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Identification of the hydrophobic ligand binding pocket of the S1P1 receptor.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a naturally occurring sphingolipid mediator and also a second messenger with growth factor-like actions in almost every cell type, is an endogenous ligand of five G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the endothelial differentiation gene family. The lack of GPCR crystal structures sets serious limitations to rational drug design and in silico searches for subtype-selective ligands. Here we report on the experimental validation of a computational model of the ligand binding pocket of the S1P1 GPCR surrounding the aliphatic portion of S1P. The extensive mutagenesis-based validation confirmed 18 residues lining the hydrophobic ligand binding pocket, which, combined with the previously validated three head group-interacting residues, now complete the mapping of the S1P ligand recognition site. We identified six mutants (L3.43G/L3.44G, L3.43E/L3.44E, L5.52A, F5.48G, V6.40L, and F6.44G) that maintained wild type [32P]S1P binding with abolished ligand-dependent activation by S1P. These data suggest a role for these amino acids in the conformational transition of S1P1 to its activated state. Three aromatic mutations (F5.48Y, F6.44G, and W6.48A) result in differential activation, by S1P or SEW2871, indicating that structural differences between the two agonists can partially compensate for differences in the amino acid side chain. The now validated ligand binding pocket provided us with a pharmacophore model, which was used for in silico screening of the NCI, National Institutes of Health, Developmental Therapeutics chemical library, leading to the identification of two novel nonlipid agonists of S1P1.

Binding Sites↗

The pasteurella multocida toxin interacts with signalling pathways to perturb cell growth and differentiation.

Some years ago we showed that the Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) is a potent mitogen for cells in culture. It is an intracellularly acting toxin that stimulates several signal transduction pathways. The heterotrimeric G-protein, Gq, is stimulated, which in turn causes activation of protein kinase C and an increase in inositol trisphosphates. The Rho GTPase is also activated, leading via the Rho kinase, to activation of the focal adhesion kinase and to cytoskeletal rearrangements. Analysis of the PMT sequence suggested the presence of three domains that encode receptor binding, translocation and catalytic domains. The location of all three domains has been confirmed directly. Competitive binding assays confirmed that the N-terminus of PMT encoded the receptor-binding domain, while cytoplasmic microinjection of expressed PMT fragments identified the location of the C-terminal catalytic domain. Recently, we have demonstrated the presence of key amino acids that affect membrane insertion within the putative transmembrane domain. Several lines of evidence suggest that PMT activates Galphaq, and that this is one potential molecular target for the toxin. Galphaq is known to be tyrosine phosphorylated when activated normally via a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), and it has been suggested that this is an essential part of the activation process. We have shown that PMT induces Galphaq tyrosine phosphorylation, but that this is not essential for activation of the G-protein. Furthermore, a totally inactive mutant of PMT stimulates Galpha phosphorylation without leading to its activation. Phosphorylation of Galphaq triggered by the inactive mutant potentiates activation of Gq via a GPCR, demonstrating that phosphorylation of Gq cannot lead to receptor uncoupling. Natural or experimental infection of animals with toxigenic P. multocida, or injection with purified recombinant PMT causes loss of nasal turbinate bone. The effects on bone have been analysed in vitro using cultures of osteoblasts--cells that lay down bone. PMT blocks the formation of mature calcified bone nodules and the expression of differentiation markers such as CBFA-1, alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. These effects can be partially prevented by inhibitors of Rho or Rho kinase function, implicating this pathway in osteoblast differentiation. Indeed, inhibitors of Rho stimulate the formation of bone nodules in vitro. In summary, PMT is a novel toxin that acts via signalling pathways to promote proliferation in many cells, while specifically inhibiting differentiation in osteoblast cells.

Bacterial Proteins↗

GPR3 in neuro-metabolic-immune-reproductive nexus - a potential therapeutic target for Multi-System diseases.

