Determining the environment of the ligand binding pocket of the human angiotensin II type I (hAT1) receptor using the methionine proximity assay

The peptide hormone angiotensin II (AngII) binds to the AT0 (angiotensin type 1) receptor within the transmembrane domains in an extended conformation, and its C-terminal residue interacts with transmembrane domain VII at Phe-293/Asn-294. The molecular environment of this binding pocket remains to be elucidated. The preferential binding of benzophenone photolabels to methionine residues in the target structure has enabled us to design an experimental approach called the methionine proximity assay, which is based on systematic mutagenesis and photolabeling to determine the molecular environment of this binding pocket. A series of 44 transmembrane domain III, VI, and VII X --> Met mutants photolabeled either with 125I-[Sar1,p'-benzoyl-L-Phe8]AngII or with 125I-[Sar1,p'-methoxy-p'-benzoyl-L-Phe8]AngII were purified and digested with cyanogen bromide. Several mutants produced digestion patterns different from that observed with wild type human AT1, indicating that they had a new receptor contact with position 8 of AngII. The following residues form this binding pocket: L112M and Y113M in transmembrane domain (TMD) III; F249M, W253M, H256M, and T260M in TMD VI; and F293M, N294M, N295M, C296M, and L297M in TMD VII. Homology modeling and incorporation of these contacts allowed us to develop an evidence-based molecular model of interactions with human AT1 that is very similar to the rhodopsin-retinal interaction.     

A role for transmembrane domains V and VI in ligand binding and maturation of the angiotensin II AT1 receptor

Several studies have proposed that angiotensin II (Ang II) binds to its receptor AT1 through interactions with residues in helices V and VI, suggesting that the distance between these helices is crucial for ligand binding. Based on a 3D model of AT1 in which the C-terminus of Ang II is docked, we identified the hydrophobic residues of TM V and VI pointing towards the external face of the helices, which may play a role in the structure of the binding pocket and in the structural integrity of the receptor. We performed a systematic mutagenesis study of these residues and examined the binding, localization, maturation, and dimerization of the mutated receptors. We found that mutations of hydrophobic residues to alanine in helix V do not alter binding, whereas mutations to glutamate lead to loss of binding without a loss in cell surface expression, suggesting that the external face of helix V may not directly participate in binding, but may rather contribute to the structure of the binding pocket. In contrast, mutations of hydrophobic residues to glutamate in helix VI lead to a loss in cell surface expression, suggesting that the external surface of helix VI plays a structural role and ensures correct folding of the receptor.     

Photolabeling identifies position 172 of the human AT(1) receptor as a ligand contact point: receptor-bound angiotensin II adopts an extended structure

An angiotensin II (AngII) peptidic analogue in which the third residue (valine) was substituted with the photoreactive p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (Bpa) was used to identify ligand-binding sites of the human AT(1) receptor. High-affinity binding of the analogue, (125)I-[Bpa(3)]AngII, to the AT(1) receptor heterologously expressed in COS-7 cells enabled us to efficiently photolabel the receptor. Chemical and enzymatic digestions of the (125)I-[Bpa(3)]AngII-AT(1) complex were performed, and receptor fragments were analyzed in order to define the region of the receptor with which the ligand interacts. Results show that CNBr hydrolysis of the photolabeled receptor gave a glycosylated fragment which, after PNGase-F digestion, migrated as a 11.4 kDa fragment, circumscribing the labeled domain between residues 143-243 of the AT(1) receptor. Digestion of the receptor-ligand complex with Endo Lys-C or trypsin followed by PNGase-F treatment yielded fragments of 7 and 4 kDa, defining the labeling site of (125)I-[Bpa(3)]AngII within residues 168-199 of the AT(1) receptor. Photolabeling of three mutant receptors in which selected residues adjacent to residue 168 were replaced by methionine within the 168-199 fragment (I172M, T175M, and I177M) followed by CNBr cleavage revealed that the bound photoligand (125)I-[Bpa(3)]AngII forms a covalent bond with the side chain of Met(172) of the second extracellular loop of the AT(1) receptor. These data coupled with previously obtained results enable us to propose a model whereby AngII adopts an extended beta-strand conformation when bound to the receptor and would orient itself within the binding domain by having its N-terminal portion interacting with the second extracellular loop and its C-terminus interacting with residues of the seventh transmembrane domain.     

