Mapping interactions of gastric inhibitory polypeptide with GIPR N‐terminus using NMR and molecular dynamics simulations

Glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (gastric inhibitory polypeptide, or GIP), a 42‐amino acid incretin hormone, modulates insulin secretion in a glucose‐concentration‐dependent manner. Its insulinotropic action is highly dependent on glucose concentration that surmounts the hypoglycemia side effects associated with current therapy. In order to develop a GIP‐based anti‐diabetic therapy, it is essential to establish the 3D structure of the peptide and study its interaction with the GIP receptor (GIPR) in detail. This will give an insight into the GIP‐mediated insulin release process. In this article, we report the solution structure of GIP(1–42, human)NH₂ deduced by NMR and the interaction of the peptide with the N‐terminus of GIPR using molecular modelling methods. The structure of GIP(1–42, human)NH₂ in H₂O has been investigated using 2D‐NMR (DQF‐COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ¹H‐¹³C HSQC) experiments, and its conformation was built by constrained MD simulations with the NMR data as constraints. The peptide in H₂O exhibits an α‐helical structure between residues Ser8 and Asn39 with some discontinuity at residues Gln29 to Asp35; the helix is bent at Gln29. This bent gives the peptide an ‘L’ shape that becomes more pronounced upon binding to the receptor. The interaction of GIP with the N‐terminus of GIPR was modelled by allowing GIP to interact with the N‐terminus of GIPR under a series of decreasing constraints in a molecular dynamics simulation, culminating with energy minimization without application of any constraints on the system. The canonical ensemble obtained from the simulation was subjected to a detailed energy analysis to identify the peptide–protein interaction patterns at the individual residue level. These interaction energies shed some light on the binding of GIP with the GIPR N‐terminus in a quantitative manner. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The GIP Receptor Displays Higher Basal Activity than the GLP-1 Receptor but Does Not Recruit GRK2 or Arrestin3 Effectively

Background and Objectives

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are important regulators of insulin secretion, and their functional loss is an early characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Pharmacological levels of GLP-1, but not GIP, can overcome this loss. GLP-1 and GIP exert their insulinotropic effects through their respective receptors expressed on pancreatic β-cells. Both the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and the GIP receptor (GIPR) are members of the secretin family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and couple positively to adenylate cyclase. We compared the signalling properties of these two receptors to gain further insight into why GLP-1, but not GIP, remains insulinotropic in T2DM patients.

Methods

GLP-1R and GIPR were transiently expressed in HEK-293 cells, and basal and ligand-induced cAMP production were investigated using a cAMP-responsive luciferase reporter gene assay. Arrestin3 (Arr3) recruitment to the two receptors was investigated using enzyme fragment complementation, confocal microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).

Results

GIPR displayed significantly higher (P<0.05) ligand-independent activity than GLP-1R. Arr3 displayed a robust translocation to agonist-stimulated GLP-1R but not to GIPR. These observations were confirmed in FRET experiments, in which GLP-1 stimulated the recruitment of both GPCR kinase 2 (GRK2) and Arr3 to GLP-1R. These interactions were not reversed upon agonist washout. In contrast, GIP did not stimulate recruitment of either GRK2 or Arr3 to its receptor. Interestingly, arrestin remained at the plasma membrane even after prolonged (30 min) stimulation with GLP-1. Although the GLP-1R/arrestin interaction could not be reversed by agonist washout, GLP-1R and arrestin did not co-internalise, suggesting that GLP-1R is a class A receptor with regard to arrestin binding.

Conclusions

GIPR displays higher basal activity than GLP-1R but does not effectively recruit GRK2 or Arr3.     

Two incretin hormones GLP-1 and GIP: comparison of their actions in insulin secretion and β cell preservation

Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are the two primary incretin hormones secreted from the intestine upon ingestion of glucose or nutrients to stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells. GIP and GLP-1 exert their effects by binding to their specific receptors, the GIP receptor (GIPR) and the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R), which belong to the G-protein coupled receptor family. Receptor binding activates and increases the level of intracellular cAMP in pancreatic β cells, thereby stimulating insulin secretion glucose-dependently. In addition to their insulinotropic effects, GIP and GLP-1 have been shown to preserve pancreatic β cell mass by inhibiting apoptosis of β cells and enhancing their proliferation. Due to such characteristics, incretin hormones have been gaining mush attention as attractive targets for treatment of type 2 diabetes, and indeed incretin-based therapeutics have been rapidly disseminated worldwide. However, despites of plethora of rigorous studies, molecular mechanisms underlying how GIPR and GLP-1R activation leads to enhancement of glucose-dependent insulin secretion are still largely unknown. Here, we summarize the similarities and differences of these two incretin hormones in secretion and metabolism, their insulinotropic actions and their effects on pancreatic β cell preservation. We then try to discuss potential of GLP-1 and GIP in treatment of type 2 diabetes.     