BACKGROUND: GPR3(G-protein-coupled receptor 3), an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with constitutive Gs activity, is expressed in the brain, liver, ovary, and other tissues, regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis across the nervous, reproductive, immune, and metabolic systems. This review synthesizes evidence on its integrated signaling and physiological functions to address the lack of a comprehensive multisystem pathophysiology overview. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Web of Science, using keywords such as "GPR3", "GPCR", "neurodegeneration", "metabolism", "immune", "reproduction", "agonist", "inhibitor", and "therapeutic target". This search identified GPR3's roles in neurodegenerative diseases, immune inflammation, reproduction, and energy metabolism. The analysis focused on signaling pathways, ligand regulation, and therapeutic potential. RESULTS: The research indicates that GPR3 is involved in neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and microglial activity via the cAMP/PKA, PI3K/Akt, and β - arrestin pathways. It promotes amyloid - β formation in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet provides neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease (PD) models. It may contribute to anxiety/depression - like states, maintain oocyte meiotic arrest in the ovary, and activate thermogenic genes in adipose tissue. GPR3 modulates immune responses. Using oleic acid (OA) and diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) as activators, and AF64394 and cannabidiol (CBD) as antagonists, it shows potential in disease models. CONCLUSION: GPR3 acts as a central molecular hub integrating neural, metabolic, immune, and reproductive signaling, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for chronic multisystem disorders. However, its dual roles in certain pathologies and translation challenges necessitate further research.

Humans↗

The G protein-coupled receptors: pharmacogenetics and disease.

Genetic variation in G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is associated with a wide spectrum of disease phenotypes and predispositions that are of special significance because they are the targets of therapeutic agents. Each variant provides an opportunity to understand receptor function that complements a plethora of available in vitro data elucidating the pharmacology of the GPCRs. For example, discrete portions of the proximal tail of the dopamine D1 receptor have been discovered, in vitro, that may be involved in desensitization, recycling and trafficking. Similar in vitro strategies have been used to elucidate naturally occurring GPCR mutations. Inactive, over-active or constitutively active receptors have been identified by changes in ligand binding, G-protein coupling, receptor desensitization and receptor recycling. Selected examples reviewed include those disorders resulting from mutations in rhodopsin, thyrotropin, luteinizing hormone, vasopressin and angiotensin receptors. By comparison, the recurrent pharmacogenetic variants are more likely to result in an altered predisposition to complex disease in the population. These common variants may affect receptor sequence without intrinsic phenotype change or spontaneous induction of disease and yet result in significant alteration in drug efficacy. These pharmacogenetic phenomena will be reviewed with respect to a limited sampling of GPCR systems including the orexin/hypocretin system, the beta2 adrenergic receptors, the cysteinyl leukotriene receptors and the calcium-sensing receptor. These developments will be discussed with respect to strategies for drug discovery that take into account the potential for the development of drugs targeted at mutated and wild-type proteins.

Drug Resistance↗

BacMam recombinant baculoviruses in G protein-coupled receptor drug discovery.

With completion of the sequencing of the human and mouse genomes, the primary sequences of close to 400 non-olfactory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been determined. There are intensive efforts within the pharmaceutical industry to discover and develop new therapeutic agents acting via GPCRs. In addition, there is a concerted effort to identify potential new drug targets from the remaining 150+orphan GPCRs through the identification of their ligands. Access to functionally expressed recombinant receptors underpins both of these key drug discovery activities. Typically, GPCR drug discovery screening activities are carried out using mammalian cell lines stably expressing the target of interest. The influx of new receptor sequences originating from genomic sequencing efforts has caused a shift toward wider applications of transient rather than stable expression systems, especially in support of assays for orphan receptor ligand screening. Recombinant baculoviruses in which the polyhedrin promoter has been replaced with a mammalian promoter, termed BacMam viruses, were originally designed as potential new gene therapy delivery vehicles. This same technology offers numerous advantages as a transient expression system in the assay of membrane-expressed drug targets, including GPCRs. Data presented show that BacMam can be used rapidly to generate robust and pharmacologically authentic GPCR assays in several formats, with the potential to transform drug discovery screening processes for this gene family.

