 F19 residue with tyrosine failed to confer responsiveness to Ccr1 ligands. Although Ccr1l1 remains an extreme outlier in the chemokine receptor family, our study supports that it might respond to unidentified mouse chemokine ligands in eosinophil-driven immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Kline
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lauren E Heusinkveld
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Eleanor Taranto
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Clare B Martin
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alessandra G Tomasi
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Isabel J Hsu
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kyoungin Cho
- Comparative Medicine Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jaspal S Khillan
- Comparative Medicine Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Philip M Murphy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sergio M Pontejo
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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5
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Fullone MR, Lattanzi R, Maftei D, Bonaccorsi MC, Miele R. Analysis of role of aromatic residues in extracellular loop 2 of Prokineticin receptor 2 in ligand binding probed with genetically encoded photo-crosslinkers. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183549. [PMID: 33412090 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Prokineticin 2 (PK2) and Prokineticin 2 beta (PK2β), products of alternative splicing of pk2 gene, are chemokine-like proteins. While PK2 mediates its biological activities by signaling with the same efficiency through two homologous G protein coupled receptors, prokineticin receptor 1 (PKR1) and prokineticin receptor 2 (PKR2), PK2β is able to bind specifically PKR1. Extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) of chemokine receptors is a part of a transmembrane (TM) ligand binding site. In the ECL2 of PKR2 is present, as well as in all chemokine receptors, an aromatic residue cluster, involving tryptophan 212 localized four residues after an ECL2 conserved cysteine, and Phenylalanine 198 located in the top of TM 4. In this work, the photoactivatable unnatural amino acid p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine is incorporated by amber codon suppression technology into PKR2 in position 212. Experiments of photoactivatable cross-linking demonstrated the role of tryptophan in position 212 for binding the ligand contacting Tryptophan in position 24. We also analyzed the role of Phenylalanine 198 in the specificity of PKRs binding. The comparison of TM-bundle binding sites between PKR1 and PKR2 revealed that they are completely conserved except for one residue: valine 207 in human PKR1, which is phenylalanine 198 in human PKR2. The F198V mutation in PKR2 permits to obtain a receptor able to bind more efficiently PK2β, a ligand highly specific for PKR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosaria Fullone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Lattanzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Maftei
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Carmela Bonaccorsi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Miele
- Department of Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
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6
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Goth CK, Petäjä-Repo UE, Rosenkilde MM. G Protein-Coupled Receptors in the Sweet Spot: Glycosylation and other Post-translational Modifications. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:237-245. [PMID: 32296765 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are a fundamental phenomenon across all classes of life and several hundred different types have been identified. PTMs contribute widely to the biological functions of proteins and greatly increase their diversity. One important class of proteins regulated by PTMs, is the cell surface expressed G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). While most PTMs have been shown to exert distinct biological functions, we are only beginning to approach the complexity that the potential interplay between different PTMs may have on biological functions and their regulation. Importantly, PTMs and their potential interplay represent an appealing mechanism for cell and tissue specific regulation of GPCR function and may partially contribute to functional selectivity of some GPCRs. In this review we highlight examples of PTMs located in GPCR extracellular domains, with special focus on glycosylation and the potential interplay with other close-by PTMs such as tyrosine sulfation, proteolytic cleavage, and phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoffer K Goth
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK 2200, Denmark
| | - Ulla E Petäjä-Repo
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Research Unit of Biomedicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK 2200, Denmark
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7
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Jørgensen AS, Larsen O, Uetz-von Allmen E, Lückmann M, Legler DF, Frimurer TM, Veldkamp CT, Hjortø GM, Rosenkilde MM. Biased Signaling of CCL21 and CCL19 Does Not Rely on N-Terminal Differences, but Markedly on the Chemokine Core Domains and Extracellular Loop 2 of CCR7. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2156. [PMID: 31572374 PMCID: PMC6753178 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokine receptors play important roles in the immune system and are linked to several human diseases. Targeting chemokine receptors have so far shown very little success owing to, to some extent, the promiscuity of the immune system and the high degree of biased signaling within it. CCR7 and its two endogenous ligands display biased signaling and here we investigate the differences between the two ligands, CCL21 and CCL19, with respect to their biased activation of CCR7. We use bystander bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) based signaling assays and Transwell migration assays to determine (A) how swapping of domains between the two ligands affect their signaling patterns and (B) how receptor mutagenesis impacts signaling. Using chimeric ligands we find that the chemokine core domains are central for determining signaling outcome as the lack of β-arrestin-2 recruitment displayed by CCL21 is linked to its core domain and not N-terminus. Through a mutagenesis screen, we identify the extracellular domains of CCR7 to be important for both ligands and show that the two chemokines interact differentially with extracellular loop 2 (ECL-2). By using in silico modeling, we propose a link between ECL-2 interaction and CCR7 signal transduction. Our mutagenesis study also suggests a lysine in the top of TM3, K1303.26, to be important for G protein signaling, but not β-arrestin-2 recruitment. Taken together, the bias in CCR7 between CCL19 and CCL21 relies on the chemokine core domains, where interactions with ECL-2 seem particularly important. Moreover, TM3 selectively regulates G protein signaling as found for other chemokine receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid S Jørgensen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Olav Larsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Edith Uetz-von Allmen
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Lückmann
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel F Legler
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Thomas M Frimurer
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christopher T Veldkamp
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI, United States
| | - Gertrud M Hjortø
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Fares S, Spiess K, Olesen ETB, Zuo J, Jackson S, Kledal TN, Wills MR, Rosenkilde MM. Distinct Roles of Extracellular Domains in the Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded BILF1 Receptor for Signaling and Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Downregulation. mBio 2019; 10:e01707-18. [PMID: 30647152 PMCID: PMC6336419 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01707-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BILF1 gene encodes a constitutively active G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that downregulates major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and induces signaling-dependent tumorigenesis. Different BILF1 homologs display highly conserved extracellular loops (ECLs) including the conserved cysteine residues involved in disulfide bridges present in class A GPCRs (GPCR bridge between transmembrane helix 3 [TM-3] and ECL-2) and in chemokine receptors (CKR bridge between the N terminus and ECL-3). In order to investigate the roles of the conserved residues in the receptor functions, 25 mutations were created in the extracellular domains. Luciferase reporter assays and flow cytometry were used to investigate the G protein signaling and MHC class I downregulation in HEK293 cells. We find that the cysteine residues involved in the GPCR bridge are important for both signaling and MHC class I downregulation, whereas the cysteine residues in the N terminus and ECL-3 are dispensable for signaling but important for MHC class I downregulation. Multiple conserved residues in the extracellular regions are important for the receptor-induced MHC class I downregulation, but not for signaling, indicating distinct structural requirements for these two functions. In an engineered receptor containing a binding site for Zn+2 ions in a complex with an aromatic chelator (phenanthroline or bipyridine), a ligand-driven inhibition of both the receptor signaling and MHC class I downregulation was observed. Taken together, this suggests that distinct regions in EBV-BILF1 can be pharmacologically targeted to inhibit the signaling-mediated tumorigenesis and interfere with the MHC class I downregulation.IMPORTANCE G protein-coupled receptors constitute the largest family of membrane proteins. As targets of >30% of the FDA-approved drugs, they are valuable for drug discovery. The receptor is composed of seven membrane-spanning helices and intracellular and extracellular domains. BILF1 is a receptor encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which evades the host immune system by various strategies. BILF1 facilitates the virus immune evasion by downregulating MHC class I and is capable of inducing signaling-mediated tumorigenesis. BILF1 homologs from primate viruses show highly conserved extracellular domains. Here, we show that conserved residues in the extracellular domains of EBV-BILF1 are important for downregulating MHC class I and that the receptor signaling and immune evasion can be inhibited by drug-like small molecules. This suggests that BILF1 could be a target to inhibit the signaling-mediated tumorigenesis and interfere with the MHC class I downregulation, thereby facilitating virus recognition by the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzan Fares
- Laboratory for Molecular and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katja Spiess
- Laboratory for Molecular and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emma T B Olesen
- Laboratory for Molecular and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jianmin Zuo
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Jackson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas N Kledal
- National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mark R Wills
