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Kapolka NJ, Taghon GJ, Isom DG. Advances in yeast synthetic biology for human G protein-coupled receptor biology and pharmacology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 88:103176. [PMID: 39079313 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/11/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of transmembrane receptors in humans. Over 800 GPCRs regulate the (patho)biology of every organ, tissue, and cell type. Consequently, GPCRs are the most prominent therapeutic targets in medicine. Although over 30% of current U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs target GPCR signaling, most receptors remain understudied and therapeutically underutilized. Challenges include an incomplete understanding of GPCR signaling, pharmacology, structural biology, and the multiplicity of endogenous GPCR ligands, in addition to a scarcity of biological and pharmacological tools for elucidating GPCR-mediated cellular processes beyond initial signaling events. Various mammalian, insect, and yeast cell models currently address some of these needs. Here, we review recent advances in yeast synthetic biology that are helping to catalyze new and unexpected conceptual and technical breakthroughs in GPCR-based medicine and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Kapolka
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Geoffrey J Taghon
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Daniel G Isom
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami School of Medicine, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Tumor Biology Program, USA; Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing, USA
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2
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Jobe A, Vijayan R. Orphan G protein-coupled receptors: the ongoing search for a home. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1349097. [PMID: 38495099 PMCID: PMC10941346 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1349097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) make up the largest receptor superfamily, accounting for 4% of protein-coding genes. Despite the prevalence of such transmembrane receptors, a significant number remain orphans, lacking identified endogenous ligands. Since their conception, the reverse pharmacology approach has been used to characterize such receptors. However, the multifaceted and nuanced nature of GPCR signaling poses a great challenge to their pharmacological elucidation. Considering their therapeutic relevance, the search for native orphan GPCR ligands continues. Despite limited structural input in terms of 3D crystallized structures, with advances in machine-learning approaches, there has been great progress with respect to accurate ligand prediction. Though such an approach proves valuable given that ligand scarcity is the greatest hurdle to orphan GPCR deorphanization, the future pairings of the remaining orphan GPCRs may not necessarily take a one-size-fits-all approach but should be more comprehensive in accounting for numerous nuanced possibilities to cover the full spectrum of GPCR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amie Jobe
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ranjit Vijayan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- The Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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3
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Di Rienzo L, Miotto M, Milanetti E, Ruocco G. Computational structural-based GPCR optimization for user-defined ligand: Implications for the development of biosensors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3002-3009. [PMID: 37249971 PMCID: PMC10220229 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms have developed effective mechanisms to sense the external environment. Human-designed biosensors exploit this natural optimization, where different biological machinery have been adapted to detect the presence of user-defined molecules. Specifically, the pheromone pathway in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae represents a suitable candidate as a synthetic signaling system. Indeed, it expresses just one G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR), Ste2, able to recognize pheromone and initiate the expression of pheromone-dependent genes. To date, the standard procedure to engineer this system relies on the substitution of the yeast GPCR with another one and on the modification of the yeast G-protein to bind the inserted receptor. Here, we propose an innovative computational procedure, based on geometrical and chemical optimization of protein binding pockets, to select the amino acid substitutions required to make the native yeast GPCR able to recognize a user-defined ligand. This procedure would allow the yeast to recognize a wide range of ligands, without a-priori knowledge about a GPCR recognizing them or the corresponding G protein. We used Monte Carlo simulations to design on Ste2 a binding pocket able to recognize epinephrine, selected as a test ligand. We validated Ste2 mutants via molecular docking and molecular dynamics. We verified that the amino acid substitutions we identified make Ste2 able to accommodate and remain firmly bound to epinephrine. Our results indicate that we sampled efficiently the huge space of possible mutants, proposing such a strategy as a promising starting point for the development of a new kind of S.cerevisiae-based biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Di Rienzo
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Miotto
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Milanetti
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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4