Baculoviridae↗

G-protein-mediated signaling and its control in macrophages and mammalian cells.

G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) in various cell types exert its effects through heterotrimetic GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins). The interaction of specific ligand or agonists with CPCR transuces signal and enhances gene expression, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) activation, and thus regulates cell proliferation, differentation, and motility. Abnormal signaling or prolonged activation of G-protein signaling pathways blocks normal functioning of various cells and tissues of our body. New insights into the mechanisms governing the specificity and temporal regulation of G-protein signaling pathways have been provided by the recent discovery of GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and RGS proteins (regulators of G-protein signaling). Different molecular biological approaches are now being employed to study the G-protein-mediated signaling and its control in various mammalian cells. Recent developments on the activation of phagocytic cells, especially macrophages, via ligation or cross-linking of GPCR and their postreceptor ligation effect against several intramacrophage pathogens are also discussed.

Animals↗

The BRET2/arrestin assay in stable recombinant cells: a platform to screen for compounds that interact with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRS).

In BRET2 (Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer), a Renilla luciferase (RLuc) is used as the donor protein, while a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP2) is used as the acceptor protein. In the presence of the cell permeable substrate DeepBlueC, RLuc emits blue light at 395 nm. If the GFP2 is brought into close proximity to RLuc via a specific biomolecular interaction, the GFP2 will absorb the blue light energy and reemit green light at 510nm. BRET2 signals are therefore easily determined by measuring the ratio of green over blue light (510/395nm) using appropriate dual channel luminometry instruments (e.g., Fusion Universal Microplate Analyzer, Packard BioScience). Since no light source is required for BRET2 assays, the technology does not suffer from high fluorescent background or photobleaching, the common problems associated with standard FRET-based assays. Using BRET2, we developed a generic G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) assay based on the observation that activation of the majority of GPCRs by agonists leads to the interaction of beta-arrestin (a protein that is involved in receptor desensitization and sequestration) with the receptor. We established a cell line stably expressing the GFP2:beta-arrestin 2 fusion protein, and showed that it can be used to monitor the activation of various transiently expressed GPCRs, in BRET2/arrestin assays. In addition, using the HEK 293/GFP2:beta-arrestin 2 cell line as a recipient, we generated a double-stable line co-expressing the vasopressin 2 receptor (V2R) fused to RLuc (V2R:RLuc) and used it for the pharmacological characterization of compounds in BRET2/arrestin assays. This approach yields genuine pharmacology and supports the BRET2/arrestin assay as a tool that can be used with recombinant cell lines to characterize ligand-GPCR interactions which can be applied to ligand identification for orphan receptors.

Arrestins↗

G protein-coupled receptor/arrestin3 modulation of the endocytic machinery.

Nonvisual arrestins (arr) modulate G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) desensitization and internalization and bind to both clathrin (CL) and AP-2 components of the endocytic coated pit (CP). This raises the possibility that endocytosis of some GPCRs may be a consequence of arr-induced de novo CP formation. To directly test this hypothesis, we examined the behavior of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-arr3 in live cells expressing beta2-adrenergic receptors and fluorescent CL. After agonist stimulation, the diffuse GFP-arr3 signal rapidly became punctate and colocalized virtually completely with preexisting CP spots, demonstrating that activated complexes accumulate in previously formed CPs rather than nucleating new CP formation. After arr3 recruitment, CP appeared larger: electron microscopy analysis revealed an increase in both CP number and in the occurrence of clustered CPs. Mutant arr3 proteins with impaired binding to CL or AP-2 displayed reduced recruitment to CPs, but were still capable of inducing CP clustering. In contrast, though constitutively present in CPs, the COOH-terminal moiety of arr3, which contains CP binding sites but lacks receptor binding, did not induce CP clustering. Together, these results indicate that recruitment of functional arr3-GPCR complexes to CP is necessary to induce clustering. Latrunculin B or 16 degrees C blocked CP rearrangements without affecting arr3 recruitment to CP. These results and earlier studies suggest that discrete CP zones exist on cell surfaces, each capable of supporting adjacent CPs, and that the cortical actin membrane skeleton is intimately involved with both the maintenance of existing CPs and the generation of new structures.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

Critical role of PIP5KI{gamma}87 in InsP3-mediated Ca(2+) signaling.

