GPCR heterodimers: asymmetries in ligand binding and signalling output offer new targets for drug discovery

Apelin receptor dimer: Classification, future prospects, and pathophysiological perspectives

Apelin receptor (APJ), a member of the class A family of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), plays a crucial role in regulating cardiovascular and central nervous systems function. APJ influences the onset and progression of various diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cerebral stroke, making it an important target for drug development. Our preliminary findings indicate that APJ can form homodimers, heterodimers, or even higher-order oligomers, which participate in different signaling pathways and have distinct functions compared with monomers. APJ homodimers can serve as neuroprotectors against, and provide new pharmaceutical targets for vascular dementia (VD). This review article aims to summarize the structural characteristics of APJ dimers and their roles in physiology and pathology, as well as explore their potential pharmacological applications.

Advances in the allostery of angiotensin II type 1 receptor

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases. Compared with orthosteric ligands, allosteric modulators attract considerable attention for drug development due to their unique advantages of high selectivity and safety. However, no allosteric modulators of AT1R have been applied in clinical trials up to now. Except for the classical allosteric modulators of AT1R such as antibody, peptides and amino acids, cholesterol and biased allosteric modulators, there are non-classical allosteric modes including the ligand-independent allosteric mode, and allosteric mode of biased agonists and dimers. In addition, finding the allosteric pockets based on AT1R conformational change and interaction interface of dimers are the future of drug design. In this review, we summarize the different allosteric mode of AT1R, with a view to contribute to the development and utilization of drugs targeting AT1R allostery.

Biased Allosteric Modulators: New Frontiers in GPCR Drug Discovery

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest class of cell surface receptors in the genome and the most successful family of targets of FDA-approved drugs. New frontiers in GPCR drug discovery remain, however, as achieving receptor subtype selectivity and controlling off- and on-target side effects are not always possible with classic agonist and antagonist ligands. These challenges may be overcome by focusing development efforts on allosteric ligands that confer signaling bias. Biased allosteric modulators (BAMs) are an emerging class of GPCR ligands that engage less well-conserved regulatory motifs outside the orthosteric pocket and exert pathway-specific effects on receptor signaling. The unique ways that BAMs texturize receptor signaling present opportunities to fine-tune physiology and develop safer, more selective therapeutics. Here, we provide a conceptual framework for understanding the pharmacology of BAMs, explore their therapeutic potential, and discuss strategies for their discovery.

Constraining the Side Chain of C-Terminal Amino Acids in Apelin-13 Greatly Increases Affinity, Modulates Signaling, and Improves the Pharmacokinetic Profile

Side-chain-constrained amino acids are useful tools to modulate the biological properties of peptides. In this study, we applied side-chain constraints to apelin-13 (Ape13) by substituting the Pro12 and Phe13 positions, affecting the binding affinity and signaling profile on the apelin receptor (APJ). The residues 1Nal, Trp, and Aia were found to be beneficial substitutions for Pro12, and the resulting analogues displayed high affinity for APJ (K_i 0.08-0.18 nM vs Ape13 K_i 0.7 nM). Besides, constrained (d-Tic) or α,α-disubstituted residues (Db_zg; d-α-Me-Tyr(OBn)) were favorable for the Phe13 position. Compounds 47 (Pro12-Phe13 replaced by Aia-Phe, K_i 0.08 nM) and 53 (Pro12-Phe13 replaced by 1Nal-Db_zg, K_i 0.08 nM) are the most potent Ape13 analogues activating the Gα₁₂ pathways (53, EC₅₀ Gα₁₂ 2.8 nM vs Ape13, EC₅₀ 43 nM) known to date, displaying high affinity, resistance to ACE2 cleavage as well as improved pharmacokinetics in vitro (t_1/2 5.8-7.3 h in rat plasma) and in vivo.

The effect of olmesartan on aortic intimal thickening after balloon injury through Apelin/APJ

PURPOSE

Restenosis is the main complication after percutaneous coronary intervention. The proliferation of new intima contributes to the process. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of olmesartan on intimal thickening after balloon injury and possible mechanism.

METHODS

Aortic endothelial denudation model was made by a 2F balloon catheter. Thirty-six rats were randomly allocated into three groups: Control (n = 12) Surgery (n = 12, received vascular balloon injury) and Olmesartan (n = 12, received 3 mg^.kg^-1.d^-1olmesartan after injury). Fourteen and 28 days after injury, HE staining was used to assess the aortic endothelial injury. Radioimmunological method was used to examine the level of angiotensin II (Ang II). Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerse chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to detect the protein and mRNA level of Apelin/APJ.

RESULTS

After vascular balloon injury, the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the intimal thickening were increased. The mRNA and protein level of Ang II, AT1, Apelin and APJ mRNA were promoted by vascular balloon injury. Olmesartan decreased the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the intimal thickening. Olmesartan decreased the expression of Ang II and AT1, but further increased the expression of Apelin and APJ. Balloon injury also induced the activation of Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and olmesartan decreased the effect.

CONCLUSION

Olmesartan inhibits the intimal thickening through activating Apelin/APJ and inhibiting AngII-AT1 and ERK pathway.

Shaky ground - The nature of metastable GPCR signalling complexes

How G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) interact with one another remains an area of active investigation. Obligate dimers of class C GPCRs such as metabotropic GABA and glutamate receptors are well accepted, although whether this is a general feature of other GPCRs is still strongly debated. In this review, we focus on the idea that GPCR dimers and oligomers are better imagined as parts of larger metastable signalling complexes. We discuss the nature of functional oligomeric entities, their stabilities and kinetic features and how structural and functional asymmetries of such metastable entities might have implications for drug discovery. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Receptor heteromers and their allosteric receptor-receptor interactions'.

