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Non-receptor activators of heterotrimeric G-protein signaling (AGS proteins).

G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling represents one of the most conserved and ubiquitous means in mammalian cells for transferring information across the plasma membrane to the intracellular environment. Heterotrimeric G-protein subunits play key roles in transducing these signals, and intracellular regulators influencing the activation state and interaction of these subunits regulate the extent and duration of GPCR signaling. One class of intracellular regulator, the non-receptor activators of G-protein signaling (or AGS proteins), are the major focus of this review. AGS proteins provide a basis for understanding the function of heterotrimeric G-proteins in both GPCR-driven and GPCR independent cellular signaling pathways.

Animals↗

G-protein coupled receptor oligomerization in neuroendocrine pathways.

Protein-protein interactions are fundamental processes for many biological systems including those involving the superfamily of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). A growing body of biochemical and functional evidence supports the existence of GPCR-GPCR homo- and hetero-oligomers. In particular, hetero-oligomers can display pharmacological and functional properties distinct from those of the homodimer or oligomer thus adding another level of complexity to how GPCRs are activated, signal and traffick in the cell. Dimerization may also play a role in influencing the activity of agonists and antagonists. We are only beginning to unravel how and why such complexes are formed, the functional implications of which will have an enormous impact on GPCR biology. Future research that studies GPCRs as dimeric or oligomeric complexes will enhance not only our understanding of GPCRs in cellular function but will also be critical for novel drug design and improved treatment of the vast array of GPCR-related conditions.

Dimerization↗

Regulatory effects of G protein-coupled receptors on cardiac sarcolemmal Na+/H+ exchanger activity: signalling and significance.

In cardiac myocytes, sarcolemmal Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) activity is subject to regulation by a variety of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) systems. This regulation usually manifests as an increase in NHE activity (e.g. in response to the stimulation of alpha1-adrenergic, angiotensin AT1, endothelin and thrombin receptors), although some GPCR systems have been shown to inhibit sarcolemmal NHE activity (e.g. beta1-adrenergic receptors) or to attenuate its stimulation by other ligands (e.g. adenosine A1 and angiotensin AT2 receptors). The pertinent molecular signalling mechanisms are only now beginning to be unravelled, with the extracellular signal regulated kinase/ribosomal S6 kinase pathway and the protein kinase C pathway both appearing to play critical roles in the stimulation of sarcolemmal NHE activity. GPCR-mediated regulation of sarcolemmal NHE activity is likely to play significant roles in modulating myocardial function in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. These roles include the regulation of (1) myocardial pH(i) and contractility, (2) myocardial susceptibility to injury and dysfunction during ischaemia and reperfusion, and (3) myocardial hypertrophy in response to neurohormonal and mechanical stimuli. Greater understanding of the pertinent molecular signalling mechanisms distal to GPCR stimulation may reveal novel targets for therapeutic manipulation.

GTP-Binding Proteins↗

Global analysis of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling in human tissues.

The G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family mediates a host of cell-cell communications upon activation by diverse ligands. Numerous GPCRs have been shown to display anatomically selective patterns of gene expression, however, our understanding of the complexity of GPCR signaling within human tissues remains unclear. In an effort to characterize global patterns of GPCR signaling in the human body, microarray analysis was performed on a large panel of tissues to monitor the gene expression levels of the receptors as well as related signaling and regulatory molecules. Analysis of the data revealed complex signaling networks in many tissue types, with tissue-specific patterns of gene expression observed for the majority of the receptors and a number of components and regulators of GPCR signaling.

Animals↗

Measuring the modulatory effects of RGS proteins on GIRK channels.

