scholarly journals Complexes of the neurotensin receptor 1 with small-molecule ligands reveal structural determinants of full, partial, and inverse agonism

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. eabe5504
Author(s):  
Mattia Deluigi ◽  
Alexander Klipp ◽  
Christoph Klenk ◽  
Lisa Merklinger ◽  
Stefanie A. Eberle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Inverse Agonists ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor ◽  
Small Molecule Ligands ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor 1 ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) and related G protein–coupled receptors of the ghrelin family are clinically unexploited, and several mechanistic aspects of their activation and inactivation have remained unclear. Enabled by a new crystallization design, we present five new structures: apo-state NTSR1 as well as complexes with nonpeptide inverse agonists SR48692 and SR142948A, partial agonist RTI-3a, and the novel full agonist SRI-9829, providing structural rationales on how ligands modulate NTSR1. The inverse agonists favor a large extracellular opening of helices VI and VII, undescribed so far for NTSR1, causing a constriction of the intracellular portion. In contrast, the full and partial agonists induce a binding site contraction, and their efficacy correlates with the ability to mimic the binding mode of the endogenous agonist neurotensin. Providing evidence of helical and side-chain rearrangements modulating receptor activation, our structural and functional data expand the mechanistic understanding of NTSR1 and potentially other peptidergic receptors.

scholarly journals Point-Substitution of Phenylalanine Residues of 26RFa Neuropeptide: A Structure-Activity Relationship Study

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (14) ◽  
pp. 4312
Author(s):  
Benjamin Lefranc ◽  
Karima Alim ◽  
Cindy Neveu ◽  
Olivier Le Marec ◽  
Christophe Dubessy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Pharmacological Profile ◽  
Acid Moiety ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Peptide Derivatives ◽  
Targeting Peptide ◽  
G Protein Coupled

26RFa is a neuropeptide that activates the rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptor QRFPR/GPR103. This peptidergic system is involved in the regulation of a wide array of physiological processes including feeding behavior and glucose homeostasis. Herein, the pharmacological profile of a homogenous library of QRFPR-targeting peptide derivatives was investigated in vitro on human QRFPR-transfected cells with the aim to provide possible insights into the structural determinants of the Phe residues to govern receptor activation. Our work advocates to include in next generations of 26RFa(20–26)-based QRFPR agonists effective substitutions for each Phe unit, i.e., replacement of the Phe22 residue by a constrained 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid moiety, and substitution of both Phe24 and Phe26 by their para-chloro counterpart. Taken as a whole, this study emphasizes that optimized modifications in the C-terminal part of 26RFa are mandatory to design selective and potent peptide agonists for human QRFPR.

scholarly journals Synthesis of adenosine analogues with indole moiety as human adenosine A 3 receptor ligands

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 171596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Xia ◽  
Xiliang Zheng ◽  
Erkang Wang ◽  
Dongfeng Li ◽  
Ruibin Hou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Receptor Ligands ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Endogenous Modulator ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Adenosine Derivatives ◽  
G Protein Coupled ◽  
Modelling Approach

Adenosine is an endogenous modulator exerting its functions through the activation of four adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes, termed A 1 , A 2A , A 2B and A 3 , which belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily. The human A 3 AR (hA 3 AR) subtype is implicated in several cytoprotective functions. Therefore, hA 3 AR modulators, and in particular agonists, are sought for their potential application as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and cardioprotective agents. Here, we prepared novel adenosine derivatives with indole moiety as hA 3 AR ligands. According to the biological assay, we found that 2-substituents 11 were critical structural determinants for A 3 AR ligands ( K i  = 111 nM). The observed structure–affinity relationships of this class of ligands were also exhaustively rationalized using the molecular modelling approach. This allows the investigation on the binding mode of the potential compound in the ligand-binding pocket of the human A 3 receptor. The results demonstrated that 11 can interact with the ASN250, GLN167, PHE168 and VAL178 through hydrogen bonding, which are shown to be important for ligand–receptor interaction.

