scholarly journals GPR18 undergoes a high degree of constitutive trafficking but is unresponsive to N-Arachidonoyl Glycine

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1835 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Finlay ◽  
Wayne R. Joseph ◽  
Natasha L. Grimsey ◽  
Michelle Glass

The orphan receptor GPR18 has become a research target following the discovery of a putative endogenous agonist, N-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly). Chemical similarity between NAGly and the endocannabinoid anandamide suggested the hypothesis that GPR18 is a third cannabinoid receptor. GPR18-mediated cellular signalling through inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), in addition to physiological consequences such as regulation of cellular migration and proliferation/apoptosis have been described in response to both NAGly and anandamide. However, discordant findings have also been reported. Here we sought to describe the functional consequences of GPR18 activation in heterologously-expressing HEK cells. GPR18 expression was predominantly intracellular in stably transfected cell lines, but moderate cell surface expression could be achieved in transiently transfected cells which also had higher overall expression. Assays were employed to characterise the ability of NAGly or anandamide to inhibit cAMP or induce ERK phosphorylation through GPR18, or induce receptor trafficking. Positive control experiments, which utilised cells expressing hCB1 receptors (hCB1R), were performed to validate assay design and performance. While these functional pathways in GPR18-expressing cells were not modified on treatment with a panel of putative GPR18 ligands, a constitutive phenotype was discovered for this receptor. Our data reveal that GPR18 undergoes rapid constitutive receptor membrane trafficking—several-fold faster than hCB1R, a highly constitutively active receptor. To enhance the likelihood of detecting agonist-mediated receptor signalling responses, we increased GPR18 protein expression (by tagging with a preprolactin signal sequence) and generated a putative constitutively inactive receptor by mutating the hGPR18 gene at amino acid site 108 (alanine to asparagine). This A108N mutant did cause an increase in surface receptor expression (which may argue for reduced constitutive activity), but no ligand-mediated effects were detected. Two glioblastoma multiforme cell lines (which endogenously express GPR18) were assayed for NAGly-induced pERK phosphorylation, with negative results. Despite a lack of ligand-mediated responses in all assays, the constitutive trafficking of GPR18 remains an interesting facet of receptor function and will have consequences for understanding the role of GPR18 in physiology.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0240325
Author(s):  
Angela Yulia ◽  
Alice J. Varley ◽  
Natasha Singh ◽  
Kaiyu Lei ◽  
Rachel Tribe ◽  
...  

We previously reported that at term pregnancy, a decline in myometrial protein kinase A (PKA) activity leads to an exchange protein activated by cyclic AMP (Epac1)-dependent increase in oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression, promoting the onset of labour. Here, we studied the changes in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) effector system present in different phenotypes of preterm labour (PTL). Myometrial biopsies obtained from women with phenotypically distinct forms of PTL and the levels of PKA and OTR were examined. Although we found similar changes in the cAMP effector pathway in all forms of PTL, only in the case of twin PTL (T-PTL) was myometrial OTR levels increased in association with these results. Although there were several changes in the mRNA levels of components of the cAMP synthetic pathway, the total myometrial cAMP levels did not change with the onset of any subtype of PTL. With regards to the expression of cAMP-responsive genes, we found that the mRNA levels of 4 of the 5 cAMP-down-regulated genes were increased in T-PTL, similar to our findings in term labour. These data signify that although changes in the cAMP effector system were common to all forms of PTL, only in T-PTL were OTR levels increased. Similarly, the mRNA levels of cAMP-repressed genes were only increased in T-PTL supporting the concept that the decline in PKA levels influences myometrial function driving the onset of T-PTL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Johann ◽  
Toszka Bohn ◽  
Fatemeh Shahneh ◽  
Natascha Luther ◽  
Alexander Birke ◽  
...  

AbstractThe acidic tumor microenvironment in melanoma drives immune evasion by up-regulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in tumor-infiltrating monocytes. Here we show that the release of non-toxic concentrations of an adenylate cyclase (AC) inhibitor from poly(sarcosine)-block-poly(L-glutamic acid γ-benzyl ester) (polypept(o)id) copolymer micelles restores antitumor immunity. In combination with selective, non-therapeutic regulatory T cell depletion, AC inhibitor micelles achieve a complete remission of established B16-F10-OVA tumors. Single-cell sequencing of melanoma-infiltrating immune cells shows that AC inhibitor micelles reduce the number of anti-inflammatory myeloid cells and checkpoint receptor expression on T cells. AC inhibitor micelles thus represent an immunotherapeutic measure to counteract melanoma immune escape.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (17) ◽  
pp. 4124-4135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Spriano ◽  
Eugenio Gaudio ◽  
Luciano Cascione ◽  
Chiara Tarantelli ◽  
Federica Melle ◽  
...  