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Dumont ME, Konopka JB. Comparison of Experimental Approaches Used to Determine the Structure and Function of the Class D G Protein-Coupled Yeast α-Factor Receptor. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12060761. [PMID: 35740886 PMCID: PMC9220813 DOI: 10.3390/biom12060761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-factor mating pheromone receptor (Ste2p) has been studied as a model for the large medically important family of G protein-coupled receptors. Diverse yeast genetic screens and high-throughput mutagenesis of STE2 identified a large number of loss-of-function, constitutively-active, dominant-negative, and intragenic second-site suppressor mutants as well as mutations that specifically affect pheromone binding. Facile genetic manipulation of Ste2p also aided in targeted biochemical approaches, such as probing the aqueous accessibility of substituted cysteine residues in order to identify the boundaries of the seven transmembrane segments, and the use of cysteine disulfide crosslinking to identify sites of intramolecular contacts in the transmembrane helix bundle of Ste2p and sites of contacts between the monomers in a Ste2p dimer. Recent publication of a series of high-resolution cryo-EM structures of Ste2p in ligand-free, agonist-bound and antagonist-bound states now makes it possible to evaluate the results of these genetic and biochemical strategies, in comparison to three-dimensional structures showing activation-related conformational changes. The results indicate that the genetic and biochemical strategies were generally effective, and provide guidance as to how best to apply these experimental strategies to other proteins. These strategies continue to be useful in defining mechanisms of signal transduction in the context of the available structures and suggest aspects of receptor function beyond what can be discerned from the available structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E. Dumont
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-585-275-2466
| | - James B. Konopka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5222, USA;
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Connelly SM, Sridharan R, Naider F, Dumont ME. Oligomerization of yeast α-factor receptor detected by fluorescent energy transfer between ligands. Biophys J 2021; 120:5090-5106. [PMID: 34627767 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise a large superfamily of transmembrane receptors responsible for transducing responses to the binding of a wide variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, ions, and other small molecules. There is extensive evidence that GPCRs exist as homo-and hetero-oligomeric complexes; however, in many cases, the role of oligomerization and the extent to which it occurs at low physiological levels of receptor expression in cells remain unclear. We report here the use of flow cytometry to detect receptor-receptor interactions based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorescently labeled cell-impermeant ligands bound to yeast α-mating pheromone receptors that are members of the GPCR superfamily. A novel, to our knowledge, procedure was used to analyze energy transfer as a function of receptor occupancy by donor and acceptor ligands. Measurements of loss of donor fluorescence due to energy transfer in cells expressing high levels of receptors were used to calibrate measurements of enhanced acceptor emission due to energy transfer in cells expressing low levels of receptors. The procedure allows determination of energy transfer efficiencies over a 50-fold range of expression of full-length receptors at the surface of living cells without the need to create fluorescent or bioluminescent fusion proteins. Energy transfer efficiencies for fluorescently labeled derivatives of the receptor agonist α-factor do not depend on receptor expression level and are unaffected by C-terminal truncation of receptors. Fluorescently labeled derivatives of α-factor that act as receptor antagonists exhibit higher transfer efficiencies than those for labeled agonists. Although the approach cannot determine the number of receptors per oligomer, these results demonstrate that ligand-bound, native α-factor receptors exist as stable oligomers in the cell membranes of intact yeast cells at normal physiological expression levels and that the extent of oligomer formation is not dependent on the concentration of receptors in the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Connelly
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Rajashri Sridharan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Fred Naider
- Department of Chemistry and Macromolecular Assembly Institute, College of Staten Island of the City University of New York, Staten Island, New York; PhD Programs in Biochemistry and Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Mark E Dumont
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York.
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6
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Proton-gated coincidence detection is a common feature of GPCR signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100171118. [PMID: 34260394 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100171118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary expansion of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has produced a rich diversity of transmembrane sensors for many physical and chemical signals. In humans alone, over 800 GPCRs detect stimuli such as light, hormones, and metabolites to guide cellular decision-making primarily using intracellular G protein signaling networks. This diversity is further enriched by GPCRs that function as molecular sensors capable of discerning multiple inputs to transduce cues encoded in complex, context-dependent signals. Here, we show that many GPCRs are coincidence detectors that couple proton (H+) binding to GPCR signaling. Using a panel of 28 receptors covering 280 individual GPCR-Gα coupling combinations, we show that H+ gating both positively and negatively modulates GPCR signaling. Notably, these observations extend to all modes of GPCR pharmacology including ligand efficacy, potency, and cooperativity. Additionally, we show that GPCR antagonism and constitutive activity are regulated by H+ gating and report the discovery of an acid sensor, the adenosine A2a receptor, which can be activated solely by acidic pH. Together, these findings establish a paradigm for GPCR signaling, biology, and pharmacology applicable to acidified microenvironments such as endosomes, synapses, tumors, and ischemic vasculature.