scholarly journals Bivalent ligands promote endosomal trafficking of the dopamine D3 receptor-neurotensin receptor 1 heterodimer

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Budzinski ◽  
Simone Maschauer ◽  
Hiroyuki Kobayashi ◽  
Pierre Couvineau ◽  
Hannah Vogt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Endosomal Trafficking ◽  
Receptor Ligands ◽  
Bivalent Ligands ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Diseases ◽  
Dopamine D3 ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor 1 ◽  
G Protein Coupled

AbstractBivalent ligands are composed of two pharmacophores connected by a spacer of variable size. These ligands are able to simultaneously recognize two binding sites, for example in a G protein-coupled receptor heterodimer, resulting in enhanced binding affinity. Taking advantage of previously described heterobivalent dopamine-neurotensin receptor ligands, we demonstrate specific interactions between dopamine D3 (D3R) and neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), two receptors with expression in overlapping brain areas that are associated with neuropsychiatric diseases and addiction. Bivalent ligand binding to D3R-NTSR1 dimers results in picomolar binding affinity and high selectivity compared to the binding to monomeric receptors. Specificity of the ligands for the D3R-NTSR1 receptor pair over D2R-NTSR1 dimers can be achieved by a careful choice of the linker length. Bivalent ligands enhance and stabilize the receptor-receptor interaction leading to NTSR1-controlled internalization of D3R into endosomes via recruitment of β-arrestin, highlighting a potential mechanism for dimer-specific receptor trafficking and signalling.

scholarly journals Constitutive Dimerization of the G-Protein Coupled Receptor, Neurotensin Receptor 1, Reconstituted into Phospholipid Bilayers

2009 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 964-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Harding ◽  
Helen Attrill ◽  
Jonas Boehringer ◽  
Simon Ross ◽  
George H. Wadhams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Phospholipid Bilayers ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptor ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor 1 ◽  
G Protein Coupled

scholarly journals SPR-based fragment screening with neurotensin receptor 1 generates novel small molecule ligands

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. e0175842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Huber ◽  
Fabio Casagrande ◽  
Melanie N. Hug ◽  
Lisha Wang ◽  
Philipp Heine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecule ◽  
Fragment Screening ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor ◽  
Small Molecule Ligands ◽  
Neurotensin Receptor 1

scholarly journals Computational Investigations on the Binding Mode of Ligands for the Cannabinoid-Activated G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR18

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Neumann ◽  
Viktor Engel ◽  
Andhika B. Mahardhika ◽  
Clara T. Schoeder ◽  
Vigneshwaran Namasivayam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulation ◽  
G Protein ◽  
Phenyl Ring ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Simulation Studies ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptor ◽  
G Protein Coupled

GPR18 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) expressed in cells of the immune system. It is activated by the cannabinoid receptor (CB) agonist ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Several further lipids have been proposed to act as GPR18 agonists, but these results still require unambiguous confirmation. In the present study, we constructed a homology model of the human GPR18 based on an ensemble of three GPCR crystal structures to investigate the binding modes of the agonist THC and the recently reported antagonists which feature an imidazothiazinone core to which a (substituted) phenyl ring is connected via a lipophilic linker. Docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies were performed. As a result, a hydrophobic binding pocket is predicted to accommodate the imidazothiazinone core, while the terminal phenyl ring projects towards an aromatic pocket. Hydrophobic interaction of Cys251 with substituents on the phenyl ring could explain the high potency of the most potent derivatives. Molecular dynamics simulation studies suggest that the binding of imidazothiazinone antagonists stabilizes transmembrane regions TM1, TM6 and TM7 of the receptor through a salt bridge between Asp118 and Lys133. The agonist THC is presumed to bind differently to GPR18 than to the distantly related CB receptors. This study provides insights into the binding mode of GPR18 agonists and antagonists which will facilitate future drug design for this promising potential drug target.