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) is the obligatory precursor of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP(3) or IP(3)) and is therefore critical to intracellular Ca(2+) signaling. Using RNA interference (RNAi), we identified the short splice variant of type I phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase gamma (PIP5KIgamma87) as the major contributor of the PIP(2) pool that supports G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated IP(3) generation. PIP5KIgamma87 RNAi decreases the histamine-induced IP(3) response and Ca(2+) flux by 70%. Strikingly, RNAi of other PIP5KI isoforms has minimal effect, even though some of these isoforms account for a larger percent of total PIP(2) mass and have previously been implicated in receptor mediated endocytosis or focal adhesion formation. Therefore, PIP5KIgamma87's PIP(2) pool that supports GPCR-mediated Ca(2+) signaling is functionally compartmentalized from those generated by the other PIP5KIs.

Calcium Signaling↗

A second leukotriene B(4) receptor, BLT2. A new therapeutic target in inflammation and immunological disorders.

Leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) is a potent chemoattractant and activator of both granulocytes and macrophages. The actions of LTB(4) appear to be mediated by a specific G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) BLT1, originally termed BLT (Yokomizo, T., T. Izumi, K. Chang, Y. Takuwa, and T. Shimizu. 1997. Nature. 387:620-624). Here, we report the molecular cloning of a novel GPCR for LTB(4), designated BLT2, which binds LTB(4) with a Kd value of 23 nM compared with 1.1 nM for BLT1, but still efficiently transduces intracellular signaling. BLT2 is highly homologous to BLT1, with an amino acid identity of 45.2%, and its open reading frame is located in the promoter region of the BLT1 gene. BLT2 is expressed ubiquitously, in contrast to BLT1, which is expressed predominantly in leukocytes. Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing BLT2 exhibit LTB(4)-induced chemotaxis, calcium mobilization, and pertussis toxin-insensitive inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Several BLT1 antagonists, including U 75302, failed to inhibit LTB(4) binding to BLT2. Thus, BLT2 is a pharmacologically distinct receptor for LTB(4), and may mediate cellular functions in tissues other than leukocytes. BLT2 provides a novel target for antiinflammatory therapy and promises to expand our knowledge of LTB(4) function. The location of the gene suggests shared transcriptional regulation of these two receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nonradioactive GTP binding assay to monitor activation of g protein-coupled receptors.

GPCRs represent important targets for drug discovery because GPCRs participate in a wide range of cellular signaling pathways that play a role in a variety of pathological conditions. A large number of screening assays have been developed in HTS laboratories for the identification of hits or lead compounds acting on GPCRs. One type of assay that has found relatively widespread application, due to its at least in part generic nature, relies on the use of a radioactive GTP analogue, [(35)S]GTPgammaS. The G-protein alpha subunit is an essential part of the interaction between receptor and G proteins in transmembrane signaling, where the activated receptor catalyzes the release of GDP from Galpha, thereby enabling the subsequent binding of GTP or a GTP analogue. [(35)S]GTPgammaS allows the extent of this interaction to be followed quantitatively by determining the amount of radioactivity associated with cell membranes. However, with the increased desire to move assays to nonradioactive formats, there is a considerable need to develop a nonradioactive GTP binding assay to monitor ligand-induced changes in GPCR activity. The Eu-GTP binding assay described here is based on TRF that exploits the unique fluorescence properties of lanthanide chelates, and provides a powerful alternative to assays using radioisotopes. In this article, we have used the human alpha(2A)-AR as a model GPCR system to evaluate the usefulness of this Eu-GTP binding assay.

