1
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Lim VJY, Gerber HD, Schihada H, Trinh VT, Hilger D, Vázquez O, Kolb P. A virtual library of small molecules mimicking dipeptides. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300636. [PMID: 38332463 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Virtual combinatorial libraries are prevalent in drug discovery due to improvements in the prediction of synthetic reactions that can be performed. This has gone hand in hand with the development of virtual screening capabilities to effectively screen the large chemical spaces spanned by exhaustive enumeration of reaction products. In this study, we generated a small-molecule dipeptide mimic library to target proteins binding small peptides. The library was created based on the general idea of peptide synthesis, that is, amino acid mimics were reacted in silico to form the dipeptide mimics, yielding 2,036,819 unique compounds. After docking calculations, two compounds from the library were synthesized and tested against WD repeat-containing protein 5 (WDR5) and histamine receptors H1-H4 to evaluate whether these molecules are viable in assays. The compounds showed the highest potency at the histamine H3 receptor, with Ki values in the two-digit micromolar range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Jun Yu Lim
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Dieter Gerber
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Van Tuan Trinh
- Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Hilger
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Olalla Vázquez
- Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Peter Kolb
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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2
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Köck Z, Schnelle K, Persechino M, Umbach S, Schihada H, Januliene D, Parey K, Pockes S, Kolb P, Dötsch V, Möller A, Hilger D, Bernhard F. Cryo-EM structure of cell-free synthesized human histamine 2 receptor/G s complex in nanodisc environment. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1831. [PMID: 38418462 PMCID: PMC10901899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46096-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Here we describe the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human histamine 2 receptor (H2R) in an active conformation with bound histamine and in complex with Gs heterotrimeric protein at an overall resolution of 3.4 Å. The complex was generated by cotranslational insertion of the receptor into preformed nanodisc membranes using cell-free synthesis in E. coli lysates. Structural comparison with the inactive conformation of H2R and the inactive and Gq-coupled active state of H1R together with structure-guided functional experiments reveal molecular insights into the specificity of ligand binding and G protein coupling for this receptor family. We demonstrate lipid-modulated folding of cell-free synthesized H2R, its agonist-dependent internalization and its interaction with endogenously synthesized H1R and H2R in HEK293 cells by applying a recently developed nanotransfer technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Köck
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kilian Schnelle
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | | - Simon Umbach
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dovile Januliene
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Kristian Parey
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Arne Möller
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, Structural Biology section, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
- Center of Cellular Nanoanalytic Osnabrück (CellNanOs), University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Daniel Hilger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
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3
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Scharf MM, Humphrys LJ, Berndt S, Di Pizio A, Lehmann J, Liebscher I, Nicoli A, Niv MY, Peri L, Schihada H, Schulte G. The dark sides of the GPCR tree - research progress on understudied GPCRs. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38339984 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A large portion of the human GPCRome is still in the dark and understudied, consisting even of entire subfamilies of GPCRs such as odorant receptors, class A and C orphans, adhesion GPCRs, Frizzleds and taste receptors. However, it is undeniable that these GPCRs bring an untapped therapeutic potential that should be explored further. Open questions on these GPCRs span diverse topics such as deorphanisation, the development of tool compounds and tools for studying these GPCRs, as well as understanding basic signalling mechanisms. This review gives an overview of the current state of knowledge for each of the diverse subfamilies of understudied receptors regarding their physiological relevance, molecular mechanisms, endogenous ligands and pharmacological tools. Furthermore, it identifies some of the largest knowledge gaps that should be addressed in the foreseeable future and lists some general strategies that might be helpful in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena M Scharf
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura J Humphrys
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Berndt
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Juliane Lehmann
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ines Liebscher
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute for Biochemistry, Molecular Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alessandro Nicoli
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Chemoinformatics and Protein Modelling, Department of Molecular Life Science, School of Life Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Peri