Evolutionarily conserved residues at glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor core confer ligand-induced receptor activation

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) play important roles in insulin secretion through their receptors, GLP1R and GIPR. Although GLP-1 and GIP are attractive candidates for treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, little is known regarding the molecular interaction of these peptides with the heptahelical core domain of their receptors. These core domains are important not only for specific ligand binding but also for ligand-induced receptor activation. Here, using chimeric and point-mutated GLP1R/GIPR, we determined that evolutionarily conserved amino acid residues such as Ile(196) at transmembrane helix 2, Leu(232) and Met(233) at extracellular loop 1, and Asn(302) at extracellular loop 2 of GLP1R are responsible for interaction with ligand and receptor activation. Application of chimeric GLP-1/GIP peptides together with molecular modeling suggests that His(1) of GLP-1 interacts with Asn(302) of GLP1R and that Thr(7) of GLP-1 has close contact with a binding pocket formed by Ile(196), Leu(232), and Met(233) of GLP1R. This study may provide critical clues for the development of peptide and/or nonpeptide agonists acting at GLP1R.     

The bioactive conformation of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide by NMR and CD spectroscopy

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a gastrointestinal incretin hormone, which modulates physiological insulin secretion. Because of its glucose-sensitive insulinotropic activity, there has been a considerable interest in utilizing the hormone as a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes. Structural parameters obtained from NMR spectroscopy combined with molecular modeling techniques play a vital role in the design of new therapeutic drugs. Therefore, to understand the structural requirements for the biological activity of GIP, the solution structure of GIP was investigated by circular dichroism (CD) followed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. CD studies showed an increase in the helical character of the peptide with increasing concentration of trifluoroethanol (TFE) up to 50%. Therefore, the solution structure of GIP in 50% TFE was determined. It was found that there was an alpha-helix between residues 6 and 29, which tends to extend further up to residue 36. The implications of the C-terminal extended helical segment in the inhibitory properties of GIP on gastric acid secretion are discussed. It is shown that the adoption by GIP of an alpha-helical secondary structure is a requirement for its biological activity. Knowledge of the solution structure of GIP will help in the understanding of how the peptide interacts with its receptor and aids in the design of new therapeutic agents useful for the treatment of diabetes.     

Adipocyte expression of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor involves gene regulation by PPARγ and histone acetylation

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a gastrointestinal hormone that exerts insulinotropic and growth and survival effects on pancreatic β-cells. Additionally, there is increasing evidence supporting an important role for GIP in the regulation of adipocyte metabolism. In the current study we examined the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of GIP receptor (GIPR) expression in 3T3-L1 cells. GIP acted synergistically with insulin to increase neutral lipid accumulation during progression of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to the adipocyte phenotype. Both GIPR protein and mRNA expression increased during 3T3-L1 cell differentiation, and this increase was associated with upregulation of nuclear levels of sterol response element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), as well as acetylation of histones H3/H4. The PPARγ receptor agonists LY171883 and rosiglitazone increased GIPR expression in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, whereas the antagonist GW9662 ablated expression. Additionally, both PPARγ and acetylated histones H3/H4 were shown to bind to a region of the GIPR promoter containing the peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE). Knockdown of PPARγ in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, using RNA interference, reduced GIPR expression, supporting a functional regulatory role. Taken together, these studies show that GIP and insulin act in a synergistic manner on 3T3-L1 cell development and that adipocyte GIPR expression is upregulated through a mechanism involving interactions between PPARγ and a GIPR promoter region containing an acetylated histone region.     