Discovery of "regulators of G-protein signaling" (RGS) as GTPase-activating proteins for heterotrimeric G proteins has provided a highly sought "missing link," reconciling past discrepancies between the in vitro GTPase activity of purified G proteins and the kinetics of physiological responses mediated by G-protein signaling in vivo. With the number of RGS genes in the mammalian genome at more than 30, associating specific RGS proteins to specific G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling events has become a focus of RGS investigators. The ubiquitous expression of multiple RGS proteins has complicated this effort, yet the outlook has been encouraged with the identification of RGS9 as the determinant mediating rapid recovery of the transducin-dependent photoresponse. G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels that mediate inhibitory synaptic transmission via GPCR activation of pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins are similarly accelerated by RGS proteins when reconstituted in heterologous cell expression systems and fully reproduce the gating properties of native GIRK channels in neurons and cardiomyocytes. The endogenous neuronal and cardiac RGS protein(s) that accelerate GPCR-->GIRK channel-gating kinetics are currently not known. This article describes methods used to measure the receptor-dependent GIRK channel-gating parameters reconstituted in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells and Xenopus oocytes, as well as rat atrial myocytes and rat cerebellar granule neurons as model cells with native GPCR-->GIRK channel signaling. Applications of these methods for structure-function-based studies of RGS proteins, G proteins, and GPCRs are discussed. We also describe single cell reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction methods developed to profile atrial myocyte and neuronal RGS expression to identify specific RGS proteins for targeted knockdown or knockout.

Animals↗

A novel subgroup of class I G-protein-coupled receptors.

Based on structural similarities of an expressed sequence tag with the platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor a cDNA clone encoding a novel G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), named GPR34, was isolated from a human fetal brain cDNA library. Genomic DNA analyses revealed the receptor to be encoded by an intronless single-copy gene at Xp11. 3-11.4. The predicted 381-amino-acid protein disclosed all structural features characteristic of a member of the class I GPCR family. Except an obvious sequence homology in transmembrane domain 6, no further similarities to the PAF receptor or any other known GPCR were found. The corresponding mouse receptor DNA was isolated from a genomic P1 library displaying a 90% amino acid identity compared to the human receptor. Phylogenetic studies showed that GPR34 is preserved among vertebrates, and the existence of GPR34 subtypes was demonstrated. The receptor mRNA is abundantly expressed in human and mouse tissues. In addition to the major 2-kb transcript, a 4-kb transcript was found only in mouse liver and testis. Expression of the human GPR34 in COS-7 cells followed by Western blot studies revealed specific bands of a highly glycosylated protein between 75 and 90 kDa. A number of potential ligands including phospholipids, leukotrienes, hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acids, nucleotides and peptides were tested in functional assays. Since none of the applied substances led to significant changes in second messenger levels (cAMP and inositol phosphates), the natural ligand and coupling profile of this novel GPCR subgroup remains unknown.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Classification and identification of proteins by means of common and specific amino acid n-tuples in unaligned sequences.

Unaligned amino acid sequences can be characterized by their composition of amino acid n-tuples (i.e. doublets, triplets, quadruplets, etc.). In this study we investigated the performance of two statistics, termed commonality and specificity, that are derived from n-tuple counts using a set of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) sequences. The commonality of a tuple is defined as its relative occurrence in the sequences that belong to a given GPCR subtype. The specificity of a tuple is derived from its relative occurrence in the sequences of a given GPCR subtype and from its relative non-occurrence in the sequences that do not belong to this subtype. A graphical presentation, termed 'polygram', is described for the visualization of common and specific tuples. The method can be applied to the classification of unknown GPCR sequences. It can also be applied to the identification of fragments of GPCRs, such as may occur in chimeric receptors. The method is generally applicable to other protein families and other types of coding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Discovery and mapping of ten novel G protein-coupled receptor genes.