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7
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Corin K, Tegler LT, Koutsopoulos S. G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Expression and Purification. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2178:439-467. [PMID: 33128765 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0775-6_28] [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] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral proteins of the cell membrane and are directly involved in the regulation of many biological functions and in drug targeting. However, our knowledge of GPCRs' structure and function remains limited. The first bottleneck in GPCR studies is producing sufficient quantities of soluble, functional, and stable receptors. Currently, GPCR production largely depends on the choice of the host system and the type of detergent used to extract the GPCR from the cell membrane and stabilize the protein outside the membrane bilayer. Here, we present three protocols that we employ in our lab to produce and solubilize stable GPCRs: (1) cell-free in vitro translation, (2) HEK cells, and (3) Escherichia coli. Stable receptors can be purified using immunoaffinity chromatography and gel filtration, and can be analyzed with standard biophysical techniques and biochemical assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Corin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lotta T Tegler
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sotirios Koutsopoulos
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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DCyFIR: a high-throughput CRISPR platform for multiplexed G protein-coupled receptor profiling and ligand discovery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13117-13126. [PMID: 32434907 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000430117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 800 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise the largest class of membrane receptors in humans. While there is ample biological understanding and many approved drugs for prototypic GPCRs, most GPCRs still lack well-defined biological ligands and drugs. Here, we report our efforts to tap the potential of understudied GPCRs by developing yeast-based technologies for high-throughput clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) engineering and GPCR ligand discovery. We refer to these technologies collectively as Dynamic Cyan Induction by Functional Integrated Receptors, or DCyFIR. A major advantage of DCyFIR is that GPCRs and other assay components are CRISPR-integrated directly into the yeast genome, making it possible to decode ligand specificity by profiling mixtures of GPCR-barcoded yeast strains in a single tube. To demonstrate the capabilities of DCyFIR, we engineered a yeast strain library of 30 human GPCRs and their 300 possible GPCR-Gα coupling combinations. Profiling of these 300 strains, using parallel (DCyFIRscreen) and multiplex (DCyFIRplex) DCyFIR modes, recapitulated known GPCR agonism with 100% accuracy, and identified unexpected interactions for the receptors ADRA2B, HCAR3, MTNR1A, S1PR1, and S1PR2. To demonstrate DCyFIR scalability, we profiled a library of 320 human metabolites and discovered several GPCR-metabolite interactions. Remarkably, many of these findings pertained to understudied pharmacologically dark receptors GPR4, GPR65, GPR68, and HCAR3. Experiments on select receptors in mammalian cells confirmed our yeast-based observations, including our discovery that kynurenic acid activates HCAR3 in addition to GPR35, its known receptor. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the power of DCyFIR for identifying ligand interactions with prototypic and understudied GPCRs.
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9
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Rowe JB, Taghon GJ, Kapolka NJ, Morgan WM, Isom DG. CRISPR-addressable yeast strains with applications in human G protein-coupled receptor profiling and synthetic biology. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8262-8271. [PMID: 32358068 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome stability is essential for engineering cell-based devices and reporter systems. With the advent of CRISPR technology, it is now possible to build such systems by installing the necessary genetic parts directly into an organism's genome. Here, we used this approach to build a set of 10 versatile yeast-based reporter strains for studying human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest class of membrane receptors in humans. These reporter strains contain the necessary genetically encoded parts for studying human GPCR signaling in yeast, as well as four CRISPR-addressable expression cassettes, i.e. landing pads, installed at known safe-harbor sites in the yeast genome. We showcase the utility of these strains in two applications. First, we demonstrate that increasing GPCR expression by incrementally increasing GPCR gene copy number potentiates Gα coupling of the pharmacologically dark receptor GPR68. Second, we used two CRISPR-addressable landing pads for autocrine activation of a GPCR (the somatostatin receptor SSTR5) with its peptide agonist SRIF-14. The utility of these reporter strains can be extended far beyond these select examples to include applications such as nanobody development, mutational analysis, drug discovery, and studies of GPCR chaperoning. Additionally, we present a BY4741 yeast strain created for broad applications in the yeast and synthetic biology communities that contains only the four CRISPR-addressable landing pads. The general utility of these yeast strains provides an inexpensive, scalable, and easy means of installing and expressing genes directly from the yeast genome to build genome-barcoded sensors, reporter systems, and cell-based factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob B Rowe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Geoffrey J Taghon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nicholas J Kapolka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - William M Morgan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Daniel G Isom