Angiotensin II is bound to both receptors AT1 and AT2, parallel to the transmembrane domains and in an extended form

We have applied photoaffinity labelling methods combined with site-directed mutagenesis towards the two principal angiotensin II (AnglI) receptors AT1 and AT2 in order to determine contact points between AngII and the two receptors. We have first identified the receptor contact points between an N- and a C-terminal residue of the AngII molecule and the AT1 receptor and constructed with this stereochemical restriction a molecular model of AT1. A similar approach with a modified procedure of photoaffinity labelling has allowed us now to determine contact points also in the AT2 receptor. Molecular modelling of AT2 on the rhodopsin scaffold and energy minimisation of AngII binding into this AT2 model produced a model strikingly similar to the AT11 structure. Superposition of the experimentally obtained contact points of AngII with AT2 upon this model revealed excellent congruence between the experimental and modelling results. Conclusions: (i) athough AT1 and AT2 have quite low sequence homology, they both bind AngII with similar affinity and in an almost identical fashion, as if the ligand dictates the way it has to be bound, and (ii) in its bound form, AngII adopts an extended conformation in both AT1 and AT2, contrary to all previous predictions.     

Association of beta-Arrestin 1 with the type 1A angiotensin II receptor involves phosphorylation of the receptor carboxyl terminus and correlates with receptor internalization

Arrestins bind to phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptors and participate in receptor desensitization and endocytosis. Although arrestins traffic with activated type 1 (AT(1A)) angiotensin II (AngII) receptors, the contribution of arrestins to AT(1A) receptor internalization is controversial, and the physical association of arrestins with the AT(1A) receptor has not been established. In this study, by coimmunoprecipitating AT(1A) receptors and beta-arrestin 1, we provide direct evidence for an association between arrestins and the AT(1A) receptor that was agonist- and time-dependent and contingent upon the level of beta-arrestin 1 expression. Serial truncation of the receptor carboxyl terminus resulted in a graded loss of beta-arrestin 1 association, which correlated with decreases in receptor phosphorylation. Truncation of the AT(1A) receptor to lysine(325) prevented AngII-induced phosphorylation and beta-arrestin 1 association as well as markedly inhibiting receptor internalization, indicating a close correlation between these receptor parameters. AngII-induced association was also dramatically reduced in a phosphorylation- and internalization-impaired receptor mutant in which four serine and threonine residues in the central portion of the AT(1A) receptor carboxyl terminus (Thr(332), Ser(335), Thr(336), Ser(338)) were substituted with alanine. In contrast, substitutions in another serine/threonine-rich region (Ser(346), Ser(347), Ser(348)) and at three PKC phosphorylation sites (Ser(331), Ser(338), Ser(348)) had no effect on AngII-induced beta-arrestin 1 association or receptor internalization. While AT(1A) receptor internalization could be inhibited by a dominant-negative beta-arrestin 1 mutant (beta arr1(319-418)), treatment with hyperosmotic sucrose to inhibit internalization did not abrogate the differences in arrestin association observed between the wild-type and mutant receptors, indicating that arrestin binding precedes, and is not dependent upon, receptor internalization. Interestingly, a substituted analog of AngII, [Sar(1)Ile(4)Ile(8)]-AngII, which promotes robust phosphorylation of the receptor but does not activate receptor signaling, stimulated strong beta-arrestin 1 association with the full-length AT(1A) receptor. These results identify the central portion of the AT(1A) receptor carboxyl terminus as the important determinant for beta-arrestin 1 binding and internalization and indicate that AT(1A) receptor phosphorylation is crucial for beta-arrestin docking.     