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Laboratory for Molecular and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Dong F, Rues RB, Kazemi S, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Molecular Determinants for Ligand Selectivity of the Cell-Free Synthesized Human Endothelin B Receptor. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:5105-5119. [PMID: 30342934 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular domains of G-protein-coupled receptors act as initial molecular selectivity filters for subtype specific ligands and drugs. Chimeras of the human endothelin-B receptor containing structural units from the extracellular domains of the endothelin-A receptor were analyzed after their co-translational insertion into preformed nanodiscs. A short β-strand and a linker region in the second extracellular loop as well as parts of the extracellular N-terminal domain were identified as molecular discrimination sites for the endothelin-B receptor-selective agonists IRL1620, sarafotoxin 6c, 4Ala-ET-1 and ET-3, but not for the non-selective agonist ET-1 recognized by both endothelin receptors. A proposed second disulfide bridge in the endothelin-B receptor tethering the N-terminal domain with the third extracellular loop was not essential for ET-1 recognition and binding, but increased the receptor thermostability. We further demonstrate an experimental approach with cell-free synthesized engineered agonists to analyze the differential discrimination of peptide ligand topologies by the two endothelin receptors. The study is based on the engineering and cell-free insertion of G-protein-coupled receptors into defined membranes and may become interesting also for other targets as an alternative platform to reveal molecular details of ligand selectivity and ligand binding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Dong
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ralf B Rues
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sina Kazemi
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Iglesias A, Cimadevila M, la Fuente RAD, Martí-Solano M, Cadavid MI, Castro M, Selent J, Loza MI, Brea J. Serotonin 2A receptor disulfide bridge integrity is crucial for ligand binding to different signalling states but not for its homodimerization. Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 815:138-146. [PMID: 28899696 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) with a conserved disulfide bridge formed by Cys148 (transmembrane helix 3, TM3) and Cys227 (extracellular loop 2, ECL-2). We hypothesized that disulfide bridges may determine serotonin 5-HT2A receptor functions such as receptor activation, functional selectivity and ligand recognition. We used the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) to determine how the reduction of disulfide bridges affects radioligand binding, second messenger mobilization and receptor dimerization. A DTT-induced decrease in the number of binding sites (1190 ± 63.55 fmol/mg protein for control cells compared with 921.2 ± 60.84 fmol/mg protein for DTT-treated cells) as well as in the efficacy of both signalling pathways characterized was observed, although the affinity and potency were unchanged. Bioluminiscence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays revealed the DTT treatment did not modify the homodimeric nature of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. In molecular dynamic simulations, the ECL-2 of the receptor with a broken cysteine bond adopts a wider variety of conformations, some of which protrude deeper into the receptor orthosteric binding pocket leading to collapse of the pocket. A shrunken binding pocket would be incapable of accommodating lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Our findings suggest that the decrease of efficacy may be due to disruption of disulfide bridge between TM3 and ECL-2. This reveals the integrity of the ECL-2 epitope, which should be explored in the development of novel ligands acting as allosteric modulators of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Iglesias
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marta Cimadevila
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Rocío Ailim de la Fuente
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Molecular Pharmacology of G Protein-coupled Receptors Laboratory, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María Martí-Solano
- GPCR Drug Discovery Group, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) - Department of Experimental and Health Sciences of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Isabel Cadavid
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marián Castro
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Molecular Pharmacology of G Protein-coupled Receptors Laboratory, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jana Selent
- GPCR Drug Discovery Group, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) - Department of Experimental and Health Sciences of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Isabel Loza
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - José Brea
- BioFarma Research Group, Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Barcelona 22, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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11
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Woolley MJ, Conner AC. Understanding the common themes and diverse roles of the second extracellular loop (ECL2) of the GPCR super-family. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2017; 449:3-11. [PMID: 27899324 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular loops (ECLs) of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can bind directly to docked orthosteric or allosteric ligands, they can contain transient contact points for ligand entry into the transmembrane (TM) bundle and they can regulate the activation of the receptor signalling pathways. Of the three ECLs, ECL2 is the largest and most structurally diverse reflecting its functional importance. This has been shown through biochemical techniques and has been supported by the many subsequent crystal structures of GPCRs bound to both agonists and antagonists. ECL2 shares common structural features between (and sometimes across) receptor sub-families and can facilitate ligand entry to the TM core or act directly as a surface of the ligand-binding pocket. Structural similarities seem to underpin common binding mechanisms; however, where these exist, variations in primary sequence ensure ligand-binding specificity. This review will compare current understanding of the structural themes and main functional roles of ECL2 in ligand binding, activation and regulation of the major families of GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Woolley
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alex C Conner
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
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