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Matsoukas MT, Panagiotopoulos V, Karageorgos V, Chrousos GP, Venihaki M, Liapakis G. Structural and Functional Insights into CRF Peptides and Their Receptors. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:120. [PMID: 38392338 PMCID: PMC10886364 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor or hormone (CRF or CRH) and the urocortins regulate a plethora of physiological functions and are involved in many pathophysiological processes. CRF and urocortins belong to the family of CRF peptides (CRF family), which includes sauvagine, urotensin, and many synthetic peptide and non-peptide CRF analogs. Several of the CRF analogs have shown considerable therapeutic potential in the treatment of various diseases. The CRF peptide family act by interacting with two types of plasma membrane proteins, type 1 (CRF1R) and type 2 (CRF2R), which belong to subfamily B1 of the family B G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This work describes the structure of CRF peptides and their receptors and the activation mechanism of the latter, which is compared with that of other GPCRs. It also discusses recent structural information that rationalizes the selective binding of various ligands to the two CRF receptor types and the activation of receptors by different agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minos-Timotheos Matsoukas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Vasilis Panagiotopoulos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Vlasios Karageorgos
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - George P Chrousos
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine and UNESCO, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Livadias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Venihaki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - George Liapakis
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
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Larauche M, Erchegyi J, Miller C, Sim MS, Rivier J, Behan D, Taché Y. Peripheral CRF-R1/CRF-R2 antagonist, astressin C, induces a long-lasting blockade of acute stress-related visceral pain in male and female rats. Peptides 2022; 157:170881. [PMID: 36185037 PMCID: PMC10389693 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2022.170881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Peptide CRF antagonists injected peripherally alleviate stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity (SIVH) to colorectal distension (CRD) in rodents. Here we further evaluated the dose and time-dependent inhibitory activity of several long-acting peptide CRF receptor antagonists related to astressin on SIVH, focusing on astressin C (AstC), which previously showed high efficacy on stress-related alterations of HPA axis and gut secretomotor functions. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated subcutaneously (SC) with AstC were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with CRF 15 min later. The visceromotor responses (VMR) to graded phasic CRD (10, 20, 40 and 60 mmHg) were monitored at basal, 15 min and up to 1-8 days after pretreatment. Two other astressin analogs, hexanoyl-astressin D (Hex-AstD) and [CαMeVal19,32]-AstC, were also tested. The response to IP CRF was sex-dependent with female rats requiring a higher dose to exhibit visceral hyperalgesia. Pretreatment with AstC (30-1000 µg/kg) resulted in a dose-related inhibition of IP CRF-induced SIVH and diarrhea in both sexes. The highest dose prevented SIVH and diarrhea up to 5-7 days after a single SC injection and was lost on day 7 (females) and day 8 (males) but reinstated after a second injection of AstC on day 8 or 9 respectively. [CαMeVal19,32]-AstC and Hex-AstD (1000 µg/kg in males) also prevented SIVH. These data show the potent long-lasting anti-hyperalgesic effect of AstC in an acute model of SIVH in both male and female rats. This highlights the potential of long-acting peripheral CRF antagonists to treat stress-sensitive irritable bowel syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Larauche
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - Myung Shin Sim
- Department of Medicine, Statistic Core, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jean Rivier
- Sentia Medical Sciences, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Yvette Taché
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Discovery of a stable tripeptide targeting the N-domain of CRF1 receptor. Amino Acids 2020; 52:1337-1351. [PMID: 32996057 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02895-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its CRF1 receptor (CRF1R) play a central role in the maintenance of homeostasis. Malfunctioning of the CRF/CRF1R unit is associated with several disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Non-peptide CRF1R-selective antagonists have been shown to exert anxiolytic and antidepressant effects on experimental animals. However, none of them is in clinical use today because of several side effects, thus demonstrating the need for the development of other more suitable CRF1R antagonists. In an effort to develop novel CRF1R antagonists we designed, synthesized and chemically characterized two tripeptide analogues of CRF, namely (R)-LMI and (S)-LMI, having their Leu either in R (or D) or in S (or L) configuration, respectively. Their design was based on the crystal structure of the N-extracellular domain (N-domain) of CRF1R/CRF complex, using a relevant array of computational methods. Experimental evaluation of the stability of synthetic peptides in human plasma has revealed that (R)-LMI is proteolytically more stable than (S)-LMI. Based on this finding, (R)-LMI was selected for pharmacological characterization. We have found that (R)-LMI is a CRF antagonist, inhibiting (1) the CRF-stimulated accumulation of cAMP in HEK 293 cells expressing the CRF1R, (2) the production of interleukins by adipocytes and (3) the proliferation rate of RAW 264.7 cells. (R)-LMI likely blocked agonist actions by interacting with the N-domain of CRF1R as suggested by data using a constitutively active chimera of CRF1R. We propose that (R)-LMI can be used as an optimal lead compound in the rational design of novel CRF antagonists.