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Stockholm, Sweden
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4
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Nagl M, Mönnich D, Rosier N, Schihada H, Sirbu A, Konar N, Reyes-Resina I, Navarro G, Franco R, Kolb P, Annibale P, Pockes S. Fluorescent Tools for the Imaging of Dopamine D 2 -Like Receptors. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300659. [PMID: 37942961 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The family of dopamine D2 -like receptors represents an interesting target for a variety of neurological diseases, e. g. Parkinson's disease (PD), addiction, or schizophrenia. In this study we describe the synthesis of a new set of fluorescent ligands as tools for visualization of dopamine D2 -like receptors. Pharmacological characterization in radioligand binding studies identified UR-MN212 (20) as a high-affinity ligand for D2 -like receptors (pKi (D2long R)=8.24, pKi (D3 R)=8.58, pKi (D4 R)=7.78) with decent selectivity towards D1 -like receptors. Compound 20 is a neutral antagonist in a Go1 activation assay at the D2long R, D3 R, and D4 R, which is an important feature for studies using whole cells. The neutral antagonist 20, equipped with a 5-TAMRA dye, displayed rapid association to the D2long R in binding studies using confocal microscopy demonstrating its suitability for fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, in molecular brightness studies, the ligand's binding affinity could be determined in a single-digit nanomolar range that was in good agreement with radioligand binding data. Therefore, the fluorescent compound can be used for quantitative characterization of native D2 -like receptors in a broad variety of experimental setups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Nagl
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Denise Mönnich
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Niklas Rosier
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexei Sirbu
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, 13125, Germany
| | - Nergis Konar
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, 13125, Germany
| | - Irene Reyes-Resina
- CiberNed, Network Center for Neurodegenerative diseases, National Spanish Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Biochemistry and Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Navarro
- CiberNed, Network Center for Neurodegenerative diseases, National Spanish Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Biochemistry and Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Franco
- CiberNed, Network Center for Neurodegenerative diseases, National Spanish Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Paolo Annibale
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, 13125, Germany
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Scotland
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA
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5
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Rosier N, Mönnich D, Nagl M, Schihada H, Sirbu A, Konar N, Reyes-Resina I, Navarro G, Franco R, Kolb P, Annibale P, Pockes S. Shedding Light on the D 1 -Like Receptors: A Fluorescence-Based Toolbox for Visualization of the D 1 and D 5 Receptors. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300658. [PMID: 37983731 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine D1 -like receptors are the most abundant type of dopamine receptors in the central nervous system and, even after decades of discovery, still highly interesting for the study of neurological diseases. We herein describe the synthesis of a new set of fluorescent ligands, structurally derived from D1 R antagonist SCH-23390 and labeled with two different fluorescent dyes, as tool compounds for the visualization of D1 -like receptors. Pharmacological characterization in radioligand binding studies identified UR-NR435 (25) as a high-affinity ligand for D1 -like receptors (pKi (D1 R)=8.34, pKi (D5 R)=7.62) with excellent selectivity towards D2 -like receptors. Compound 25 proved to be a neutral antagonist at the D1 R and D5 R in a Gs heterotrimer dissociation assay, an important feature to avoid receptor internalization and degradation when working with whole cells. The neutral antagonist 25 displayed rapid association and complete dissociation to the D1 R in kinetic binding studies using confocal microscopy verifying its applicability for fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, molecular brightness studies determined a single-digit nanomolar binding affinity of the ligand, which was in good agreement with radioligand binding data. For this reason, this fluorescent ligand is a useful tool for a sophisticated characterization of native D1 receptors in a variety of experimental setups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Rosier
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Denise Mönnich
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Martin Nagl
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexei Sirbu
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nergis Konar
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Irene Reyes-Resina
- CiberNed, Network Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Spanish Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Biochemistry and Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Navarro
- CiberNed, Network Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Spanish Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Biochemistry and Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Franco
- CiberNed, Network Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Spanish Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Paolo Annibale