Abstract Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins, cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CBP), and the E1A-binding protein of p300 (EP300) are important players in histone acetylation. Preclinical evidence supports the notion that small molecules targeting these proteins individually or in combination can elicit antitumor activity. Here, we characterize the antitumor activity of the pan BET/CBP/EP300 inhibitor NEO2734 and provide insights into its mechanism of action through bromodomain-binding assays, in vitro and in vivo treatments of cancer cell lines, immunoblotting, and transcriptome analyses. In a panel of 60 models derived from different tumor types, NEO2734 exhibited antiproliferative activity in multiple cell lines, with the most potent activity observed in hematologic and prostate cancers. Focusing on lymphoma cell lines, NEO2374 exhibited a pattern of response and transcriptional changes similar to lymphoma cells exposed to either BET or CBP/EP300 inhibitors alone. However, NEO2734 was more potent than single-agent BET or CBP/EP300 inhibitors alone. In conclusion, NEO2734 is a novel antitumor compound that shows preferential activity in lymphomas, leukemias, and prostate cancers.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 526-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meritxell Alberich Jordà ◽  
Nazik Rayman ◽  
Marjolein Tas ◽  
Sandra E. Verbakel ◽  
Natalia Battista ◽  
...  

Abstract Cb2, the gene encoding the peripheral cannabinoid receptor, is located in a common virus integration site and is overex-pressed in retrovirally induced murine myeloid leukemias. Here we show that this G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) is also aberrantly expressed in a high percentage of human acute myeloid leukemias. We investigated the mechanism of transformation by Cb2 and demonstrate that aberrant expression of this receptor on hematopoietic precursor cells results in distinct effects depending on the ligand used. Cb2-expressing myeloid precursors migrate upon stimulation by the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol and are blocked in neutrophilic differentiation upon exposure to another ligand, CP55940. Both effects depend on the activation of Gαi proteins and require the mitogen-induced extracellular kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway. Down-regulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels upon Gαi activation is important for migration induction but is irrelevant for the maturation arrest. Moreover, the highly conserved G protein-interacting DRY motif, present in the second intracellular loop of GPCRs, is critical for migration but unimportant for the differentiation block. This suggests that the Cb2-mediated differentiation block requires interaction of Gαi proteins with other currently unknown motifs. This indicates a unique mechanism by which a transforming GPCR, in a ligand-dependent manner, causes 2 distinct oncogenic effects: altered migration and block of neutrophilic development. (Blood. 2004;104:526-534)


2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Qi Liu ◽  
Siyuan Tan ◽  
Matthew C. Mendel ◽  
Richard J. Murrills ◽  
Bheem M. Bhat ◽  
...  

Isogenic cell lines differing only in the expression of the protein of interest provide the ideal platform for cell-based screening. However, related natural lines differentially expressing the therapeutic target of choice are rare. Here the authors report a strategy for drug screening employing isogenic human cell lines in which the expression of the target protein is regulated by a gene-specific engineered zinc-finger protein (ZFP) transcription factor (TF). To demonstrate this approach, a ZFP TF activator of the human parathyroid hormone receptor 1 (PTHR1) gene was identified and introduced into HEK293 cells (negative for PTHR1). Following induction of ZFP TF expression, this cell line produced functional PTHR1 protein, resulting in a robust and ligand-specific cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response. Reciprocally, the natural expression of PTHR1 observed in SAOS2 cells was dramatically reduced by the introduction of the appropriate PTHR1-specific ZFP TF repressor. Moreover, this ZFP-driven PTHR1 repression selectively eliminated the functional cAMP response invoked by known ligands of PTHR1. These data establish ZFP TF–generated isogenic lines as a general approach for the identification of therapeutic agents specific for the target gene of interest.


Author(s):  
J. L. Maciaszek ◽  
B. Andemariam ◽  
G. Lykotrafitis

Irregular sickle red blood cells (RBCs) can contribute to the pathogenesis of vasoocclusion and other complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) via abnormal adherence to the vascular endothelium. It has previously been demonstrated that epinephrine enhances SCD RBC adhesion by activating the BCAM/Lu and ICAM-4 surface receptors [1–2]. Epinephrine acts on the RBC β2-adrenergic receptor, thereby activating Gas proteins that stimulate adenylyl cyclase (AC). This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), leading to protein kinase A (PKA) activation, an intermediate step in the upregulation of BCAM/Lu and ICAM-4 mediated adhesion. The interaction of BCAM/Lu with the α5 chain of laminin may contribute to vaso-occlusive events in SCD due to overexpression of BCAM on SCD RBCs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
A. F. Ferreira ◽  
F. D. França ◽  
J. V. Rossoni ◽  
P. H. L. Viana ◽  
K. C. M. Moraes ◽  
...  

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