Prostaglandin FP receptor antagonists: discovery, pharmacological characterization and therapeutic utility

In contrast to the availability of potent and selective antagonists of several prostaglandin receptor types (including DP₁ , DP₂ , EP and TP receptors), there has been a paucity of well-characterized, selective FP receptor antagonists. The earliest ones included dimethyl amide and dimethyl amine derivatives of PGF_2α , but these have failed to gain prominence. The fluorinated PGF_2α analogues, AL-8810 and AL-3138, were subsequently discovered as competitive and non-competitive FP receptor antagonists respectively. Non-prostanoid structures, such as the thiazolidinone AS604872, the D-amino acid-based oligopeptide PDC31 and its peptidomimic analogue PDC113.824 came next, but the latter two are allosteric inhibitors of FP receptor signalling. AL-8810 has a sub-micromolar in vitro potency and ≥2 log unit selectivity against most other PG receptors when tested in several cell- and tissue-based functional assays. Additionally, AL-8810 has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy as an FP receptor antagonist in animal models of stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, allodynia and endometriosis. Consequently, it appears that AL-8810 has become the FP receptor antagonist of choice. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on Eicosanoids 35 years from the 1982 Nobel: where are we now? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.8/issuetoc.

The Dynamics of GPCR Oligomerization and Their Functional Consequences

The functional importance of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oligomerization remains controversial. Although obligate dimers of class C GPCRs are well accepted, the generalizability of this phenomenon is still strongly debated with respect to other classes of GPCRs. In this review, we focus on understanding the organization and dynamics between receptor equivalents and their signaling partners in oligomeric receptor complexes, with a view toward integrating disparate viewpoints into a unified understanding. We discuss the nature of functional oligomeric entities, and how asymmetries in receptor structure and function created by oligomers might have implications for receptor function as allosteric machines and for future drug discovery.

Conformational biosensors reveal allosteric interactions between heterodimeric AT1 angiotensin and prostaglandin F2α receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are conformationally dynamic proteins transmitting ligand-encoded signals in multiple ways. This transmission is highly complex and achieved through induction of distinct GPCR conformations, which preferentially drive specific receptor-mediated signaling events. This conformational capacity can be further enlarged via allosteric effects between dimers, warranting further study of these effects. Using GPCR conformation-sensitive biosensors, we investigated allosterically induced conformational changes in the recently reported F prostanoid (FP)/angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) heterodimer. Ligand occupancy of the AT1R induced distinct conformational changes in FP compared with those driven by PGF2α in bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based FP biosensors engineered with Renilla luciferase (RLuc) as an energy donor in the C-tail and fluorescein arsenical hairpin binder (FlAsH)-labeled acceptors at different positions in the intracellular loops. We also found that this allosteric communication is mediated through Gα_q and may also involve proximal (phospholipase C) but not distal (protein kinase C) signaling partners. Interestingly, β-arrestin-biased AT1R agonists could also transmit a Gα_q-dependent signal to FP without activation of downstream Gα_q signaling. This transmission of information was specific to the AT1R/FP complex, as activation of Gα_q by the oxytocin receptor did not recapitulate the same phenomenon. Finally, information flow was asymmetric in the sense that FP activation had negligible effects on AT1R-based conformational biosensors. The identification of partner-induced GPCR conformations may help identify novel allosteric effects when investigating multiprotein receptor signaling complexes.

Angiotensin II type I and prostaglandin F2α receptors cooperatively modulate signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells

The angiotensin II type I (AT1R) and the prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) F prostanoid (FP) receptors are both potent regulators of blood pressure. Physiological interplay between AT1R and FP has been described. Abdominal aortic ring contraction experiments revealed that PGF2α-dependent activation of FP potentiated angiotensin II-induced contraction, whereas FP antagonists had the opposite effect. Similarly, PGF2α-mediated vasoconstriction was symmetrically regulated by co-treatment with AT1R agonist and antagonist. The underlying canonical Gαq signaling via production of inositol phosphates mediated by each receptor was also regulated by antagonists for the other receptor. However, binding to their respective agonists, regulation of receptor-mediated MAPK activation and vascular smooth muscle cell growth were differentially or asymmetrically regulated depending on how each of the two receptors were occupied by either agonist or antagonist. Physical interactions between these receptors have never been reported, and here we show that AT1R and FP form heterodimeric complexes in both HEK 293 and vascular smooth muscle cells. These findings imply that formation of the AT1R/FP dimer creates a novel allosteric signaling unit that shows symmetrical and asymmetrical signaling behavior, depending on the outcome measured. AT1R/FP dimers may thus be important in the regulation of blood pressure.

Allosteric and biased g protein-coupled receptor signaling regulation: potentials for new therapeutics

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are seven-transmembrane proteins that participate in many aspects of the endocrine function and are important targets for drug development. They transduce signals mainly, but not exclusively, via hetero-trimeric G proteins, leading to a diversity of intracellular signaling cascades. Ligands binding at the hormone orthosteric sites of receptors have been classified as agonists, antagonists, and/or inverse agonists based on their ability to mainly modulate G protein signaling. Accumulating evidence also indicates that such ligands, alone or in combination with other ones such as those acting outside the orthosteric hormone binding sites (e.g., allosteric modulators), have the ability to selectively engage subsets of signaling responses as compared to the natural endogenous ligands. Such modes of functioning have been variously referred to as "functional selectivity" or "ligand-biased signaling." In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding GPCR-biased signaling and their functional regulation with a focus on the evolving concept that receptor domains can also be targeted to allosterically bias signaling, and discuss the usefulness of such modes of regulation for the design of more efficient therapeutics.