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
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6
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Bresinsky M, Shahraki A, Kolb P, Pockes S, Schihada H. Development of Fluorescent AF64394 Analogues Enables Real-Time Binding Studies for the Orphan Class A GPCR GPR3. J Med Chem 2023; 66:15025-15041. [PMID: 37907069 PMCID: PMC10641823 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The orphan G protein-coupled receptor (oGPCR) GPR3 represents a potential drug target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and metabolic disorders. However, the limited toolbox of pharmacological assays hampers the development of advanced ligands. Here, we developed a signaling pathway-independent readout of compound-GPR3 interaction. Starting from computational binding pose predictions of the most potent GPR3 ligand, we designed a series of fluorescent AF64394 analogues and assessed their suitability for BRET-based binding studies. The most potent ligand, 45 (UR-MB-355), bound to GPR3 and closely related receptors, GPR6 and GPR12, with similar submicromolar affinities. Furthermore, we found that 45 engages GPR3 in a distinct mode compared to AF64394, and coincubation studies with the GPR3 agonist diphenyleneiodonium chloride revealed allosteric modulation of 45 binding. These insights provide new cues for the pharmacological manipulation of GPR3 activity. This novel binding assay will foster the development of future drugs acting through these pharmacologically attractive oGPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merlin Bresinsky
- Institute
of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Aida Shahraki
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute
of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of Marburg, Marbacher Weg 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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7
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Bowin CF, Kozielewicz P, Grätz L, Kowalski-Jahn M, Schihada H, Schulte G. WNT stimulation induces dynamic conformational changes in the Frizzled-Dishevelled interaction. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eabo4974. [PMID: 37014927 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abo4974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Frizzleds (FZDs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind to WNT family ligands. FZDs signal through multiple effector proteins, including Dishevelled (DVL), which acts as a hub for several downstream signaling pathways. To understand how WNT binding to FZD stimulates intracellular signaling and influences downstream pathway selectivity, we investigated the dynamic changes in the FZD5-DVL2 interaction elicited by WNT-3A and WNT-5A. Ligand-induced changes in bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between FZD5 and DVL2 or the isolated FZD-binding DEP domain of DVL2 revealed a composite response consisting of both DVL2 recruitment and conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex. The combination of different BRET paradigms enabled us to identify ligand-dependent conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex and distinguish them from ligand-induced recruitment of DVL2 or DEP to FZD5. The observed agonist-induced conformational changes at the receptor-transducer interface suggest that extracellular agonist and intracellular transducers cooperate through transmembrane allosteric interaction with FZDs in a ternary complex reminiscent of that of classical GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl-Fredrik Bowin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lukas Grätz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Kowalski-Jahn M, Schihada H, Schulte G. Conformational GPCR BRET Sensors Based on Bioorthogonal Labeling of Noncanonical Amino Acids. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2676:201-213. [PMID: 37277635 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3251-2_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe the application of genetic code expansion and site-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids that serve as anchor points for fluorescent labeling to generate bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based conformational sensors. Using a receptor with an N-terminal NanoLuciferase (Nluc) and a fluorescently labeled noncanonical amino acid in the receptor's extracellular part allows to analyze receptor complex formation, dissociation, and conformational rearrangements over time and in living cells. These BRET sensors can be used to investigate ligand-induced intramolecular (cysteine-rich domain [CRD] dynamics), but also intermolecular (dimer dynamics) receptor rearrangements. With the design of BRET conformational sensors based on the minimally invasive bioorthogonal labeling procedure, we describe a method that can be used in a microtiter plate format and can be easily adopted to investigate ligand-induced dynamics in various membrane receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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9