Characterization and biological actions of N-terminal truncated forms of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide

The N-terminal domain of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) plays an important role in regulating biological activity. This study examined biological properties of several N-terminal truncated forms of GIP and two novel forms with substitutions at Phe position-6 with Arg or Val. GIP(6-42), GIP(R6-42), GIP(V6-42), GIP(7-42) and GIP(9-42) stimulated cAMP production in BRIN-BD11 cells similar to native GIP, whereas responses to GIP(3-42), GIP(4-42), GIP(5-42) and GIP(8-42) were reduced (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001). GIP-induced cyclic AMP production was significantly inhibited by GIP(3-42), GIP(4-42), GIP(5-42), GIP(6-42), GIP(R6-42), GIP(7-42) and GIP(8-42) (P < 0.001). Compared with native GIP, in vitro insulinotropic activity of GIP(3-42), GIP(4-42), GIP(5-42), GIP(7-42) and GIP(8-42) was reduced (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001), with GIP(4-42), GIP(5-42), GIP(7-42) and GIP(8-42) also potently inhibiting GIP-stimulated insulin secretion (P < 0.001). In ob/ob mice, GIP(4-42) and GIP(8-42) increased (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01) plasma glucose concentrations compared to the glucose-lowering action of native GIP. When GIP(8-42) was co-administered with native GIP it countered the ability of the native peptide to lower plasma glucose and increase circulating insulin concentrations. These data confirm the importance of the N-terminal region of GIP in regulating bioactivity and reveal that sequential truncation of the peptide yields novel GIP receptor antagonists which may have functional significance.     

Structure-function analysis of a series of novel GIP analogues containing different helical length linkers

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP1-42) is a potent glucose-lowering intestinal peptide hormone. The equipotent GIP1-30NH2 was structurally modified by linking N- and C-terminal fragments with several different linkers. Substitution of the middle region of GIP by a flexible aminohexanoic linker resulted in greatly reduced binding affinity and reduction or complete loss of bioactivity. Connection of the bioactive domains GIP1-14 and GIP19-30NH2 by EKEK or AAAA linkers resulted in peptide agonists with approximately 3-4-fold increased bioactivity as compared to GIP1-30NH2. Conformational analysis by CD spectroscopy of GIP fragments and analogues suggests a helical region in the C-terminal (19-30) portion of GIP. It was demonstrated that stabilization of this C-terminal helical region by the introduction of helical linkers favored binding and activation of the GIP receptor. Our results suggest an important contribution of a direct interaction of the first 14 amino acids with the GIP receptor, an appropriate relative orientation of N- and C-terminal parts of GIP, and the presence of helical linkers to be essential for bioactivity.     

Functional Consequences of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Cross-talk and Trafficking

The signaling capacity of seven-transmembrane/G-protein-coupled receptors (7TM/GPCRs) can be regulated through ligand-mediated receptor trafficking. Classically, the recycling of internalized receptors is associated with resensitization, whereas receptor degradation terminates signaling. We have shown previously that the incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) internalizes fast and is primarily resensitized through recycling back to the cell surface. GLP-1R is expressed in pancreatic islets together with the closely related glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIPR) and glucagon (GCGR) receptors. The interaction and cross-talk between coexpressed receptors is a wide phenomenon of the 7TM/GPCR superfamily. Numerous reports show functional consequences for signaling and trafficking of the involved receptors. On the basis of the high structural similarity and tissue coexpression, we here investigated the potential cross-talk between GLP-1R and GIPR or GCGR in both trafficking and signaling pathways. Using a real-time time-resolved FRET-based internalization assay, we show that GLP-1R, GIPR, and GCGR internalize with differential properties. Remarkably, upon coexpression of the internalizing GLP-1R and the non-internalizing GIPR, GLP-1-mediated GLP-1R internalization was impaired in a GIPR concentration-dependent manner. As a functional consequence of such impaired internalization capability, GLP-1-mediated GLP-1R signaling was abrogated. A similar compromised signaling was found when GLP-1R internalization was abrogated by a dominant-negative version of dynamin (dynamin-1 K44E), which provides a mechanistic link between GLP-1R trafficking and signaling. This study highlights the importance of receptor internalization for full functionality of GLP-1R. Moreover, cross-talk between the two incretin receptors GLP-1R and GIPR is shown to alter receptor trafficking with functional consequences for GLP-1R signaling.     

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor null mice exhibit compensatory changes in the enteroinsular axis