Animals↗

The development of an europium-GTP assay to quantitate chemokine antagonist interactions for CXCR4 and CCR5.

Chemokine receptors have been implicated in several disease processes such as acute and chronic inflammation, cancer, and allograft rejection and are therefore targets for drug development. The chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4 are of particular interest as they serve as entry cofactors for human immunodeficiency virus. These receptors are members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. In this respect, assessing GPCR activation by GTP binding is an important tool to study the early stage of signal transduction. The assay normally utilizes the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-gamma-[35S]thiotriphosphate. In order to avoid the problems involved in working with radioactivity, a new non-radioactive version of the assay was developed using a europium-labeled GTP analogue in which europium-GTP binding can be assayed using time-resolved fluorescence. The assay was optimized for CXCR4 and CCR5 and validated for screening of chemokine antagonists using the small molecule CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 and CCR5 antagonists.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Dynamic regulation of mammalian numb by G protein-coupled receptors and protein kinase C activation: Structural determinants of numb association with the cortical membrane.

The cell fate determinant Numb is a membrane-associated adaptor protein involved in both development and intracellular vesicular trafficking. It has a phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domain and COOH-terminal endocytic-binding motifs for alpha-adaptin and Eps15 homology domain-containing proteins. Four isoforms of Numb are expressed in vertebrates, two of which selectively associate with the cortical membrane. In this study, we have characterized a cortical pool of Numb that colocalizes with AP2 and Eps15 at substratum plasma membrane punctae and cortical membrane-associated vesicles. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged mutants of Numb were used to identify the structural determinants required for localization. In addition to the previously described association of the PTB domain with the plasma membrane, we show that the AP2-binding motifs facilitate the association of Numb with cortical membrane punctae and vesicles. We also show that agonist stimulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are linked to phospholipase Cbeta and protein kinase C (PKC) activation causes redistribution of Numb from the cortical membrane to the cytosol. This effect is correlated with Numb phosphorylation and an increase in its Triton X-100 solubility. Live-imaging analysis of mutants identified two regions within Numb that are independently responsive to GPCR-mediated lipid hydrolysis and PKC activation: the PTB domain and a region encompassing at least three putative PKC phosphorylation sites. Our data indicate that membrane localization of Numb is dynamically regulated by GPCR-activated phospholipid hydrolysis and PKC-dependent phosphorylation events.

Adaptor Protein Complex 2↗

Prediction of the coupling specificity of G protein coupled receptors to their G proteins.

UNLABELLED: G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are found in great numbers in most eukaryotic genomes. They are responsible for sensing a staggering variety of structurally diverse ligands, with their activation resulting in the initiation of a variety of cellular signalling cascades. The physiological response that is observed following receptor activation is governed by the guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) to which a particular receptor chooses to couple. Previous investigations have demonstrated that the specificity of the receptor-G protein interaction is governed by the intracellular domains of the receptor. Despite many studies it has proven very difficult to predict de novo, from the receptor sequence alone, the G proteins to which a GPCR is most likely to couple. We have used a data-mining approach, combining pattern discovery with membrane topology prediction, to find patterns of amino acid residues in the intracellular domains of GPCR sequences that are specific for coupling to a particular functional class of G proteins. A prediction system was then built, being based upon these discovered patterns. We can report this approach was successful in the prediction of G protein coupling specificity of unknown sequences. Such predictions should be of great use in providing in silico characterisation of newly cloned receptor sequences and for improving the annotation of GPCRs stored in protein sequence databases. AVAILABILITY: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/~croning/coupling.html.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Automated extraction of mutation data from the literature: application of MuteXt to G protein-coupled receptors and nuclear hormone receptors.

