Biased agonism and allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptor 183 - a 7TM receptor also known as Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2.

Background And Purpose: The GPCR Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2, also known as GPR183) is activated by oxysterols and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of B cell migration during immune responses. While the molecular basis of agonist binding has been addressed in several studies, the concept of biased agonism of the EBI2 receptor has not been explored.

Experimental Approach: We investigated the effects of the EBI2 endogenous agonist 7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (7α,25-OHC) on G protein-dependent and -independent pathways as well as sodium ion allosterism using site-directed mutagenesis and functional studies.