The incretins glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are gut hormones that act via the enteroinsular axis to potentiate insulin secretion from the pancreas in a glucose-dependent manner. Both GLP-1 receptor and GIP receptor knockout mice (GLP-1R(-/-) and GIPR(-/-), respectively) have been generated to investigate the physiological importance of this axis. Although reduced GIP action is a component of type 2 diabetes, GIPR-deficient mice exhibit only moderately impaired glucose tolerance. The present study was directed at investigating possible compensatory mechanisms that take place within the enteroinsular axis in the absence of GIP action. Although serum total GLP-1 levels in GIPR knockout mice were unaltered, insulin responses to GLP-1 from pancreas perfusions and static islet incubations were significantly greater (40-60%) in GIPR(-/-) than in wild-type (GIPR(+/+)) mice. Furthermore, GLP-1-induced cAMP production was also elevated twofold in the islets of the knockout animals. Pancreatic insulin content and gene expression were reduced in GIPR(-/-) mice compared with GIPR(+/+) mice. Paradoxically, immunocytochemical studies showed a significant increase in beta-cell area in the GIPR-null mice but with less intense staining for insulin. In conclusion, GIPR(-/-) mice exhibit altered islet structure and topography and increased islet sensitivity to GLP-1 despite a decrease in pancreatic insulin content and gene expression.     

NMR and alanine scan studies of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide in water

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is an incretin hormone that stimulates the secretion of insulin after ingestion of food. GIP also promotes the synthesis of fatty acids in adipose tissue. Therefore, it is not surprising that numerous literature reports have shown that GIP is linked to diabetes and obesity-related diseases. In this study, we present the solution structure of GIP in water determined by NMR spectroscopy. The calculated structure is characterized by the presence of an alpha-helical motif between residues Ser(11) and Gln(29). The helical conformation of GIP is further supported by CD spectroscopic studies. Six GIP-(1-42)Ala(1-7) analogues were synthesized by replacing individual N-terminal residues with alanine. Alanine scan studies of these N-terminal residues showed that the GIP-(1-42)Ala(6) was the only analogue to show insulin-secreting activity similar to that of the native GIP. However, when compared with glucose, its insulinotropic ability was reduced. For the first time, these NMR and modeling results contribute to the understanding of the structural requirements for the biological activity of GIP.     

Contribution of site-specific PEGylation to the dipeptidyl peptidase IV stability of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide

The effects of PEGylation of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) on potency and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) stability are reported. N-terminal modification of GIP(1-30) with 40 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG) abrogates functional activity. In contrast, C-terminal PEGylation of GIP(1-30) maintains full agonism and reasonable potency at the GIP receptor and confers a high level of DPPIV resistance. Moreover, the dual modification of N-terminal palmitoylation and C-terminal PEGylation results in a full agonist of comparable potency to native GIP that is stable to DPPIV cleavage. The results provide the basis for the development of long acting, PEGylated GIP, GIP variants, or GIP-based hybrid peptide therapeutics.     

Tyr1 and Ile7 of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) confer differential ligand selectivity toward GIP and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors

Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are incretin hormones released in response to food intake and potentiate insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells through their distinct yet related G protein-coupled receptors, GLP1R and GIPR. While GLP-1 and GIP exhibit similarity in their N-terminal sequence and overall α-helical structure, GLP-1 does not bind to GIPR and vice versa. To determine which amino acid residues of these peptide ligands are responsible for specific interaction with their respective receptors, we generated mutant GIP in which several GLP-1-specific amino acid residues were substituted for the original amino acids. The potency of the mutant ligands was examined using HEK293 cells transfected with GLP1R or GIPR expression plasmids together with a cAMP-responsive element-driven luciferase (CRE-luc) reporter plasmid. A mutated GIP peptide in which Tyr¹, Ile⁷, Asp¹⁵, and His¹⁸ were replaced by His, Thr, Glu, and Ala, respectively, was able to activate both GLP1R and GIPR with moderate potency. Replacing the original Tyr¹ and/or Ile⁷ in the N-terminal moiety of this mutant peptide allowed full activation of GIPR but not of GLP1R. However, reintroducing Asp¹⁵ and/or His¹⁸ in the central α-helical region did not significantly alter the ligand potency. These results suggest that Tyr/His¹ and Ile/Thr⁷ of GIP/GLP-1 peptides confer differential ligand selectivity toward GIPR and GLP1R.     

Structural and Pharmacological Characterization of Novel Potent and Selective Monoclonal Antibody Antagonists of Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Receptor

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is an endogenous hormonal factor (incretin) that, upon binding to its receptor (GIPr; a class B G-protein-coupled receptor), stimulates insulin secretion by beta cells in the pancreas. There has been a lack of potent inhibitors of the GIPr with prolonged in vivo exposure to support studies on GIP biology. Here we describe the generation of an antagonizing antibody to the GIPr, using phage and ribosome display libraries. Gipg013 is a specific competitive antagonist with equally high potencies to mouse, rat, dog, and human GIP receptors with a K_i of 7 nm for the human GIPr. Gipg013 antagonizes the GIP receptor and inhibits GIP-induced insulin secretion in vitro and in vivo. A crystal structure of Gipg013 Fab in complex with the human GIPr extracellular domain (ECD) shows that the antibody binds through a series of hydrogen bonds from the complementarity-determining regions of Gipg013 Fab to the N-terminal α-helix of GIPr ECD as well as to residues around its highly conserved glucagon receptor subfamily recognition fold. The antibody epitope overlaps with the GIP binding site on the GIPr ECD, ensuring competitive antagonism of the receptor. This well characterized antagonizing antibody to the GIPr will be useful as a tool to further understand the biological roles of GIP.     

