Detailed functional characterization of four nanobodies as positive allosteric modulators of the human calcium-sensing receptor.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) plays a key role in calcium homeostasis, and small-molecule and peptide positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of CaSR, so-called calcimimetics, are used in the treatment of hyperparathyroidism and hypocalcemic disorders. In this study, four monovalent nanobodies - representing four distinct nanobody families with CaSR PAM activity - were subjected to elaborate pharmacological profiling at the receptor. While Nb5 displayed negligible PAM activity at CaSR in all assays, Nb4, Nb10 and Nb45 all potently potentiated Ca-evoked signalling through a myc epitope-tagged CaSR expressed in HEK293 or HEK293T cells in Gα and Gα protein activation assays and in a Ca/Fluo-4 assay.

Heterogenous Origins of Calcium Homeostasis Disorders Arising from Five Heterozygous Calcium-Sensing Receptor Variants.

Context And Objectives: The human calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) plays a key role in calcium homeostasis, and most identified CASR variants are associated with hypercalcemic and hypocalcemic disorders. Here we characterized the pharmacological implications of five heterozygous CASR variants from individuals with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia 1 [FHH1: Y63C, I81T, Q459R, W818stop] or autosomal dominant hypocalcemia 1 [ADH1: R955stop].

Methods: Total and cell surface expression levels of wild-type (WT) and variant CaSRs expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells were determined using ELISA, and the pharmacological properties of the receptors were delineated in two functional assays.

A µ-opioid receptor modulator that works cooperatively with naloxone.

The µ-opioid receptor (µOR) is a well-established target for analgesia, yet conventional opioid receptor agonists cause serious adverse effects, notably addiction and respiratory depression. These factors have contributed to the current opioid overdose epidemic driven by fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid. µOR negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) may serve as useful tools in preventing opioid overdose deaths, but promising chemical scaffolds remain elusive.

Mechanistic insights into G-protein coupling with an agonist-bound G-protein-coupled receptor.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activate heterotrimeric G proteins by promoting guanine nucleotide exchange. Here, we investigate the coupling of G proteins with GPCRs and describe the events that ultimately lead to the ejection of GDP from its binding pocket in the Gα subunit, the rate-limiting step during G-protein activation. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the temporal progression of structural rearrangements of GDP-bound G protein (G·GDP; hereafter G) upon coupling to the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) in atomic detail.

Allosteric modulation and G-protein selectivity of the Ca-sensing receptor.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is a family C G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that has a central role in regulating systemic calcium homeostasis. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy and functional assays to investigate the activation of human CaSR embedded in lipid nanodiscs and its coupling to functional G versus G proteins in the presence and absence of the calcimimetic drug cinacalcet. High-resolution structures show that both G and G drive additional conformational changes in the activated CaSR dimer to stabilize a more extensive asymmetric interface of the seven-transmembrane domain (7TM) that involves key protein-lipid interactions.

Glycine: a long-sought novel ligand for GPR158.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important drug targets with chemically diverse ligands and varying intracellular coupling partners. Recent work by Laboute et al. deorphanized GPR158 as a metabotropic glycine receptor (mGlyR), thereby providing evidence of a novel neuromodulatory system involving this non-canonical Class C receptor with an impact on cognition and affective states.

Negative allosteric modulation of the glucagon receptor by RAMP2.

Receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) modulate the activity of many Family B GPCRs. We show that RAMP2 directly interacts with the glucagon receptor (GCGR), a Family B GPCR responsible for blood sugar homeostasis, and broadly inhibits receptor-induced downstream signaling. HDX-MS experiments demonstrate that RAMP2 enhances local flexibility in select locations in and near the receptor extracellular domain (ECD) and in the 6 transmembrane helix, whereas smFRET experiments show that this ECD disorder results in the inhibition of active and intermediate states of the intracellular surface.

Glepaglutide, a novel glucagon-like peptide-2 agonist, has anti-inflammatory and mucosal regenerative effects in an experimental model of inflammatory bowel disease in rats.