Synthesis and AT2 receptor-binding properties of angiotensin II analogues.

The present study investigates the importance of the amino acid side chains in the octapeptide angiotensin II (Ang II) for binding to the AT2 receptor. A Gly scan was performed where each amino acid in Ang II was substituted one-by-one with glycine. The resulting set of peptides was tested for affinity to the AT2 receptor (porcine myometrial membranes). For a comparison, the peptides were also tested for affinity to the AT1 receptor (rat liver membranes). Only the substitution of Arg2 reduced affinity to the AT2 receptor considerably (92-fold when compared with Ang II). For the other Gly-substituted analogues the affinity to the AT2 receptor was only moderately affected. To further investigate the role of the Arg2 side chain for receptor binding, we synthesized some N-terminally modified Ang II analogues. According to these studies a positive charge in the N-terminal end of angiotensin III [Ang II (2-8)] is not required for high AT2 receptor affinity but seems to be more important in Ang II. With respect to the AT1 receptor, [Gly2]Ang II and [Gly8]Ang II lacked binding affinity (Ki > 10 microM). Replacement of the Val3 or Ile5 residues with Gly produced only a slight decrease in affinity. Interestingly, substitution of Tyr4 or His6, which are known to be very important for AT1 receptor binding, resulted in only 48 and 14 times reduction in affinity, respectively.     

Structure of the Human Angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1) Receptor Bound to Angiotensin II from Multiple Chemoselective Photoprobe Contacts Reveals a Unique Peptide Binding Mode

Breakthroughs in G protein-coupled receptor structure determination based on crystallography have been mainly obtained from receptors occupied in their transmembrane domain core by low molecular weight ligands, and we have only recently begun to elucidate how the extracellular surface of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) allows for the binding of larger peptide molecules. In the present study, we used a unique chemoselective photoaffinity labeling strategy, the methionine proximity assay, to directly identify at physiological conditions a total of 38 discrete ligand/receptor contact residues that form the extracellular peptide-binding site of an activated GPCR, the angiotensin II type 1 receptor. This experimental data set was used in homology modeling to guide the positioning of the angiotensin II (AngII) peptide within several GPCR crystal structure templates. We found that the CXC chemokine receptor type 4 accommodated the results better than the other templates evaluated; ligand/receptor contact residues were spatially grouped into defined interaction clusters with AngII. In the resulting receptor structure, a β-hairpin fold in extracellular loop 2 in conjunction with two extracellular disulfide bridges appeared to open and shape the entrance of the ligand-binding site. The bound AngII adopted a somewhat vertical binding mode, allowing concomitant contacts across the extracellular surface and deep within the transmembrane domain core of the receptor. We propose that such a dualistic nature of GPCR interaction could be well suited for diffusible linear peptide ligands and a common feature of other peptidergic class A GPCRs.     

Differential beta-arrestin binding of AT1 and AT2 angiotensin receptors

Agonist stimulation of G protein-coupled receptors causes receptor activation, phosphorylation, beta-arrestin binding and receptor internalization. Angiotensin II (AngII) causes rapid internalization of the AT1 receptors, whereas AngII-bound AT2 receptors do not internalize. Although the activation of the rat AT1A receptor with AngII causes translocation of beta-arrestin2 to the receptor, no association of this molecule with the AT2 receptor can be detected after AngII treatment with confocal microscopy or bioluminescence resonance energy transfer. These data demonstrate that the two subtypes of angiotensin receptors have different mechanisms of regulation.     

