TY - JOUR

T1 - Modulation of constitutive activity and signaling bias of the ghrelin receptor by conformational constraint in the second extracellular loop

AU - Mokrosinski, Jacek

AU - Frimurer, Thomas M

AU - Sivertsen, Bjoern

AU - Schwartz, Thue W

AU - Holst, Birgitte

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - Based on a rare, natural Glu for Ala204(C+6) variant located six residues after the conserved Cys residue in extracellular loop 2 (ECL2b) associated with selective elimination of the high constitutive signaling of the ghrelin receptor, this loop was subjected to a detailed structure functional analysis. Introduction of Glu in different positions demonstrated that although the constitutive signaling was partly reduced when introduced in position 205(C+7) it was only totally eliminated in position 204(C+6). No charge-charge interaction partner could be identified for Glu(C+6) variant despite mutational analysis of a number of potential partners in the extracellular loops and outer parts of the transmembrane segments. Systematic probing of position 204(C+6) with amino acid residues of different physicochemical properties indicated that a positively charged Lys surprisingly provided similar phenotypes as the negatively charged Glu residue. Computational chemistry analysis indicated that the propensity for the C-terminal segment of ECL2b to form an extended a-helix was increased from 15% in the wild type to 89% and 82% by introduction in position 204(C+6) of a Glu or a Lys residue, respectively. Moreover, the constitutive activity of the receptor was inhibited by Zn(2+) binding in an engineered metal-ion site stabilizing an a-helical conformation of this loop segment. It is concluded that the high constitutive activity of the ghrelin receptor is dependent upon flexibility in the C-terminal segment of extracellular loop 2 and that mutations or ligand binding which constrains this segment and thereby conceivably TM-V relative to TM-III movements inhibits the high constitutive signaling.

AB - Based on a rare, natural Glu for Ala204(C+6) variant located six residues after the conserved Cys residue in extracellular loop 2 (ECL2b) associated with selective elimination of the high constitutive signaling of the ghrelin receptor, this loop was subjected to a detailed structure functional analysis. Introduction of Glu in different positions demonstrated that although the constitutive signaling was partly reduced when introduced in position 205(C+7) it was only totally eliminated in position 204(C+6). No charge-charge interaction partner could be identified for Glu(C+6) variant despite mutational analysis of a number of potential partners in the extracellular loops and outer parts of the transmembrane segments. Systematic probing of position 204(C+6) with amino acid residues of different physicochemical properties indicated that a positively charged Lys surprisingly provided similar phenotypes as the negatively charged Glu residue. Computational chemistry analysis indicated that the propensity for the C-terminal segment of ECL2b to form an extended a-helix was increased from 15% in the wild type to 89% and 82% by introduction in position 204(C+6) of a Glu or a Lys residue, respectively. Moreover, the constitutive activity of the receptor was inhibited by Zn(2+) binding in an engineered metal-ion site stabilizing an a-helical conformation of this loop segment. It is concluded that the high constitutive activity of the ghrelin receptor is dependent upon flexibility in the C-terminal segment of extracellular loop 2 and that mutations or ligand binding which constrains this segment and thereby conceivably TM-V relative to TM-III movements inhibits the high constitutive signaling.

U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M112.383240

DO - 10.1074/jbc.M112.383240

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22846991

VL - 287

SP - 33488

EP - 33502

JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry

JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry

SN - 0021-9258

ER -