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide stimulates thymidine incorporation in endothelial cells: role of endothelin-1

We have previously characterized the receptor for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIPR) in vascular endothelial cells (EC). Different EC types were found to contain distinct GIPR splice variants. To determine whether activation of the GIPR splice variants resulted in different cellular responses, we examined GIP effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), which contain two GIPR splice variants, and compared them with a spontaneously transformed human umbilical vein EC line, ECV 304, which contains four GIPR splice variants. GIP dose-dependently stimulated HUVEC and ECV 304 proliferation as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation. GIP increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) secretion from HUVEC but not from ECV 304. Use of the endothelin B receptor blocker BQ-788 resulted in an inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation in HUVEC but not in ECV 304. These findings suggest that, although GIP increases [3H]thymidine incorporation in both HUVEC and ECV 304, this proliferative response is mediated by ET-1 only in HUVEC. These differences in cellular response to GIP may be related to differences in activation of GIPR splice variants.     

Toward parathyroid hormone minimization: conformational studies of cyclic PTH(1-14) analogues

The N-terminal fragment of PTH(1-34) is critical for PTH1 receptor activation. Various modifications of PTH(1-14) have been shown to result in a considerable increase in signaling potency [Shimizu et al. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 21836-21843]. Our structural investigations revealed an unusually stable helical structure of the signaling domain (1-14), where residues 6 (Gln) and 10 (Gln or Asn) were located on the same face of the alpha-helix. To test whether a stable N-terminal alpha-helix is required for productive interaction with PTH1 receptor, we designed two conformationally restricted PTH(1-14) analogues, each containing a lactam bridge at positions 6 and 10. Specifically, substitutions Gln(6)-->Glu(6) and Asn(10)-->Lys(10) were introduced into the most potent [Ala(1,3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14)]PTH(1-14)NH2 agonist. Both the Glu(6)-Lys(10) and Lys(6)-Glu(10) lactam-bridged analogues were characterized to examine the importance of orientation of the lactam. According to biological studies [Shimizu et al. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 2282-2290], none of the 6/10 substituted analogues (linear or cyclic) remained as active as the parent peptide. However, relative to their corresponding linear peptides, lactam-bridged analogues either maintained potency or showed 6-fold improvement. High-resolution structures as determined by 1H NMR and NOE-restrained molecular dynamics simulations clearly illustrate the structural differences between the linear and cyclic PTH(1-14) fragments, supporting the hypothesis that an alpha-helix is the preferred bioactive conformation of the N-terminal fragment of PTH. In addition, our results demonstrate that the structural order of the very first residues (1-4) of the signaling domain plays a significant role in PTH action.     

Proteinase-activated receptors, nucleotide P2Y receptors, and μ-opioid receptor-1B are under the control of the type I transmembrane proteins p23 and p24A in post-Golgi trafficking

We recently characterized the proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)-2, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), as the first cargo protein recognized by p24A. Here, we demonstrate that p24A binds to several other GPCRs, including PAR-1, the nucleotide receptors P2Y(1), P2Y(2), P2Y(4), and P2Y(11), as well as the μ-opioid receptor 1B. The acidic amino acid residues Glu and Asp at the second extracellular loop of GPCRs are essential for interaction with p24A. p23, another member of the p24 family, also interacts with GPCRs, similar to p24A. However, p23 shows a delayed dissociation from PAR-2 after activation of PAR-2, compared to the dissociation between PAR-2 and p24A. p24A and p23 arrest both P2Y(4) receptor and μ-opioid receptor 1B at the intracellular compartments, as observed for PAR-2. A comparable result was obtained when we studied primary rat astrocytes in culture. Over-expression of the N-terminal p24A fragment impairs PAR-2 resensitization in astrocytes that extends our findings to a native system. In summary, we demonstrate that p24A and p23 are specific cargo receptors of GPCRs and differentially control GPCR trafficking in the biosynthetic pathway, and thereby, p24A and p23 regulate GPCR signaling in astrocytes.     