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA .,University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida, USA.,University of Miami Center for Computational Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA
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10
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A cluster of aspartic residues in the extracellular loop II of PAR 4 is important for thrombin interaction and activation of platelets. Thromb Res 2017; 154:84-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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11
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Weston C, Winfield I, Harris M, Hodgson R, Shah A, Dowell SJ, Mobarec JC, Woodlock DA, Reynolds CA, Poyner DR, Watkins HA, Ladds G. Receptor Activity-modifying Protein-directed G Protein Signaling Specificity for the Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide Family of Receptors. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:21925-21944. [PMID: 27566546 PMCID: PMC5063977 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.751362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is formed through the association of the calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR) and one of three receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). Binding of one of the three peptide ligands, CGRP, adrenomedullin (AM), and intermedin/adrenomedullin 2 (AM2), is well known to result in a Gαs-mediated increase in cAMP. Here we used modified yeast strains that couple receptor activation to cell growth, via chimeric yeast/Gα subunits, and HEK-293 cells to characterize the effect of different RAMP and ligand combinations on this pathway. We not only demonstrate functional couplings to both Gαs and Gαq but also identify a Gαi component to CLR signaling in both yeast and HEK-293 cells, which is absent in HEK-293S cells. We show that the CGRP family of receptors displays both ligand- and RAMP-dependent signaling bias among the Gαs, Gαi, and Gαq/11 pathways. The results are discussed in the context of RAMP interactions probed through molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations of the RAMP-GPCR-G protein complexes. This study further highlights the importance of RAMPs to CLR pharmacology and to bias in general, as well as identifying the importance of choosing an appropriate model system for the study of GPCR pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn Weston
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Winfield
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom, the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Harris
- the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Rose Hodgson
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Archna Shah
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J Dowell
- the Department of Platform Technology and Science, GlaxoSmithkline, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Carlos Mobarec
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - David A Woodlock
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher A Reynolds
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
| | - David R Poyner
- the School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom, and
| | - Harriet A Watkins
- the School of Biological Sciences and Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Graham Ladds
- the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, United Kingdom,
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12
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Weston C, Lu J, Li N, Barkan K, Richards GO, Roberts DJ, Skerry TM, Poyner D, Pardamwar M, Reynolds CA, Dowell SJ, Willars GB, Ladds G. Modulation of Glucagon Receptor Pharmacology by Receptor Activity-modifying Protein-2 (RAMP2). J Biol Chem 2015. [PMID: 26198634 PMCID: PMC4645630 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.624601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors play important, opposing roles in regulating blood glucose levels. Consequently, these receptors have been identified as targets for novel diabetes treatments. However, drugs acting at the GLP-1 receptor, although having clinical efficacy, have been associated with severe adverse side-effects, and targeting of the glucagon receptor has yet to be successful. Here we use a combination of yeast reporter assays and mammalian systems to provide a more complete understanding of glucagon receptor signaling, considering the effect of multiple ligands, association with the receptor-interacting protein receptor activity-modifying protein-2 (RAMP2), and the role of individual G protein α-subunits. We demonstrate that RAMP2 alters both ligand selectivity and G protein preference of the glucagon receptor. Importantly, we also uncover novel cross-reactivity of therapeutically used GLP-1 receptor ligands at the glucagon receptor that is abolished by RAMP2 interaction. This study reveals the glucagon receptor as a previously unidentified target for GLP-1 receptor agonists and highlights a role for RAMP2 in regulating its pharmacology. Such previously unrecognized functions of RAMPs highlight the need to consider all receptor-interacting proteins in future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn Weston