Endothelin-1, angiotensin II and cancer

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and angiotensin II (AngII), two potent vasoactive peptides involved in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis, also induce mitogenic and pro-angiogenic responses in vitro and in vivo. Both peptides are produced by cleavage of inactive precursors by metalloproteases (endothelin-converting enzyme and angiotensin-converting enzyme, respectively) and activate two subtypes of membrane receptors (ETA-R and ETB-R for ET-1, AT1R and AT2R for AngII) that all belong to the superfamily of G-protein coupled receptors. There is increasing evidence that ETA-R, ETB-R and AT1R are expressed in a variety of cancer cells and tissues, and may play a role on tumor growth, angiogenesis and invasion in vivo. This review summarizes the similarities and differences between the ET-1 and AngII systems with regard to their reported effects on various aspects of cancer. In addition to being expressed on vascular endothelium, ET-1 and AngII receptors participate in tumor angiogenesis through the production of the angiogenic factor VEGF. Furthermore, recent clinical studies indicate that a selective ETA-R antagonist has beneficial effects in prostate cancer, suggesting that a similar approach using ETB-R and AT1R blockers might be envisioned. Experimental data presented here suggest that a combined therapy targeting both ET-1 and AngII systems may prove valuable for future treatments of highly angiogenic tumors.     

Residues 293 and 294 are ligand contact points of the human angiotensin type 1 receptor

The human angiotensin II type 1 receptor (hAT(1)) was photolabeled with a high-affinity radiolabeled photoreactive analogue of AngII, (125)I-[Sar(1), Val(5), p-Benzoyl-L-phenylalanine(8)]AngII ((125)I-[Sar(1),Bpa(8)]AngII). Chemical cleavage with CNBr produced a 7 kDa fragment (285-334) of the C-terminal portion of the hAT(1). Manual Edman radiosequencing of photolabeled, per-acetylated, and CNBr-fragmented receptor showed that ligand incorporation occurred through Phe(293) and Asn(294) within the seventh transmembrane domain of the hAT(1). Receptor mutants with Met introduced at the presumed contact residues, F293M and N294M, were photolabeled and then digested with CNBr. SDS-PAGE analysis of those digested mutant receptors confirmed the contact positions 293 and 294 through ligand release induced by CNBr digestion. Additional receptor mutants with Met residues introduced into the N- and C-terminal proximity of those residues 293 and 294 of the hAT(1) produced, upon photolabeling and CNBr digestion, fragmentation patterns compatible only with the above contact residues. These data indicate that the C-terminal residue of AngII interacts with residues 293 and 294 of the seventh transmembrane domain of the human AT(1) receptor. Taking into account a second receptor-ligand contact at the second extracellular loop and residue 3 of AngII (Boucard, A. A., Wilkes, B. C., Laporte, S. A., Escher, E., Guillemette, G., and Leduc, R. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 9662-70) the Ang II molecule must adopt an extended structure in the AngII binding pocket.     

Functional rescue of a defective angiotensin II AT1 receptor mutant by the Mas protooncogene

Earlier studies with Mas protooncogene, a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, have proposed this gene to code for a functional AngII receptor, however further results did not confirm this assumption. In this work we investigated the hypothesis that a heterodimeration AT(1)/Mas could result in a functional interaction between both receptors. For this purpose, CHO or COS-7 cells were transfected with the wild-type AT(1) receptor, a non-functional AT(1) receptor double mutant (C18F-K20A) and Mas or with WT/Mas and C18F-K20A/Mas. Cells single-expressing Mas or C18F/K20A did not show any binding for AngII. The co-expression of the wild-type AT(1) receptor and Mas showed a binding profile similar to that observed for the wild-type AT(1) expressed alone. Surprisingly, the co-expression of the double mutant C18F/K20A and Mas evoked a total recovery of the binding affinity for AngII to a level similar to that obtained for the wild-type AT(1). Functional measurements using inositol phosphate and extracellular acidification rate assays also showed a clear recovery of activity for AngII on cells co-expressing the mutant C18F/K20A and Mas. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis localized the AT(1) receptor mainly at the plasma membrane and the mutant C18F-K20A exclusively inside the cells. However, the co-expression of C18F-K20A mutant with the Mas changed the distribution pattern of the mutant, with intense signals at the plasma membrane, comparable to those observed in cells expressing the wild-type AT(1) receptor. These results support the hypothesis that Mas is able to rescue binding and functionality of the defective C18F-K20A mutant by dimerization.     