We report the identification, cloning and tissue distributions of ten novel human genes encoding G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) GPR78, GPR80, GPR81, GPR82, GPR93, GPR94, GPR95, GPR101, GPR102, GPR103 and a pseudogene, psi GPR79. Each novel orphan GPCR (oGPCR) gene was discovered using customized searches of the GenBank high-throughput genomic sequences database with previously known GPCR-encoding sequences. The expressed genes can now be used in assays to determine endogenous and pharmacological ligands. GPR78 shared highest identity with the oGPCR gene GPR26 (56% identity in the transmembrane (TM) regions). psi GPR79 shared highest sequence identity with the P2Y(2) gene and contained a frame-shift truncating the encoded receptor in TM5, demonstrating a pseudogene. GPR80 shared highest identity with the P2Y(1) gene (45% in the TM regions), while GPR81, GPR82 and GPR93 shared TM identities with the oGPCR genes HM74 (70%), GPR17 (30%) and P2Y(5) (40%), respectively. Two other novel GPCR genes, GPR94 and GPR95, encoded a subfamily with the genes encoding the UDP-glucose and P2Y(12) receptors (sharing >50% identities in the TM regions). GPR101 demonstrated only distant identities with other GPCR genes and GPR102 shared identities with GPR57, GPR58 and PNR (35-42% in the TM regions). GPR103 shared identities with the neuropeptide FF 2, neuropeptide Y2 and galanin GalR1 receptors (34-38% in the TM regions). Northern analyses revealed GPR78 mRNA expression in the pituitary and placenta and GPR81 expression in the pituitary. A search of the GenBank databases with the GPR82 sequence retrieved an identical sequence in an expressed sequence tag (EST) partially encoding GPR82 from human colonic tissue. The GPR93 sequence retrieved an identical, human EST sequence from human primary tonsil B-cells and an EST partially encoding mouse GPR93 from small intestinal tissue. GPR94 was expressed in the frontal cortex, caudate putamen and thalamus of brain while GPR95 was expressed in the human prostate and rat stomach and fetal tissues. GPR101 revealed mRNA transcripts in caudate putamen and hypothalamus. GPR103 mRNA signals were detected in the cortex, pituitary, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain, midbrain and pons.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dimerization and domain swapping in G-protein-coupled receptors: a computational study.

In recent years there has been an increasing number of reports describing G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) dimerization and heterodimerization. However, the evidence on the nature of the dimers and their role in GPCR activation is inconclusive. Consequently, we present here a review of our computational studies on G protein-coupled receptor dimerization and domain swapping. The studies described include molecular dynamics simulations on receptor monomers and dimers in the absence of ligand, in the presence of an agonist, and in the presence of an antagonist (or more precisely an inverse agonist). Two distinct sequence-based approaches to studying protein interfaces are also described, namely correlated mutation analysis and evolutionary trace analysis. All three approaches concur in supporting the proposal that the dimerization interface includes transmembrane helices 5 and 6. These studies cannot distinguish between domain swapped dimers and contact dimers as the models used were restricted to the helical part of the receptor. However, it is proposed that for the purpose of signalling, the domain swapped dimer and the corresponding contact dimer are equivalent. The evolutionary trace analysis suggests that every GPCR family and subfamily (for which sufficient sequence data is available) has the potential to dimerize through this common functional site on helices 5 and 6. The evolutionary trace results on the G protein are briefly described and these are consistent with GPCR dimerization. In addition to the functional site on helices 5 and 6, the evolutionary trace analysis identified a second functional site on helices 2 and 3. Possible roles for this site are suggested, including oligomerization.

Animals↗

Use of fluorescence resonance energy transfer to analyze oligomerization of G-protein-coupled receptors expressed in yeast.

Oligomerization or dimerization of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has emerged as an important theme in signal transduction. This concept has recently gained widespread interest due to the application of direct and noninvasive biophysical techniques such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), which have shown unequivocally that several types of GPCR can form dimers or oligomers in living cells. Current challenges are to determine which GPCRs can self-associate and/or interact with other GPCRs, to define the molecular principles that govern these specific interactions, and to establish which aspects of GPCR function require oligomerization. Although these questions ultimately must be addressed by using GPCRs expressed endogenously in their native cell types, analysis of GPCR oligomerization in heterologous expression systems will be useful to survey which GPCRs can interact, to conduct structure-function studies, and to identify peptides or small molecules that disrupt GPCR oligomerization and function. Here, we describe methods employing scanning fluorometry to detect FRET between GPCRs tagged with enhanced cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins (CFP and YFP) in living yeast cells. This approach provides a powerful means to analyze oligomerization of a variety of GPCRs that can be expressed in yeast, such as adrenergic, adenosine, C5a, muscarinic acetylcholine, vasopressin, opioid, and somatostatin receptors.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Rhodopsin phosphorylation: 30 years later.