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Liebscher I, Cevheroğlu O, Hsiao CC, Maia AF, Schihada H, Scholz N, Soave M, Spiess K, Trajković K, Kosloff M, Prömel S. A guide to adhesion GPCR research. FEBS J 2022; 289:7610-7630. [PMID: 34729908 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) are a class of structurally and functionally highly intriguing cell surface receptors with essential functions in health and disease. Thus, they display a vastly unexploited pharmacological potential. Our current understanding of the physiological functions and signaling mechanisms of aGPCRs form the basis for elucidating further molecular aspects. Combining these with novel tools and methodologies from different fields tailored for studying these unusual receptors yields a powerful potential for pushing aGPCR research from singular approaches toward building up an in-depth knowledge that will facilitate its translation to applied science. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art knowledge on aGPCRs in respect to structure-function relations, physiology, and clinical aspects, as well as the latest advances in the field. We highlight the upcoming most pressing topics in aGPCR research and identify strategies to tackle them. Furthermore, we discuss approaches how to promote, stimulate, and translate research on aGPCRs 'from bench to bedside' in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Liebscher
- Division of Molecular Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Germany
| | | | - Cheng-Chih Hsiao
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - André F Maia
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Hannes Schihada
- C3 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nicole Scholz
- Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Germany
| | - Mark Soave
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK.,Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Katja Spiess
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katarina Trajković
- Biology of Robustness Group, Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, Split, Croatia
| | - Mickey Kosloff
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Simone Prömel
- Institute of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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10
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Schihada H, Klompstra TM, Humphrys LJ, Cervenka I, Dadvar S, Kolb P, Ruas JL, Schulte G. Isoforms of GPR35 have distinct extracellular N-termini that allosterically modify receptor-transducer coupling and mediate intracellular pathway bias. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102328. [PMID: 35933013 PMCID: PMC9450150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the intestine, the human G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) GPR35 is involved in oncogenic signaling, bacterial infections, and inflammatory bowel disease. GPR35 is known to be expressed as two distinct isoforms that differ only in the length of their extracellular N-termini by 31 amino acids, but detailed insights into their functional differences are lacking. Through gene expression analysis in immune and gastrointestinal cells, we show that these isoforms emerge from distinct promoter usage and alternative splicing. Additionally, we employed optical assays in living cells to thoroughly profile both GPR35 isoforms for constitutive and ligand-induced activation and signaling of 10 different heterotrimeric G proteins, ligand-induced arrestin recruitment, and receptor internalization. Our results reveal that the extended N-terminus of the long isoform limits G protein activation yet elevates receptor–β-arrestin interaction. To better understand the structural basis for this bias, we examined structural models of GPR35 and conducted experiments with mutants of both isoforms. We found that a proposed disulfide bridge between the N-terminus and extracellular loop 3, present in both isoforms, is crucial for constitutive G13 activation, while an additional cysteine contributed by the extended N-terminus of the long GPR35 isoform limits the extent of agonist-induced receptor–β-arrestin2 interaction. The pharmacological profiles and mechanistic insights of our study provide clues for the future design of isoform-specific GPR35 ligands that selectively modulate GPR35–transducer interactions and allow for mechanism-based therapies against, for example, inflammatory bowel disease or bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schihada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas M Klompstra
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura J Humphrys
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Igor Cervenka
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shamim Dadvar
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jorge L Ruas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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11
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Bosma R, Dijon NC, Zheng Y, Schihada H, Hauwert NJ, Shi S, Arimont M, Riemens R, Custers H, van de Stolpe A, Vischer HF, Wijtmans M, Holliday ND, Kuster DW, Leurs R. Optical control of the β2-adrenergic receptor with Opto-prop-2: a cis-active azobenzene analog of propranolol. iScience 2022; 25:104882. [PMID: 36060054 PMCID: PMC9436767 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we synthesized and evaluated new photoswitchable ligands for the beta-adrenergic receptors β1-AR and β2-AR, applying an azologization strategy to the first-generation beta-blocker propranolol. The resulting compounds (Opto-prop-1, -2, -3) have good photochemical properties with high levels of light-induced trans-cis isomerization (>94%) and good thermal stability (t1/2 > 10 days) of the resulting cis-isomer in an aqueous buffer. Upon illumination with 360-nm light to PSScis, large differences in binding affinities were observed for photoswitchable compounds at β1-AR as well as β2-AR. Notably, Opto-prop-2 (VUF17062) showed one of the largest optical shifts in binding affinities at the β2-AR (587-fold, cis-active), as recorded so far for photoswitches of G protein-coupled receptors. We finally show the broad utility of Opto-prop-2 as a light-dependent competitive antagonist of the β2-AR as shown with a conformational β2-AR sensor, by the recruitment of downstream effector proteins and functional modulation of isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes. A photoswitchable antagonist of the β2-AR was developed: Opto-prop-2 β2-AR binding affinity of the light-induced cis-Opto-prop-2 is 578-fold stronger Opto-prop-2 allowed dynamic control of β2-AR antagonism Opto-prop-2 allowed light-dependent modulation of cardiomyocyte function