Participation of transmembrane proline 82 in angiotensin II AT1 receptor signal transduction

Most of the classical physiological effects of the octapeptide angiotensin II (AngII) are produced by activating the AT1 receptor which belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor family (GPCR). Peptidic GPCRs may be functionally divided in three regions: (i) extracellular domains involved in ligand binding; (ii) intracellular domains implicated in agonist-induced coupling to G protein and (iii) seven transmembrane domains (TM) involved in signal transduction. The TM regions of such receptors have peculiar characteristics such as the presence of proline residues. In this project we aimed to investigate the participation of two highly conserved proline residues (Pro82 and Pro162), located in TM II and TM IV, respectively, in AT1 receptor signal transduction. Both mutations did not cause major alterations in AngII affinity. Functional assays indicated that the P162A mutant did not influence the signal transduction. On the other hand, a potent deleterious effect of P82A mutation on signal transduction was observed. We believe that the Pro82 residue is crucial to signal transduction, although it is not possible to say yet if this is due to a direct participation or if due to a structural rearrangement of TM II. In this last hypothesis, the removal of proline residue might be correlated to a removal of a kink, which in turn can be involved in the correct positioning of residues involved in signal transduction.     

Coexpression of AT1 and AT2 receptors by human fibroblasts is associated with resistance to angiotensin II

Angiotensin II (AngII) is considered as a cytokine-like factor displaying a variety of proinflammatory and profibrotic cellular effects. Most of these effects seem mediated by AT1 signaling, whereas AT2 expression and function in adult human cells remain unclear. We have studied AT1 and AT2 expression in different human adult fibroblasts types and analyze their response to AngII. AngII did not induce thymidine incorporation, apoptosis nor collagen gene or protein expression in human fibroblasts. Specific AT1 or AT2 inhibitors did not modify this apparent resistance to AngII. We found abundant expression of both AT1 and AT2 receptors in all human fibroblasts studied, whereas vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) which only expressed AT1 receptor, displayed a clear AT1-dependent proliferative response to AngII. These data demonstrate that cultured human adult fibroblasts express both AT1 and AT2 receptor types and this phenomenon is associated with a lack of growth or collagen synthesis responses to AngII.     

Microarray and phosphokinase screenings leading to studies on ERK and JNK regulation of connective tissue growth factor expression by angiotensin II 1a and bradykinin B2 receptors in Rat1 fibroblasts

Rat1 fibroblasts stably transfected with the rat angiotensin II (AngII) AT1a and bradykinin (BK) B2 receptor cDNAs gained the ability to bind Ang II and BK. Wild-type Rat1 cells bound neither ligand. Exposure to either effector led to characteristic Galphai and Galphaq signal cascades, the release of arachidonic acid (ARA), and the intracellular accumulation of inositol phosphates (IP). Microarray analyses in response to BK or AngII showed that both receptors markedly induce the CCN family genes, CTGF (CCN2) and Cyr61 (CCN1), as well as the vasculature-related genes, Cnn1 and Egr1. Real time PCR confirmed the increased expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA. Combined sequence-based analysis of gene promoter regions with statistical prevalence analyses identified CREB, SRF, and ATF-1, downstream targets of ERK, and JNK, as prominent products of genes that are regulated by ligand binding to the BK or AngII receptors. The binding of AngII or BK markedly stimulated the phosphorylation and thus the activation of ERK2, JNK, and p38MAPK. A BKB2R and an AT1aR chimera which displayed only negligible G-protein-related signaling were constructed. Both mutant receptors continued to activate these kinases and stimulate CTGF expression. Inhibitors of ERK1/2 and JNK but not p38MAPK inhibited the BK- and AngII-stimulated expression of CTGF in cells expressing either the WT or mutant receptors, illustrating that ERK and JNK participate in the control of CTGF expression in a manner that appears to be independent of G-protein. Conversely, addition of BK or AngII to the cell line expressing WT AT1aR and BKB2R downregulated the expression of collagen alpha1(I) (COL1A1) mRNA. However, these effectors did not have this effect in cells expressing the mutant receptors. Thus, a robust G-protein related response is necessary for BK or AngII to affect COL1A1 expression.     