Phototransduction in vertebrate photoreceptor cells mediated by rhodopsin is one of the most comprehensively examined G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways. The signal transduction pathway can be mapped from the initial absorption of light to conformational changes within rhodopsin, through activation of the G protein transducin, and to the ultimate closure of the cation cGMP-gated channels in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, phototransduction has become an intensely studied model system for understanding the desensitizing processes that allow reduced non-linear responses of photoreceptor cells to increasing levels of illumination. Although some general themes appear to occur in GPCR systems, the details of these desensitizing processes are likely to be specific to each of the receptors. These differences are attributed to the fact that each receptor has unique kinetic constraints, amplification levels, tolerance to basal constitutive activity, intracellular internalization and recycling, redundancy of isoforms, and morphologies of the cell of their expression. One of the biochemical processes that are believed to be a common part of this desensitization of the GPCR-mediated cascade is receptor phosphorylation catalyzed by members of a small family of the GPCR kinases. The enzymatic, physiological and genetic aspects of rhodopsin phosphorylation and rhodopsin kinase have been characterized extensively over the last 30 yr. However, new structurally based approaches to examining rhodopsin kinase and rhodopsin phosphorylation are still awaiting further investigations. We present here a summary of the current understanding of rhodopsin phosphorylation and the properties of rhodopsin kinase, along with some expectations of future investigations into these topics.

Animals↗

Real-time monitoring of morphological changes in living cells by electronic cell sensor arrays: an approach to study G protein-coupled receptors.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute important targets for drug discovery against a wide range of ailments including cancer, inflammatory, and cardiovascular diseases. Efforts are underway to screen selective modulators of GPCRs and also to deorphanize GPCRs with unidentified natural ligands. Most GPCR-based cellular screens depend on labeling or recombinant expression of receptor or reporter proteins, which may not capture the true physiology or pharmacology of the GPCRs. In this paper, we describe a noninvasive and label-free assay for GPCRs that can be used with both engineered and nonengineered cell lines. The assay is based on using cell-electrode impedance to measure minute changes in cellular morphology as a result of ligand-dependent GPCR activation. We have used this technology to assay the functional activation of GPCRs coupled to different signaling pathways and have compared it to standard assays. We have used pharmacological modulators of GPCR signaling pathways to demonstrate the specificity of impedance-based measurements. Our data indicate that cell-electrode impedance measurements offer a convenient, sensitive, and quantitative method for assessing GPCR function. Moreover, the noninvasive nature of the readout offers the added advantage of performing multiple treatments in the same well to study events such as desensitization and receptor cross-talk.

Animals↗

Halothane binding to a G protein coupled receptor in retinal membranes by photoaffinity labeling.

General anesthetics have been reported to alter the functions of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling systems. To determine whether these effects might be mediated by direct binding interactions with the GPCR or its associated G protein, we studied the binding character of halothane on mammalian rhodopsin, structurally the best understood GPCR, by using direct photoaffinity labeling with [(14)C]halothane. In the bleached bovine rod disk membranes (RDM), opsin and membrane lipids were dominantly photolabeled with [(14)C]halothane, but none of the three G protein subunits were labeled. In opsin itself, halothane labeling was inhibited by unlabeled halothane with an IC(50) of 0.9 mM and a Hill coefficient of -0.8. The stoichiometry was 1.1:1.0 (halothane:opsin molar ratio). The IC(50) values of isoflurane and 1-chloro-1,2, 2-trifluorocyclobutane were 5.0 and 15 mM, respectively. Ethanol had no effect on opsin labeling by halothane. A nonimmobilizer, 1, 2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane, inhibited halothane labeling by 50% at 0.05 mM. The present results demonstrate that halothane binds specifically and selectively to GPCRs in the RDM. The absence of halothane binding to any of the G protein subunits strongly suggests that the functional effects of halothane on GPCR signaling systems are mediated by direct interactions with receptor proteins.