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Sakellaris S, Matsoukas MT, Karageorgos V, Poulaki S, Kuppast B, Margioris A, Venihaki M, Fahmy H, Liapakis G. Selective antagonism of CRF1 receptor by a substituted pyrimidine. Hormones (Athens) 2019; 18:215-221. [PMID: 30980254 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-019-00105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and its type 1 receptor (CRF1R) regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as other systems, thus playing a crucial role in the maintenance of homeostasis. Non-peptide CRF1R-selective antagonists exert therapeutic effects on experimental animals with abnormal regulation of their homeostatic mechanisms. However, none of them is as yet in clinical use. In an effort to develop novel small non-peptide CRF1R-selective antagonists, we have synthesized a series of substituted pyrimidines described in a previous study. These small molecules bind to CRF1R, with analog 3 having the highest affinity. Characteristic structural features of analog 3 are a N,N-bis(methoxyethyl)amino group at position 6 and a methyl in the alkythiol group at position 5. Based on the binding profile of analog 3, we selected it in the present study for further pharmacological characterization. The results of this study suggest that analog 3 is a potent CRF1R-selective antagonist, blocking the ability of sauvagine, a CRF-related peptide, to stimulate cAMP accumulation in HEK 293 cells via activation of CRF1R, but not via CRF2R. Moreover, analog 3 blocked sauvagine to stimulate the proliferation of macrophages, further supporting its antagonistic properties. We have also constructed molecular models of CRF1R to examine the interactions of this receptor with analog 3 and antalarmin, a prototype CRF1R-selective non-peptide antagonist, which lacks the characteristic structural features of analog 3. Our data facilitate the design of novel non-peptide CRF1R antagonists for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stelios Sakellaris
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | | | - Vlasios Karageorgos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Smaragda Poulaki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Bhimanna Kuppast
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA
| | - Andrew Margioris
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Maria Venihaki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Hesham Fahmy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA
| | - George Liapakis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece.
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Spyridaki K, Matsoukas MT, Cordomi A, Gkountelias K, Papadokostaki M, Mavromoustakos T, Logothetis DE, Margioris AN, Pardo L, Liapakis G. Structural-functional analysis of the third transmembrane domain of the corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor: role in activation and allosteric antagonism. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:18966-77. [PMID: 24838244 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.544460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) type 1 receptor (CRF1R) for the 41-amino acid peptide CRF is a class B G protein-coupled receptor, which plays a key role in the response of our body to stressful stimuli and the maintenance of homeostasis by regulating neural and endocrine functions. CRF and related peptides, such as sauvagine, bind to the extracellular regions of CRF1R and activate the receptor. In contrast, small nonpeptide antagonists, which are effective against stress-related disorders, such as depression and anxiety, have been proposed to interact with the helical transmembrane domains (TMs) of CRF1R and allosterically antagonize peptide binding and receptor activation. Here, we aimed to elucidate the role of the third TM (TM3) in the molecular mechanisms underlying activation of CRF1R. TM3 was selected because its tilted orientation, relative to the membrane, allows its residues to establish key interactions with ligands, other TM helices, and the G protein. Using a combination of pharmacological, biochemical, and computational approaches, we found that Phe-203(3.40) and Gly-210(3.47) in TM3 play an important role in receptor activation. Our experimental findings also suggest that Phe-203(3.40) interacts with nonpeptide antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Minos-Timotheos Matsoukas
- the Laboratori de Medicina Computacional, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain
| | - Arnau Cordomi
- the Laboratori de Medicina Computacional, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain
| | | | | | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Athens 11571, Greece, and
| | - Diomedes E Logothetis
- the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298
| | - Andrew N Margioris
- Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece
| | - Leonardo Pardo
- the Laboratori de Medicina Computacional, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain
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Tadevosyan A, Vaniotis G, Allen BG, Hébert TE, Nattel S. G protein-coupled receptor signalling in the cardiac nuclear membrane: evidence and possible roles in physiological and pathophysiological function. J Physiol 2011; 590:1313-30. [PMID: 22183719 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.222794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play key physiological roles in numerous tissues, including the heart, and their dysfunction influences a wide range of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the notion of nuclear localization and action of GPCRs has become more widely accepted. Nuclear-localized receptors may regulate distinct signalling pathways, suggesting that the biological responses mediated by GPCRs are not solely initiated at the cell surface but may result from the integration of extracellular and intracellular signalling pathways. Many of the observed nuclear effects are not prevented by classical inhibitors that exclusively target cell surface receptors, presumably because of their structures, lipophilic properties, or affinity for nuclear receptors. In this topical review, we discuss specifically how angiotensin-II, endothelin, β-adrenergic and opioid receptors located on the nuclear envelope activate signalling pathways, which convert intracrine stimuli into acute responses such as generation of second messengers and direct genomic effects, and thereby participate in the development of cardiovascular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artavazd Tadevosyan
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
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