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Affiliation(s)
- Reggie Bosma
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nicola C. Dijon
- School of Life Sciences, The Medical School, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Yang Zheng
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Niels J. Hauwert
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Shuang Shi
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marta Arimont
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rick Riemens
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Custers
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Andrea van de Stolpe
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henry F. Vischer
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maikel Wijtmans
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nicholas D. Holliday
- School of Life Sciences, The Medical School, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Diederik W.D. Kuster
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Physiology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Heart Failure & Arrhythmias, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rob Leurs
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute for Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Corresponding author
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12
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Xu L, Chen B, Schihada H, Wright SC, Turku A, Wu Y, Han GW, Kowalski-Jahn M, Kozielewicz P, Bowin CF, Zhang X, Li C, Bouvier M, Schulte G, Xu F. Cryo-EM structure of constitutively active human Frizzled 7 in complex with heterotrimeric G s. Cell Res 2021; 31:1311-1314. [PMID: 34239071 PMCID: PMC8648716 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00525-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Grants
- 32071194 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- P18-0098 Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning (Swedish Society for Medical Research)
- FDN-148431 CIHR
- Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Research Council (2017-04676; 2019-01190), the Swedish Cancer Society (CAN2017/561, 20 1102 PjF, 20 0264P), the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF17OC0026940; NNF20OC0063168), The Swedish Society of Medical Research (SSMF; P19-0055), the Lars Hierta Memorial Foundation (FO2019-0086, FO2020-0304), The Alex and Eva Wallström Foundation for Scientific Research and Education (2020-00228). and the German Research Foundation (DFG, 427840891; KO 5463/1-1)
- CIHR (FDN-148431)
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Chen
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shane C Wright
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ainoleena Turku
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Orion Pharma R&D, Espoo, Finland
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gye-Won Han
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Bowin
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xianjun Zhang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chao Li
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michel Bouvier
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Fei Xu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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13
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Kowalski-Jahn M, Schihada H, Turku A, Huber T, Sakmar TP, Schulte G. Frizzled BRET sensors based on bioorthogonal labeling of unnatural amino acids reveal WNT-induced dynamics of the cysteine-rich domain. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabj7917. [PMID: 34757789 PMCID: PMC8580317 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj7917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Frizzleds (FZD1–10) are G protein–coupled receptors containing an extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD) binding Wingless/Int-1 lipoglycoproteins (WNTs). Despite the role of WNT/FZD signaling in health and disease, our understanding of how WNT binding is translated into receptor activation and transmembrane signaling remains limited. Current hypotheses dispute the roles for conformational dynamics. To clarify how WNT binding to FZD translates into receptor dynamics, we devised conformational FZD-CRD biosensors based on bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). Using FZD with N-terminal nanoluciferase (Nluc) and fluorescently labeled unnatural amino acids in the linker domain and extracellular loop 3, we show that WNT-3A and WNT-5A induce similar CRD conformational rearrangements despite promoting distinct signaling pathways and that CRD dynamics are not required for WNT/β-catenin signaling. Thus, these FZD-CRD biosensors provide insights into binding, activation, and signaling processes in FZDs. The sensor design is broadly applicable to explore ligand-induced dynamics also in other membrane receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kowalski-Jahn
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ainoleena Turku
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Huber
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Thomas P. Sakmar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, S-17164 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Section of Receptor Biology and Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, S-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
- Corresponding author.