Affinity Labels↗

NMR structure of the second intracellular loop of the alpha 2A adrenergic receptor: evidence for a novel cytoplasmic helix.

A major, unresolved question in signal transduction by G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is to understand how, at atomic resolution, a GPCR activates a G protein. A step toward answering this question was made with the determination of the high-resolution structure of rhodopsin; we now know the intramolecular interactions that characterize the resting conformation of a GPCR. To what degree does this structure represent a structural paradigm for other GPCRs, especially at the cytoplasmic surface where GPCR-G protein interaction occurs and where the sequence homology is low among GPCRs? To address this question, we performed NMR studies on approximately 35-residue-long peptides including the critical second intracellular loop (i2) of the alpha 2A adrenergic receptor (AR) and of rhodopsin. To stabilize the secondary structure of the peptide termini, 4-12 residues from the adjacent transmembrane helices were included and structures determined in dodecylphosphocholine micelles. We also characterized the effects on an alpha 2A AR peptide of a D130I mutation in the conserved DRY motif. Our results show that in contrast to the L-shaped loop in the i2 of rhodopsin, the i2 of the alpha 2A AR is predominantly helical, supporting the hypothesis that there is structural diversity within GPCR intracellular loops. The D130I mutation subtly modulates the helical structure. The spacing of nonpolar residues in i2 with helical periodicity is a predictor of helical versus loop structure. These data should lead to more accurate models of the intracellular surface of GPCRs and of receptor-mediated G protein activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Constitutive activation of opsin by mutation of methionine 257 on transmembrane helix 6.

Rhodopsin is a member of the large family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR's). Constitutive activity of GPCR's, defined as ligand-independent signaling, has been recognized as an important feature of receptor function and has also been implicated in the molecular pathophysiology of a number of human diseases. Rhodopsin has evolved a unique mechanism to minimize receptor basal activity. The chromophore 11-cis-retinal, which acts as an inverse agonist in rhodopsin, is covalently bound to the receptor to ensure extremely low receptor signaling in the dark. In this study, we replaced Met257 in TM helix 6 of opsin with each of the remaining 19 amino acids. Only mutant opsin M257R failed to be expressed in COS-cell membranes. Each of the remaining 18 mutant opsins, with the exception of M257L, was significantly constitutively active. Two mutants in particular, M257Y and M257N, displayed very high levels of constitutive activity. In addition, the double-site mutants with substitutions of both Met257 and Glu113 in TM helix 3 tended to be much more constitutively active than the sums of the activities of the individual single-site mutants. Based on existing structural models of rhodopsin, we conclude that Met257 may form an important and specific interhelical interaction with a highly conserved NPXXY motif in TM helix 7, which stabilizes the inactive receptor conformation by preventing TM helix 6 movement in the absence of all-trans-retinal. Furthermore, we are able to show that the pharmacological properties of the large number (approximately 50) of mutant opsins that we have characterized to date support the two-state model of GPCR function. These results suggest that rhodopsin and other GPCR's share a common mechanism of receptor activation that involves specific changes in helix-helix interactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure-based versus property-based approaches in the design of G-protein-coupled receptor-targeted libraries.