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) enhances intestinal repair and attenuates inflammation in preclinical inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) models, making GLP-2 analogues attractive candidates for IBD therapy. Glepaglutide is a long-acting GLP-2 receptor agonist in clinical development for treatment of short bowel syndrome. Here, we investigated if glepaglutide is therapeutically beneficial in rats with small intestinal inflammation.

Delineation of the GPR15 receptor-mediated Gα protein signalling profile in recombinant mammalian cells.

The GPR15 receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which is activated by an endogenous peptide GPR15L(25-81) and a C-terminal peptide fragment GPR15L(71-81). GPR15 signals through the G pathway to decrease intracellular cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP). However, the activation profiles of the GPR15 receptor within G subtypes have not been examined.

Asymmetric activation of the calcium-sensing receptor homodimer.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a cell-surface sensor for Ca, is the master regulator of calcium homeostasis in humans and is the target of calcimimetic drugs for the treatment of parathyroid disorders. CaSR is a family C G-protein-coupled receptor that functions as an obligate homodimer, with each protomer composed of a Ca-binding extracellular domain and a seven-transmembrane-helix domain (7TM) that activates heterotrimeric G proteins. Here we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of near-full-length human CaSR in inactive or active states bound to Ca and various calcilytic or calcimimetic drug molecules.

G-protein activation by a metabotropic glutamate receptor.

Family C G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) operate as obligate dimers with extracellular domains that recognize small ligands, leading to G-protein activation on the transmembrane (TM) domains of these receptors by an unknown mechanism. Here we show structures of homodimers of the family C metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2) in distinct functional states and in complex with heterotrimeric G. Upon activation of the extracellular domain, the two transmembrane domains undergo extensive rearrangement in relative orientation to establish an asymmetric TM6-TM6 interface that promotes conformational changes in the cytoplasmic domain of one protomer.

Dissecting the roles of GRK2 and GRK3 in μ-opioid receptor internalization and β-arrestin2 recruitment using CRISPR/Cas9-edited HEK293 cells.

Most G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) recruit β-arrestins and internalize upon agonist stimulation. For the μ-opioid receptor (μ-OR), this process has been linked to development of opioid tolerance. GPCR kinases (GRKs), particularly GRK2 and GRK3, have been shown to be important for μ-OR recruitment of β-arrestin and internalization.

Delineation of molecular determinants for FR900359 inhibition of G unlocks inhibition of Gα.

Heterotrimeric G proteins are essential mediators of intracellular signaling of G protein-coupled receptors. The G subfamily consists of G, G, G, and G proteins, of which all but G are inhibited by the structurally related natural products YM-254890 and FR900359. These inhibitors act by preventing the GDP/GTP exchange, which is necessary for activation of all G proteins.

Structural insights into differences in G protein activation by family A and family B GPCRs.

Family B heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play important roles in carbohydrate metabolism. Recent structures of family B GPCR-G protein complexes reveal a disruption in the α-helix of transmembrane segment 6 (TM6) not observed in family A GPCRs. To investigate the functional impact of this structural difference, we compared the structure and function of the glucagon receptor (GCGR; family B) with the β adrenergic receptor (βAR; family A).

Structures of metabotropic GABA receptor.

Stimulation of the metabotropic GABA receptor by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) results in prolonged inhibition of neurotransmission, which is central to brain physiology. GABA belongs to family C of the G-protein-coupled receptors, which operate as dimers to transform synaptic neurotransmitter signals into a cellular response through the binding and activation of heterotrimeric G proteins. However, GABA is unique in its function as an obligate heterodimer in which agonist binding and G-protein activation take place on distinct subunits.

Probing the Existence of a Metastable Binding Site at the β-Adrenergic Receptor with Homobivalent Bitopic Ligands.

Herein, we report the development of bitopic ligands aimed at targeting the orthosteric binding site (OBS) and a metastable binding site (MBS) within the same receptor unit. Previous molecular dynamics studies on ligand binding to the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) suggested that ligands pause at transient, less-conserved MBSs. We envisioned that MBSs can be regarded as allosteric binding sites and targeted by homobivalent bitopic ligands linking two identical pharmacophores.