scholarly journals Melatonin MT1 and MT2 Receptors Exhibit Distinct Effects in the Modulation of Body Temperature across the Light/Dark Cycle

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha López-Canul ◽  
Seung Hyun Min ◽  
Luca Posa ◽  
Danilo De Gregorio ◽  
Annalida Bedini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Receptor Subtypes ◽  
Dark Phase ◽  
Light Phase ◽  
Dark Cycle ◽  
Simultaneous Activation ◽  
Type 3 ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Melatonin (MLT) is a neurohormone that regulates many physiological functions including sleep, pain, thermoregulation, and circadian rhythms. MLT acts mainly through two G-protein-coupled receptors named MT1 and MT2, but also through an MLT type-3 receptor (MT3). However, the role of MLT receptor subtypes in thermoregulation is still unknown. We have thus investigated the effects of selective and non-selective MLT receptor agonists/antagonists on body temperature (Tb) in rats across the 12/12-h light–dark cycle. Rectal temperature was measured every 15 min from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., following subcutaneous injection of each compound at either 5:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. MLT (40 mg/kg) had no effect when injected at 5 a.m., whereas it decreased Tb during the light phase only when injected at 5:00 p.m. This effect was blocked by the selective MT2 receptor antagonist 4P-PDOT and the non-selective MT1/MT2 receptor antagonist, luzindole, but not by the α1/MT3 receptors antagonist prazosin. However, unlike MLT, neither the selective MT1 receptor partial agonist UCM871 (14 mg/kg) nor the selective MT2 partial agonist UCM924 (40 mg/kg) altered Tb during the light phase. In contrast, UCM871 injected at 5:00 p.m. increased Tb at the beginning of the dark phase, whereas UCM924 injected at 5:00 a.m. decreased Tb at the end of the dark phase. These effects were blocked by luzindole and 4P-PDOT, respectively. The MT3 receptor agonist GR135531 (10 mg/kg) did not affect Tb. These data suggest that the simultaneous activation of both MT1 and MT2 receptors is necessary to regulate Tb during the light phase, whereas in a complex but yet unknown manner, they regulate Tb differently during the dark phase. Overall, MT1 and MT2 receptors display complementary but also distinct roles in modulating circadian fluctuations of Tb.

scholarly journals Identification of V6.51L as a selectivity hotspot in stereoselective A2B adenosine receptor antagonist recognition

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuesong Wang ◽  
Willem Jespers ◽  
Rubén Prieto-Díaz ◽  
Maria Majellaro ◽  
Adriaan P. IJzerman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioligand Binding ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Selective Recognition ◽  
Chiral Hplc ◽  
Binding Assays ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Adenosine Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Energy Perturbation

AbstractThe four adenosine receptors (ARs) A1AR, A2AAR, A2BAR, and A3AR are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for which an exceptional amount of experimental and structural data is available. Still, limited success has been achieved in getting new chemical modulators on the market. As such, there is a clear interest in the design of novel selective chemical entities for this family of receptors. In this work, we investigate the selective recognition of ISAM-140, a recently reported A2BAR reference antagonist. A combination of semipreparative chiral HPLC, circular dichroism and X-ray crystallography was used to separate and unequivocally assign the configuration of each enantiomer. Subsequently affinity evaluation for both A2A and A2B receptors demonstrate the stereospecific and selective recognition of (S)-ISAM140 to the A2BAR. The molecular modeling suggested that the structural determinants of this selectivity profile would be residue V2506.51 in A2BAR, which is a leucine in all other ARs including the closely related A2AAR. This was herein confirmed by radioligand binding assays and rigorous free energy perturbation (FEP) calculations performed on the L249V6.51 mutant A2AAR receptor. Taken together, this study provides further insights in the binding mode of these A2BAR antagonists, paving the way for future ligand optimization.

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