Chimeric AT1/AT2 receptors reveal functional similarities despite key amino acid dissimilarities in the domains mediating agonist-dependent activation

Chimeric AT1/AT2 angiotensin II (AngII) receptors in which the sixth and/or seventh transmembrane-spanning domains of the AT2 receptor were substituted into the AT1 receptor were used to investigate the activation mechanisms of the two receptor subtypes. Numerous reports have identified amino acid residues in the sixth and seventh transmembrane-spanning domains of the AT1 receptor involved in the intrareceptor activation mechanism following agonist binding. Many of these residues are not conserved in the AT2 receptor; the corresponding AT2 receptor residues are, in fact, disruptive of AngII-dependent activation when substituted into the AT1 receptor. Surprisingly, the chimeric AT1/AT2 receptors--which also lack these crucial AT1 residues--exhibited AngII-induced activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis with efficacies and potencies similar to the wild-type AT1 receptor. Consistent with earlier reports, a AT1[Y292F] point mutant demonstrated greatly decreased agonist-induced activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. However, a AT1[Y292F/N295S] double-point mutant allowed for normal agonist-induced activation with a pharmacodynamic profile indistinguishable from the wild-type receptor. Despite amino acid dissimilarities, the same corresponding domains and even the same residue loci in both of the AngII receptor subtypes are equally able to mediate agonist-induced receptor activation. This suggests that these corresponding domains in the AT1 and the AT2 receptors are crucial to the activation mechanism, demonstrating greater structural flexibility than previously believed regarding AT1 receptor activation and supporting the possibility of a common activation mechanism for the two receptor subtypes.     

Molecular cloning of a ferret angiotensin II AT(1) receptor reveals the importance of position 163 for Losartan binding

A complementary DNA for the angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 (AT(1)) receptor from Mustela putorius furo (ferret) was isolated from a ferret atria cDNA library. The cDNA encodes a protein (fAT(1)) of 359 amino acids having high homologies (93-99%) to other mammalian AT(1) receptor counterparts. When fAT(1) was expressed in COS-7 cells and photoaffinity labeled with the photoactive analogue (125)I-?Sar(1), Bpa(8)AngII, a protein of 100 kDa was detected by autoradiography. The formation of this complex was specific since it was abolished in the presence of the AT(1) non-peptidic antagonist L-158,809. Functional analysis indicated that the fAT(1) receptor efficiently coupled to phospholipase C as demonstrated by an increase in inositol phosphate production following stimulation with AngII. Binding studies revealed that the fAT(1) receptor had a high affinity for the peptide antagonist ?Sar(1), Ile(8)AngII (K(d) of 5. 8+/-1.4 nM) but a low affinity for the AT(1) selective non-peptidic antagonist DuP 753 (K(d) of 91+/-15.6 nM). Interestingly, when we substituted Thr(163) with an Ala residue, which occupies this position in many mammalian AT(1) receptors, we restored the high affinity of this receptor for Dup 753 (11.7+/-5.13 nM). These results suggest that position 163 of the AT(1) receptor does not contribute to the overall binding of peptidic ligands but that certain non-peptidic antagonists such as Dup 753 are clearly dependent on this position for efficient binding.     

Determination of peptide contact points in the human angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1) with photosensitive analogs of angiotensin II