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom,
| | - Jing Lu
- the Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
| | - Naichang Li
- the Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
| | - Kerry Barkan
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth O Richards
- the Mellanby Centre for Bone Research, Department of Human Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - David J Roberts
- the Mellanby Centre for Bone Research, Department of Human Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M Skerry
- the Mellanby Centre for Bone Research, Department of Human Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - David Poyner
- the School of Life Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom
| | - Meenakshi Pardamwar
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom, and
| | - Christopher A Reynolds
- the School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom, and
| | - Simon J Dowell
- the Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Hertfordshire SG1 2NY, United Kingdom, and
| | - Gary B Willars
- the Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Ladds
- From the Division of Biomedical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom, the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
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13
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Southern C, Cook JM, Neetoo-Isseljee Z, Taylor DL, Kettleborough CA, Merritt A, Bassoni DL, Raab WJ, Quinn E, Wehrman TS, Davenport AP, Brown AJ, Green A, Wigglesworth MJ, Rees S. Screening β-arrestin recruitment for the identification of natural ligands for orphan G-protein-coupled receptors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 18:599-609. [PMID: 23396314 DOI: 10.1177/1087057113475480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A variety of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) screening technologies have successfully partnered a number of GPCRs with their cognate ligands. GPCR-mediated β-arrestin recruitment is now recognized as a distinct intracellular signaling pathway, and ligand-receptor interactions may show a bias toward β-arrestin over classical GPCR signaling pathways. We hypothesized that the failure to identify native ligands for the remaining orphan GPCRs may be a consequence of biased β-arrestin signaling. To investigate this, we assembled 10 500 candidate ligands and screened 82 GPCRs using PathHunter β-arrestin recruitment technology. High-quality screening assays were validated by the inclusion of liganded receptors and the detection and confirmation of these established ligand-receptor pairings. We describe a candidate endogenous orphan GPCR ligand and a number of novel surrogate ligands. However, for the majority of orphan receptors studied, measurement of β-arrestin recruitment did not lead to the identification of cognate ligands from our screening sets. β-Arrestin recruitment represents a robust GPCR screening technology, and ligand-biased signaling is emerging as a therapeutically exploitable feature of GPCR biology. The identification of cognate ligands for the orphan GPCRs and the extent to which receptors may exist to preferentially signal through β-arrestin in response to their native ligand remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Southern
- Medical Research Council Technology, Centre for Therapeutic Discovery, London, UK.
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14
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Transplantation of the GAL regulon into G-protein signaling circuitry in yeast. Anal Biochem 2012; 424:27-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2012.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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15
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Giblin GMP, Billinton A, Briggs M, Brown AJ, Chessell IP, Clayton NM, Eatherton AJ, Goldsmith P, Haslam C, Johnson MR, Mitchell WL, Naylor A, Perboni A, Slingsby BP, Wilson AW. Discovery of 1-[4-(3-chlorophenylamino)-1-methyl-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridin-7-yl]-1-morpholin-4-ylmethanone (GSK554418A), a brain penetrant 5-azaindole CB2 agonist for the treatment of chronic pain. J Med Chem 2009; 52:5785-8. [PMID: 19743867 DOI: 10.1021/jm9009857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We report the synthesis and SAR of a series of novel azaindole CB(2) agonists. 6-Azaindole 18 showed activity in an acute pain model but was inactive in a chronic model. 18 is a Pgp substrate with low brain penetration. The template was redesigned, and the resulting 5-azaindole 36 was a potent CB(2) agonist with high CNS penetration. This compound was efficacious in the acute model and the chronic joint pain model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard M P Giblin
- Neurosciences CEDD, GlaxoSmithKline, New Frontiers Science Park, Harlow, Essex, UK.