In this work, two alternative approaches to the design of small-molecule libraries targeted for several G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) classes were explored. The first approach relies on the selection of structural analogues of known active compounds using a substructural similarity method. The second approach, based on an artificial neural network classification procedure, searches for compounds that possess physicochemical properties typical of the GPCR-specific agents. As a reference base, 3365 GPCR-active agents belonging to nine different GPCR classes were used. General rules were developed which enabled us to assess possible areas where both approaches would be useful. The predictability of the neural network algorithm based on 14 physicochemical descriptors was found to exceed the predictability of the similarity-based approach. The structural diversity of high-scored subsets obtained with the neural network-based method exceeded the diversity obtained with the similarity-based approach. In addition, the descriptor distributions of the compounds selected by the neural network algorithm more closely approximate the corresponding distributions of the real, active compounds than did those selected using the alternative method.

Algorithms↗

High-throughput modeling of human G-protein coupled receptors: amino acid sequence alignment, three-dimensional model building, and receptor library screening.

The current study describes the development of a computer package (GPCRmod) aimed at the high-throughput modeling of the therapeutically important family of human G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRmod first proposes a reliable alignment of the seven transmembrane domains (7 TMs) of most druggable human GPCRs based on pattern/motif recognition for each of the 7 TMs that are considered independently. It then converts the alignment into knowledge-based three-dimensional (3-D) models starting from a set of 3-D backbone templates and two separate rotamer libraries for side chain positioning. The 7 TMs of 277 human GPCRs have been accurately aligned, unambiguously clustered in three different classes (rhodopsin-like, secretin-like, metabotropic glutamate-like), and converted into high-quality 3-D models at a remarkable throughput (ca. 3s/model). A 3-D GPCR target library of 277 receptors has consequently been setup. Its utility for "in silico" inverse screening purpose has been demonstrated by recovering among top scorers the receptor of a selective GPCR antagonist as well as the receptors of a promiscuous antagonist. The current GPCR target library thus constitutes a 3-D database of choice to address as soon as possible the "virtual selectivity" profile of any GPCR antagonist or inverse agonist in an early hit optimization process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Molecular modeling of the human vasopressin V2 receptor/agonist complex.

The V2 vasopressin renal receptor (V2R), which controls antidiuresis in mammals, is a member of the large family of heptahelical transmembrane (7TM) G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Using the automated GPCR modeling facility available via Internet (http:/(/)expasy.hcuge.ch/swissmod/SWISS-MODEL.+ ++html) for construction of the 7TM domain in accord with the bovine rhodopsin (RD) footprint, and the SYBYL software for addition of the intra- and extracellular domains, the human V2R was modeled. The structure was further refined and its conformational variability tested by the use of a version of the Constrained Simulated Annealing (CSA) protocol developed in this laboratory. An inspection of the resulting structure reveals that the V2R (likewise any GPCR modeled this way) is much thicker and accordingly forms a more spacious TM cavity than most of the hitherto modeled GPCR constructs do, typically based on the structure of bacteriorhodopsin (BRD). Moreover, in this model the 7TM helices are arranged differently than they are in any BRD-based model. Thus, the topology and geometry of the TM cavity, potentially capable of receiving ligands, is in this model quite different than it is in the earlier models. In the subsequent step, two ligands, the native [arginine8]vasopressin (AVP) and the selective agonist [D-arginine8]vasopressin (DAVP) were inserted, each in two topologically non-equivalent ways, into the TM cavity and the resulting structures were equilibrated and their conformational variabilities tested using CSA as above. The best docking was selected and justified upon consideration of ligand-receptor interactions and structure-activity data. Finally, the amino acid residues were indicated, mainly in TM helices 3-7, as potentially important in both AVP and DAVP docking. Among those Cys112, Val115-Lys116, Gln119, Met123 in helix 3; Glu174 in helix 4; Val206, Ala210, Val213-Phe214 in helix 5; Trp284, Phe287-Phe288, Gln291 in helix 6; and Phe307, Leu310, Ala314 and Asn317 in helix 7 appeared to be the most important ones. Many of these residues are invariant for either the GPCR superfamily or the neurophyseal (vasopressin V2R, V1aR and V1bR and oxytocin OR) subfamily of receptors. Moreover, some of the equivalent residues in V1aR have already been found critical for the ligand affinity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