To identify ligand-binding domains of Angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1), two different radiolabeled photoreactive AngII analogs were prepared by replacing either the first or the last amino acid of the octapeptide by p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (Bpa). High yield, specific labeling of the AT1 receptor was obtained with the 125I-[Sar1,Bpa8]AngII analog. Digestion of the covalent 125I-[Sar1,Bpa8]AngII-AT1 complex with V8 protease generated two major fragments of 15.8 kDa and 17.8 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE. Treatment of the [Sar1,Bpa8]AngII-AT1 complex with cyanogen bromide produced a major fragment of 7.5 kDa which, upon further digestion with endoproteinase Lys-C, generated a fragment of 3.6 kDa. Since the 7.5-kDa fragment was sensitive to hydrolysis by 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid, we circumscribed the labeling site of 125I-[Sar1,Bpa8]AngII within amino acids 285 and 295 of the AT1 receptor. When the AT1 receptor was photolabeled with 125I-[Bpa1]AngII, a poor incorporation yield was obtained. Cleavage of the labeled receptor with endoproteinase Lys-C produced a glycopeptide of 31 kDa, which upon deglycosylation showed an apparent molecular mass of 7.5 kDa, delimiting the labeling site of 125I-[Bpa1]AngII within amino acids 147 and 199 of the AT1 receptor. CNBr digestion of the hAT1 I165M mutant receptor narrowed down the labeling site to the fragment 166-199. Taken together, these results indicate that the seventh transmembrane domain of the AT1 receptor interacts strongly with the C-terminal amino acid of [Sar1, Bpa8]AngII interacts with the second extracellular loop of the AT1 receptor.     

Role of Arg182 in the second extracellular loop of angiotensin II receptor AT2 in ligand binding.

The phenolic side chain of Tyr(4) present in Ang II is proposed to interact with the side chain of Arg 167 of the AT1 receptor. To determine the contribution of the analogous Arg182 in the ligand-binding properties of the AT2, we replaced the Arg182 with Glu and Ala, and analyzed the ligand-binding properties. Our results suggest that replacing Arg182 with either Glu or Ala abolished the ability of the AT2 receptor to bind the nonspecific peptidic ligands, (125)I-Ang II and [(125)I-Sar(1)-Ile(8)]Ang II, as well as the AT2 receptor-specific peptidic ligand (125)I-CGP42112A. We have shown previously that replacing the positively charged side chain of Lys215 with the negatively charged side chain of Glu in the fifth TMD did not alter the high affinity binding of (125)I-CGP42112A to the AT2 receptor. However, ligand-binding properties of the Arg182Glu mutant suggest that positively charged side chain of Arg182 located in the junction of second ECL and the fourth TMD is critical for high affinity binding of all three peptidic ligands to the AT2 receptor.     

Angiotensin II Reduces Cardiac AdipoR1 Expression through AT1 Receptor/ROS/ERK1/2/c-Myc Pathway

Adiponectin, an abundant adipose tissue-derived protein, exerts protective effect against cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) mediate the beneficial effects of adiponectin on the cardiovascular system. However, the alteration of AdipoRs in cardiac remodeling is not fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the effect of angiotensin II (AngII) on cardiac AdipoRs expression and explored the possible molecular mechanism. AngII infusion into rats induced cardiac hypertrophy, reduced AdipoR1 but not AdipoR2 expression, and attenuated the phosphorylations of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase, and those effects were all reversed by losartan, an AngII type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker. AngII reduced expression of AdipoR1 mRNA and protein in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, which was abolished by losartan, but not by PD123319, an AT2 receptor antagonist. The antioxidants including reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger NAC, NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin, Nox2 inhibitor peptide gp91 ds-tat, and mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I inhibitor rotenone attenuated AngII-induced production of ROS and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. AngII-reduced AdipoR1 expression was reversed by pretreatment with NAC, apocynin, gp91 ds-tat, rotenone, and an ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that AngII provoked the recruitment of c-Myc onto the promoter region of AdipoR1, which was attenuated by PD98059. Moreover, AngII-induced DNA binding activity of c-Myc was inhibited by losartan, NAC, apocynin, gp91 ds-tat, rotenone, and PD98059. c-Myc small interfering RNA abolished the inhibitory effect of AngII on AdipoR1 expression. Our results suggest that AngII inhibits cardiac AdipoR1 expression in vivo and in vitro and AT1 receptor/ROS/ERK1/2/c-Myc pathway is required for the downregulation of AdipoR1 induced by AngII.