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16
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Belvisi MG, Patel HJ, Freund-Michel V, Hele DJ, Crispino N, Birrell MA. Inhibitory activity of the novel CB2 receptor agonist, GW833972A, on guinea-pig and human sensory nerve function in the airways. Br J Pharmacol 2008; 155:547-57. [PMID: 18695648 DOI: 10.1038/bjp.2008.298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sensory nerves regulate central and local reflexes such as airway plasma protein leakage, bronchoconstriction and cough. Sensory nerve activity may be enhanced during inflammation such that these protective effects become exacerbated and deleterious. Cannabinoids are known to inhibit airway sensory nerve function. However, there is still controversy surrounding which receptor is involved in eliciting these effects. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We have adopted a pharmacological approach, including using a novel, more selective CB(2) receptor agonist, GW 833972A (1000-fold selective CB(2)/CB(1)), and receptor selective antagonists to investigate the inhibitory activity of cannabinoids on sensory nerve activity in vitro and in vivo in guinea-pig models of cough and plasma extravasation. KEY RESULTS GW 833972A inhibited capsaicin-induced depolarization of the human and guinea-pig and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and hypertonic saline-induced depolarization of the guinea-pig isolated vagus nerve in vitro. GW 833972A also inhibited citric acid-induced cough but not plasma extravasation in the guinea-pig and this effect was blocked by a CB(2) receptor antagonist. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This confirms and extends previous studies highlighting the role of CB(2) receptors in the modulation of sensory nerve activity elicited both by the exogenous ligands capsaicin and hypertonic saline but also by endogenous modulators such as PGE(2) and low pH stimuli. These data establish the CB(2) receptor as an interesting target for the treatment of chronic cough.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Belvisi
- Respiratory Pharmacology Group, Airway Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Pryciak
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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18
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Abstract
Cannabinoids have numerous physiological effects. In the years since the molecular identification of the G protein-coupled receptors CB1 and CB2, the ion channel TRPV1, and their corresponding endogenous ligand systems, many cannabinoid-evoked actions have been shown conclusively to be mediated by one of these specific receptor targets. However, there remain several examples where these classical cannabinoid receptors do not explain observed pharmacology. Studies using mice genetically deleted for the known receptors have confirmed the existence of additional targets, which have come to be known collectively as non-CB1/CB2 receptors. Despite intense research efforts, the molecular identity of these non-CB1/CB2 receptors remains for the most part unclear. Two orphan G protein-coupled receptors have recently been implicated as novel cannabinoid receptors; these are GPR119, which has been proposed as a receptor for oleoylethanolamide, and GPR55 which has been proposed as a receptor activated by multiple different cannabinoid ligands. In this review I will present an introduction to non-CB1/CB2 pharmacology, summarize information on GPR55 and GPR119 currently available, and consider their phylogenetic origin and what aspects of non-CB1/CB2 pharmacology, if any, they help explain.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Brown
- Department of Screening and Compound Profiling, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Essex, UK.
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Giblin GMP, O'Shaughnessy CT, Naylor A, Mitchell WL, Eatherton AJ, Slingsby BP, Rawlings DA, Goldsmith P, Brown AJ, Haslam CP, Clayton NM, Wilson AW, Chessell IP, Wittington AR, Green R. Discovery of 2-[(2,4-Dichlorophenyl)amino]-N-[(tetrahydro- 2H-pyran-4-yl)methyl]-4-(trifluoromethyl)- 5-pyrimidinecarboxamide, a Selective CB2 Receptor Agonist for the Treatment of Inflammatory Pain. J Med Chem 2007; 50:2597-600. [PMID: 17477516 DOI: 10.1021/jm061195+] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Selective CB2 receptor agonists are promising potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. A focused screen identified a pyrimidine ester as a partial agonist at the CB2 receptor with micromolar potency. Subsequent lead optimization identified 35, GW842166X, as the optimal compound in the series. 35 has an oral ED50 of 0.1 mg/kg in the rat FCA model of inflammatory pain and was selected as a clinical candidate for this indication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard M P Giblin
- Neurology and GI Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery, Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline, New Frontiers Park, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5AW, UK.