Structural Insights into the Process of GPCR-G Protein Complex Formation.

The crystal structure of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) bound to the G protein adenylyl cyclase stimulatory G protein (Gs) captured the complex in a nucleotide-free state (β2AR-Gs). Unfortunately, the β2AR-Gs complex does not provide a clear explanation for G protein coupling specificity. Evidence from several sources suggests the existence of a transient complex between the β2AR and GDP-bound Gs protein (β2AR-Gs) that may represent an intermediate on the way to the formation of β2AR-Gs and may contribute to coupling specificity.

Author Correction: Structural insights into the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors.

The surname of author Toon Laeremans was misspelled 'Laermans'. This error has been corrected online.

Structural insights into the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors are family C G-protein-coupled receptors. They form obligate dimers and possess extracellular ligand-binding Venus flytrap domains, which are linked by cysteine-rich domains to their 7-transmembrane domains. Spectroscopic studies show that signalling is a dynamic process, in which large-scale conformational changes underlie the transmission of signals from the extracellular Venus flytraps to the G protein-coupling domains-the 7-transmembrane domains-in the membrane.

G protein peptidomimetics as allosteric modulators of the β-adrenergic receptor.

A series of G protein peptidomimetics were designed and synthesised based on the published X-ray crystal structure of the active state β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) in complex with the G protein (PDB 3SN6). We hypothesised that such peptidomimetics may function as allosteric modulators that target the intracellular G protein binding site of the βAR. Peptidomimetics were designed to mimic the 15 residue C-terminal α-helix of the G protein and were pre-organised in a helical conformation by (, + 4)-stapling using copper catalysed azide alkyne cycloaddition.

A cAMP Biosensor-Based High-Throughput Screening Assay for Identification of Gs-Coupled GPCR Ligands and Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors.

Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) is an important second messenger, and quantification of intracellular cAMP levels is essential in studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The intracellular cAMP levels are regulated by the adenylate cyclase (AC) upon activation of either Gs- or Gi-coupled GPCRs, which leads to increased or decreased cAMP levels, respectively. Here we describe a real-time Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based cAMP high-throughput screening (HTS) assay for identification and characterization of Gs-coupled GPCR ligands and phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors in living cells.

mGluR5: exploration of orthosteric and allosteric ligand binding pockets and their applications to drug discovery.

Since its discovery in 1992, mGluR5 has attracted significant attention and been linked to several neurological and psychiatric diseases. Ligand development was initially focused on the orthosteric binding pocket, but lack of subtype selective ligands changed the focus to the transmembrane allosteric binding pocket. This strategy has resulted in several drug candidates in clinical testing.

Real-time trafficking and signaling of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor.

The glucagon-like peptide-1 incretin receptor (GLP-1R) of family B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is a major drug target in type-2-diabetes due to its regulatory effect on post-prandial blood-glucose levels. The mechanism(s) controlling GLP-1R mediated signaling are far from fully understood. A fundamental mechanism controlling the signaling capacity of GPCRs is the post-endocytic trafficking of receptors between recycling and degradative fates.

cAMP biosensors applied in molecular pharmacological studies of G protein-coupled receptors.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a common second messenger that mediates numerous biological responses. Intracellular cAMP levels are increased by activation of G(s)-coupled G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and decreased by activation of G(i)-coupled GPCRs via the adenylyl cyclase. Many end-point assays for quantifying GPCR-mediated changes in intracellular cAMP levels exist.

Pharmacological characterization and modeling of the binding sites of novel 1,3-bis(pyridinylethynyl)benzenes as metabotropic glutamate receptor 5-selective negative allosteric modulators.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) is a potential drug target in neurological and psychiatric disorders, and subtype-selective allosteric modulators have attracted much attention as potential drug candidates. In this study, the binding sites of three novel 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP)-derived negative allosteric modulators, 2-, 3-, and 4-BisPEB, have been characterized. 2-, 3-, and 4-BisPEB are 1,3-bis(pyridinylethynyl)-benzenes and differ only by the position of the nitrogen atoms in the pyridine rings.