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14
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Schihada H, Shekhani R, Schulte G. Quantitative assessment of constitutive G protein-coupled receptor activity with BRET-based G protein biosensors. Sci Signal 2021; 14:eabf1653. [PMID: 34516756 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abf1653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schihada
- Section for Receptor Biology and Signaling, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rawan Shekhani
- Section for Receptor Biology and Signaling, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Section for Receptor Biology and Signaling, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165 Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Rosier N, Grätz L, Schihada H, Möller J, Işbilir A, Humphrys LJ, Nagl M, Seibel U, Lohse MJ, Pockes S. A Versatile Sub-Nanomolar Fluorescent Ligand Enables NanoBRET Binding Studies and Single-Molecule Microscopy at the Histamine H 3 Receptor. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11695-11708. [PMID: 34309390 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The histamine H3 receptor (H3R) is considered an attractive drug target for various neurological diseases. We here report the synthesis of UR-NR266, a novel fluorescent H3R ligand. Broad pharmacological characterization revealed UR-NR266 as a sub-nanomolar compound at the H3R with an exceptional selectivity profile within the histamine receptor family. The presented neutral antagonist showed fast association to its target and complete dissociation in kinetic binding studies. Detailed characterization of standard H3R ligands in NanoBRET competition binding using UR-NR266 highlights its value as a versatile pharmacological tool to analyze future H3R ligands. The low nonspecific binding observed in all experiments could also be verified in TIRF and confocal microscopy. This fluorescent probe allows the highly specific analysis of native H3R in various assays ranging from optical high throughput technologies to biophysical analyses and single-molecule studies in its natural environment. An off-target screening at 14 receptors revealed UR-NR266 as a selective compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Rosier
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Lukas Grätz
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Dept. of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Jan Möller
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, Würzburg 97070, Germany
| | - Ali Işbilir
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, Würzburg 97070, Germany
| | - Laura J Humphrys
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Martin Nagl
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Ulla Seibel
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Martin J Lohse
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, Würzburg 97070, Germany.,ISAR Bioscience Institute, Semmelweisstraße 5, Planegg 82152, Germany
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, 2101 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
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16
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Abstract
The class Frizzled of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), consisting of ten Frizzled (FZD1-10) subtypes and Smoothened (SMO), remains one of the most enigmatic GPCR families. While SMO relies on cholesterol binding to the 7TM core of the receptor to activate downstream signaling, underlying details of receptor activation remain obscure for FZDs. Here, we aimed to investigate the activation mechanisms of class F receptors utilizing a computational biology approach and mutational analysis of receptor function in combination with ligand binding and downstream signaling assays in living cells. Our results indicate that FZDs differ substantially from SMO in receptor activation-associated conformational changes. SMO manifests a preference for a straight TM6 in both ligand binding and functional readouts. Similar to the majority of GPCRs, FZDs present with a kinked TM6 upon activation owing to the presence of residue P6.43. Functional comparison of FZD and FZD P6.43F mutants in different assay formats monitoring ligand binding, G protein activation, DVL2 recruitment and TOPflash activity, however, underlines further the functional diversity among FZDs and not only between FZDs and SMO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainoleena Turku
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, Stockholm, Sweden
- Orion Pharma R&D, Espoo, Finland
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Bowin
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Receptor Biology & Signaling, Biomedicum 6D, Stockholm, Sweden.