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20
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Scarselli M, Li B, Kim SK, Wess J. Multiple residues in the second extracellular loop are critical for M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor activation. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:7385-96. [PMID: 17213190 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m610394200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that the second extracellular loop (o2 loop) of bovine rhodopsin and other class I G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) targeted by biogenic amine ligands folds deeply into the transmembrane receptor core where the binding of cis-retinal and biogenic amine ligands is known to occur. In the past, the potential role of the o2 loop in agonist-dependent activation of biogenic amine GPCRs has not been studied systematically. To address this issue, we used the M(3) muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M3R), a prototypic class I GPCR, as a model system. Specifically, we subjected the o2 loop of the M3R to random mutagenesis and subsequently applied a novel yeast genetic screen to identity single amino acid substitutions that interfered with M3R function. This screen led to the recovery of about 20 mutant M3Rs containing single amino acid changes in the o2 loop that were inactive in yeast. In contrast, application of the same strategy to the extracellular N-terminal domain of the M3R did not yield any single point mutations that disrupted M3R function. Pharmacological characterization of many of the recovered mutant M3Rs in mammalian cells, complemented by site-directed mutagenesis studies, indicated that the presence of several o2 loop residues is important for efficient agonist-induced M3R activation. Besides the highly conserved Cys(220) residue, Gln(207), Gly(211), Arg(213), Gly(218), Ile(222), Phe(224), Leu(225), and Pro(228) were found to be of particular functional importance. In general, mutational modification of these residues had little effect on agonist binding affinities. Our findings are therefore consistent with a model in which multiple o2 loop residues are involved in stabilizing the active state of the M3R. Given the high degree of structural homology found among all biogenic amine GPCRs, our findings should be of considerable general relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Scarselli
- Molecular Signaling , Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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Mayrhofer S, Pöggeler S. Functional characterization of an alpha-factor-like Sordaria macrospora peptide pheromone and analysis of its interaction with its cognate receptor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2005; 4:661-72. [PMID: 15821126 PMCID: PMC1087823 DOI: 10.1128/ec.4.4.661-672.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2004] [Accepted: 02/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The homothallic filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora possesses genes which are thought to encode two pheromone precursors and two seven-transmembrane pheromone receptors. The pheromone precursor genes are termed ppg1 and ppg2. The putative products derived from the gene sequence show structural similarity to the alpha-factor precursors and a-factor precursors of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Likewise, sequence similarity has been found between the putative products of the pheromone receptor genes pre2 and pre1 and the S. cerevisiae Ste2p alpha-factor receptor and Ste3p a-factor receptor, respectively. To investigate whether the alpha-factor-like pheromone-receptor pair of S. macrospora is functional, a heterologous yeast assay was used. Our results show that the S. macrospora alpha-factor-like pheromone precursor PPG1 is processed into an active pheromone by yeast MATalpha cells. The S. macrospora PRE2 protein was demonstrated to be a peptide pheromone receptor. In yeast MATa cells lacking the endogenous Ste2p receptor, the S. macrospora PRE2 receptor facilitated all aspects of the pheromone response. Using a synthetic peptide, we can now predict the sequence of one active form of the S. macrospora peptide pheromone. We proved that S. macrospora wild-type strains secrete an active pheromone into the culture medium and that disruption of the ppg1 gene in S. macrospora prevents pheromone production. However, loss of the ppg1 gene does not affect vegetative growth or fertility. Finally, we established the yeast assay as an easy and useful system for analyzing pheromone production in developmental mutants of S. macrospora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severine Mayrhofer
- Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany
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Noble B, Kallal LA, Pausch MH, Benovic JL. Development of a Yeast Bioassay to Characterize G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinases. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:47466-76. [PMID: 14507916 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m308257200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) specifically bind and phosphorylate the agonist-occupied form of G protein-coupled receptors. To further characterize the mechanism of GRK/receptor interaction, we developed a yeast-based bioassay using strains engineered to functionally express the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 and exhibit agonist-dependent growth. Here, we demonstrate that agonist-promoted growth was effectively inhibited by co-expression with either wild type GRK2 or GRK5, whereas catalytically inactive forms of these kinases were without effect. In an effort to identify residues involved in receptor interaction, we generated a pool of GRK5 mutants and then utilized the bioassay to identify mutants selectively deficient in inhibiting agonist-promoted growth. This resulted in the identification of a large number of mutants, several of which were expressed, purified, and characterized in more detail. Two of the mutants, GRK5-L3Q/K113R and GRK5-T10P, were defective in receptor phosphorylation and also exhibited a partial defect in phospholipid binding and phospholipid-stimulated autophosphorylation of the kinase. In contrast, these mutants had wild type activity in phosphorylating the non-receptor substrate tubulin. To further characterize the function of the NH2-terminal region of GRK5, we generated a deletion mutant lacking residues 2-14 and found that this mutant was also severely impaired in receptor phosphorylation and phospholipid-promoted autophosphorylation. In addition, an NH2-terminal 14-amino acid peptide from GRK5 selectively inhibited receptor phosphorylation by GRK5 but had minimal effect on GRK2 activity. Based on these findings, we propose a model whereby the extreme NH2 terminus of GRK5 mediates phospholipid binding and is required for optimal receptor phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Noble
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA
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