MOTIVATION: The amount of genomic and proteomic data that is published daily in the scientific literature is outstripping the ability of experimental scientists to stay current. Reviews, the traditional medium for collating published observations, are also unable to keep pace. For some specific classes of information (e.g. sequences and protein structures), obligatory data deposition policies have helped. However, a great deal of other valuable information is spread throughout the literature hindering coherent access. We are involved in the Molecular Class-Specific Information System (MCSIS) project, a collaborative effort to design and automate the maintenance of protein family databases. The first two databases, the GPCRDB and NucleaRDB, are focused on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and nuclear hormone receptors (NRs), respectively. The main aim of the MCSIS project is to gather heterogeneous data from across a variety of electronic and literature sources in order to draw new inferences about the target protein families. RESULTS: We present a computational method that identifies and extracts mutation data from the scientific literature. We focused on the extraction of single point mutations for the GPCR and NR superfamilies. After validation by plausibility filters, the mutation data is integrated into the corresponding MCSIS where it is combined with structural and sequence information already stored in these databases. We extracted and validated 2736 true point mutations from 914 articles on GPCRs and 785 true point mutations from 1094 articles on NRs. The current version of our automated extraction algorithm identifies 49.3% of the GPCR point mutations with a specificity of 87.9%, and 64.5% of the NR point mutations with a specificity of 85.8%. MuteXt routinely analyzes 100 electronic articles in approximately 1 h.

Algorithms↗

Explicit formulation of different receptor-G-protein interactions and effector regulation.

MOTIVATION: G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can create different intracellular signals depending on which G-proteins they couple to and which intracellular signal-integrators, such as adenylyl cyclases, are expressed in the cell. One and the same GPCR can activate multiple G-protein species, generating signals, which either inhibit or amplify each other. Because of this complexity, extraction of mechanistic information from concentration-response curves is not straightforward. RESULTS: To tackle this problem, I describe in this paper explicit equations for GPCR-interaction with two G-protein species by different possible mechanisms, and also an equation for the regulation of an effector enzyme by the activated G-proteins or their effectors. Arithmetic solutions to these equations are presented, which resulted in the equations being applicable in a spreadsheet program environment. These equations are useful in simulations to analyze results, to design experiments and to test hypotheses. Some examples of this are presented in this study.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

POSBIOTM-NER: a trainable biomedical named-entity recognition system.

SUMMARY: POSBIOTM-NER is a trainable biomedical named-entity recognition system. POSBIOTM-NER can be automatically trained and adapted to new datasets without performance degradation, using CRF (conditional random field) machine learning techniques and automatic linguistic feature analysis. Currently, we have trained our system on three different datasets. GENIA-NER was trained based on GENIA Corpus, GENE-NER based on BioCreative data and GPCR-NER based on our own POSBIOTM/NE corpus, respectively, which would be used in GPCR-related pathway extraction.

Algorithms↗

Prediction of the coupling specificity of GPCRs to four families of G-proteins using hidden Markov models and artificial neural networks.

MOTIVATION: G-protein coupled receptors are a major class of eukaryotic cell-surface receptors. A very important aspect of their function is the specific interaction (coupling) with members of four G-protein families. A single GPCR may interact with members of more than one G-protein families (promiscuous coupling). To date all published methods that predict the coupling specificity of GPCRs are restricted to three main coupling groups G(i/o), G(q/11) and G(s), not including G(12/13)-coupled or other promiscuous receptors. RESULTS: We present a method that combines hidden Markov models and a feed-forward artificial neural network to overcome these limitations, while producing the most accurate predictions currently available. Using an up-to-date curated dataset, our method yields a 94% correct classification rate in a 5-fold cross-validation test. The method predicts also promiscuous coupling preferences, including coupling to G(12/13), whereas unlike other methods avoids overpredictions (false positives) when non-GPCR sequences are encountered. AVAILABILITY: A webserver for academic users is available at http://bioinformatics.biol.uoa.gr/PRED-COUPLE2

Animals↗