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17
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Schihada H, Nemec K, Lohse MJ, Maiellaro I. Bioluminescence in G Protein-Coupled Receptors Drug Screening Using Nanoluciferase and Halo-Tag Technology. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2268:137-147. [PMID: 34085266 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1221-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe the stepwise application of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based conformational receptor biosensors to study GPCR activation in intact cells. This technology can be easily adopted to various plate reader devices and microtiter plate formats. Due to the high sensitivity of these BRET-based receptor biosensors and their ability to quantify simultaneously receptor activation/de-activation kinetics as well as compound efficacy and potency, these optical tools provide the most direct and unbiased approach to monitor GPCR activity in a high-throughput-compatible assay format, representing a novel promising tool for the discovery of potential GPCR therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schihada
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Katarina Nemec
- Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin J Lohse
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.,Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.,ISAR Bioscience, Planegg, Germany
| | - Isabella Maiellaro
- School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
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18
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Schihada H, Ma X, Zabel U, Vischer HF, Schulte G, Leurs R, Pockes S, Lohse MJ. Development of a Conformational Histamine H 3 Receptor Biosensor for the Synchronous Screening of Agonists and Inverse Agonists. ACS Sens 2020; 5:1734-1742. [PMID: 32397705 PMCID: PMC7325232 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The
histamine H3 receptor (H3R) represents
a highly attractive drug target for the treatment of various central
nervous system disorders, but the discovery of novel H3R targeting compounds relies on the assessment of highly amplified
intracellular signaling events that do not only reflect H3R modulation and carry the risk of high false-positive and -negative
screening rates. To address these limitations, we designed an intramolecular
H3R biosensor based on the principle of bioluminescence
resonance energy transfer (BRET) that reports the receptor’s
real-time conformational dynamics and provides an advanced tool to
screen for both H3R agonists and inverse agonists in a
live cell screening-compatible assay format. This conformational G-protein-coupled
receptor (GPCR) sensor allowed us to characterize the pharmacological
properties of known and new H3 receptor ligands with unprecedented
accuracy. Interestingly, we found that one newly developed H3 receptor ligand possesses even stronger inverse agonistic activity
than reference H3R inverse agonists including the current
gold standard pitolisant. Taken together, we describe here the design
and validation of the first screening-compatible H3R conformational
biosensor that will aid in the discovery of novel H3R ligands
and can be employed to gain deeper insights into the (in-)activation
mechanism of this highly attractive drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Schihada
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97070, Germany
| | - Xiaoyuan Ma
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrike Zabel
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97070, Germany
| | - Henry F. Vischer
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Dept. Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Rob Leurs
- Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Martin J. Lohse
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97070, Germany
- ISAR Bioscience, Planegg 82152, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin 13125, Germany
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19
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Wesslowski J, Kozielewicz P, Wang X, Cui H, Schihada H, Kranz D, Karuna M P, Levkin P, Gross JC, Boutros M, Schulte G, Davidson G. eGFP-tagged Wnt-3a enables functional analysis of Wnt trafficking and signaling and kinetic assessment of Wnt binding to full-length Frizzled. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8759-8774. [PMID: 32381507 PMCID: PMC7324525 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wingless/Int1 (Wnt) signaling system plays multiple, essential roles in embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and human diseases. Although many of the underlying signaling mechanisms are becoming clearer, the binding mode, kinetics, and selectivity of 19 mammalian WNTs to their receptors of the class Frizzled (FZD1–10) remain obscure. Attempts to investigate Wnt-FZD interactions are hampered by the difficulties in working with Wnt proteins and their recalcitrance to epitope tagging. Here, we used a fluorescently tagged version of mouse Wnt-3a for studying Wnt-FZD interactions. We observed that the enhanced GFP (eGFP)-tagged Wnt-3a maintains properties akin to wild-type (WT) Wnt-3a in several biologically relevant contexts. The eGFP-tagged Wnt-3a was secreted in an evenness interrupted (EVI)/Wntless-dependent manner, activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in 2D and 3D cell culture experiments, promoted axis duplication in Xenopus embryos, stimulated low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) phosphorylation in cells, and associated with exosomes. Further, we used conditioned medium containing eGFP-Wnt-3a to visualize its binding to FZD and to quantify Wnt-FZD interactions in real time in live cells, utilizing a recently established NanoBRET-based ligand binding assay. In summary, the development of a biologically active, fluorescent Wnt-3a reported here opens up the technical possibilities to unravel the intricate biology of Wnt signaling and Wnt-receptor selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Wesslowski
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Pawel Kozielewicz
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xianxian Wang
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Haijun Cui
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Hannes Schihada
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dominique Kranz
- Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pradhipa Karuna M
- Hematology and Oncology/Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Pavel Levkin
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Julia Christina Gross
- Hematology and Oncology/Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schulte
- Section of Receptor Biology & Signaling, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Gary Davidson
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany.
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