Marked Cortisol Production by Intracrine ACTH in GIP-Treated Cultured Adrenal Cells in Which the GIP Receptor Was Exogenously Introduced

The ectopic expression of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) in the human adrenal gland causes significant hypercortisolemia after ingestion of each meal and leads to Cushing’s syndrome, implying that human GIPR activation is capable of robustly activating adrenal glucocorticoid secretion. In this study, we transiently transfected the human GIPR expression vector into cultured human adrenocortical carcinoma cells (H295R) and treated them with GIP to examine the direct link between GIPR activation and steroidogenesis. Using quantitative RT-PCR assay, we examined gene expression of steroidogenic related proteins, and carried out immunofluorescence analysis to prove that forced GIPR overexpression directly promotes production of steroidogenic enzymes CYP17A1 and CYP21A2 at the single cell level. Immunofluorescence showed that the transfection efficiency of the GIPR gene in H295R cells was approximately 5%, and GIP stimulation enhanced CYP21A2 and CYP17A1 expression in GIPR-introduced H295R cells (H295R-GIPR). Interestingly, these steroidogenic enzymes were also expressed in the GIPR (–) cells adjacent to the GIPR (+) cells. The mRNA levels of a cholesterol transport protein required for all steroidogenesis, StAR, and steroidogenic enzymes, HSD3β2, CYP11A1, CYP21A2, and CYP17A1 increased 1.2-2.1-fold in GIP-stimulated H295R-GIPR cells. These changes were reflected in the culture medium in which 1.5-fold increase in the cortisol concentration was confirmed. Furthermore, the levels of adenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) receptor and ACTH precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA were upregulated 2- and 1.5-fold, respectively. Immunofluorescence showed that ACTH expression was detected in GIP-stimulated H295R-GIPR cells. An ACTH-receptor antagonist significantly inhibited steroidogenic gene expression and cortisol production. Immunostaining for both CYP17A1 and CYP21A2 was attenuated in cells treated with ACTH receptor antagonists as well as with POMC siRNA. These results demonstrated that GIPR activation promoted production and release of ACTH, and that steroidogenesis is activated by endogenously secreted ACTH following GIP administration, at least in part, in H295R cells.     

A transmembrane helix-bundle from G-protein coupled receptor CB2: biosynthesis, purification, and NMR characterization

The cannabinoid receptor subtype 2 (CB2) is a member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. As the relationship between structure and function for this receptor remains poorly understood, the present study was undertaken to characterize the structure of a segment including the first and second transmembrane helix (TM1 and TM2) domains of CB2. To accomplish this, a transmembrane double-helix bundle from this region was expressed, purified, and characterized by NMR. Milligrams of this hydrophobic fragment of the receptor were biosynthesized using a fusion protein overexpression strategy and purified by affinity chromatography combined with reverse phase HPLC. Chemical and enzymatic cleavage methods were implemented to remove the fusion tag. The resultant recombinant protein samples were analyzed and confirmed by HPLC, mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism (CD). The CD analyses of HPLC-purified protein in solution and in DPC micelle preparations suggested predominant alpha-helical structures under both conditions. The 13C/15N double-labeled protein CB2(27-101) was further verified and analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. Sequential assignment was accomplished for more than 80% of residues. The 15N HSQC NMR results show a clear chemical shift dispersion of the amide nitrogen-proton correlation indicative of a pure double-labeled polypeptide molecule. The results suggest that this method is capable of generating transmembrane helical bundles from GPCRs in quantity and purity sufficient for NMR and other biophysical studies. Therefore, the biosynthesis of GPCR transmembrane helix bundles represents a satisfactory alternative strategy to obtain and assemble NMR structures from recombinant "building blocks."     

Caspase-12 cleavage and increased oxidative stress during motoneuron degeneration in transgenic mouse model of ALS

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide is an incretin hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and reduces postprandial glycaemic excursions. The glucose-dependent action of GIP on pancreatic beta-cells has attracted attention towards its exploitation as a potential drug for type 2 diabetes. Use of NMR or X-ray crystallography is vital to determine the three-dimensional structure of the peptide. Therefore, to understand the basic structural requirements for the biological activity of GIP, the solution structure of the major biologically active fragment, GIP(1-30)amide, was investigated by proton NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. The structure is characterised by a full length alpha-helical conformation between residues F(6) and A(28). This structural information could play an important role in the design of therapeutic agents based upon GIP receptor agonists.