Activation and Speciation Mechanisms in Class A GPCRs

Accurate development of allosteric modulators of GPCRs require a thorough assessment of their sequence, structure, and dynamics, toward gaining insights into their mechanisms of actions shared by family members, as well as dynamic features that distinguish subfamilies. Building on recent progress in the characterization of the signature dynamics of proteins, we analyzed here a dataset of 160 Class A GPCRs to determine their sequence similarities, structural landscape, and dynamic features across different species (human, bovine, mouse, squid, and rat), different activation states (active/inactive), and different subfamilies. The two dominant directions of variability across experimentally resolved structures, identified by principal component analysis of the dataset, shed light to cooperative mechanisms of activation, subfamily differentiation, and speciation of Class A GPCRs. The analysis reveals the functional significance of the conformational flexibilities of specific structural elements, including: the dominant role of the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) together with the cytoplasmic ends of the adjoining helices TM5 and TM6 in enabling allosteric activation; the role of particular structural motifs at the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) connecting TM4 and TM5 in binding ligands specific to different subfamilies; or even the differentiation of the N-terminal conformation across different species. Detailed analyses of the modes of motions accessible to the members of the dataset and their variations across members demonstrate how the active and inactive states of GPCRs obey distinct conformational dynamics. The collective fluctuations of the GPCRs are robustly defined in the active state, while the inactive conformers exhibit broad variance among members.     

C 族GPCRs 寡聚体的激活机制

C族GPCRs是体内重要的受体亚家族,参与众多重要的生理和病理进程。该族受体的单体包含七螺旋跨膜结构(heptahelical transmembrane domain,HD)、捕蝇草模块(venus flytrap domain,VFT)和半胱氨酸富集区(cysteine-rich domain,CRD)、C末端等多个功能域,同时形成组成性的二聚体和寡聚体。这种多功能域寡聚体结构使该家族受体的激活机制非常复杂,本文回顾和介绍了多年以来对该家族受体在单体、二聚体、寡聚体等多个层面的激活机制研究的历程和进展,同时也展望了进一步的研究方向和这些研究成果对于开发新型药物的意义。     

Listeria monocytogenes: a multifaceted model

The opportunistic intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes has become a paradigm for the study of host-pathogen interactions and bacterial adaptation to mammalian hosts. Analysis of L. monocytogenes infection has provided considerable insight into how bacteria invade cells, move intracellularly, and disseminate in tissues, as well as tools to address fundamental processes in cell biology. Moreover, the vast amount of knowledge that has been gathered through in-depth comparative genomic analyses and in vivo studies makes L. monocytogenes one of the most well-studied bacterial pathogens.     

Meiotic DSB patterning: A multifaceted process

Meiosis is a specialized two-step cell division responsible for genome haploidization and the generation of genetic diversity during gametogenesis. An integral and distinctive feature of the meiotic program is the evolutionarily conserved initiation of homologous recombination (HR) by the developmentally programmed induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The inherently dangerous but essential act of DSB formation is subject to multiple forms of stringent and self-corrective regulation that collectively ensure fruitful and appropriate levels of genetic exchange without risk to cellular survival. Within this article we focus upon an emerging element of this control—spatial regulation—detailing recent advances made in understanding how DSBs are evenly distributed across the genome, and present a unified view of the underlying patterning mechanisms employed.     

HP1: a functionally multifaceted protein

HP1 (heterochromatin protein 1) is a nonhistone chromosomal protein first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster because of its association with heterochromatin. Numerous studies have shown that such a protein plays a role in heterochromatin formation and gene silencing in many organisms, including fungi and animals. Cytogenetic and molecular studies, performed in Drosophila and other organisms, have revealed that HP1 associates with heterochromatin, telomeres and multiple euchromatic sites. There is increasing evidence that the different locations of HP1 are related to multiple different functions. In fact, recent work has shown that HP1 has a role not only in heterochromatin formation and gene silencing, but also in telomere stability and in positive regulation of gene expression.     

C 族GPCRs 的半胱氨酸富集区的研究进展及药学意义

C族GPCRs是体内重要的受体,参与众多重要的生理和病理进程,并具有复杂的结构和激活机制。在体内该族受体形成组成性的二聚体并具有七螺旋跨膜结构(heptahelical transmembrane domain,HD)、捕蝇草模块(venus flytrap domain,VFT)和半胱氨酸富集区(cysteine-rich domain,CRD)。本文系统介绍了近年来CRD单体的序列和结构解析,以及参与受体激活过程的机制研究的历程和进展。同时也展望了这些基础研究成果对于开发新的更具有成药性的以C族GPCRs为靶点的变构剂的指导意义。     

Orphan endogenous lipids and orphan GPCRs: A good match

A large and growing family of over 70 endogenous lipids of the basic structure N-acyl amide has been identified during the last 10 years. Only a few of these lipids have been characterized for biological activity, however, those that have shown a wide-range of activity may act at G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Like orphan GPCRs that are identified as being in the genome and expressed in tissue, the majority of these endogenous lipids many produced throughout the body, some predominately in nervous tissue, remain orphaned. Here, we give a brief history of these orphan lipids and highlight the activity of N-arachidonoyl glycine, and farnesyl pyrophosphate at the orphan receptors GPR18 and GPR92, respectively, as well as summarizing the biological and pharmacological data for the recently identified N-palmitoyl glycine that suggests activity at a novel GPCR. Working to deorphanize both lipids and GPCRs together provides a unique opportunity for a greater understanding of cellular signaling and a challenge to find them all a home.     

Human MUC1 mucin: a multifaceted glycoprotein

Human MUC1 mucin, a membrane-bound glycoprotein, is a major component of the ductal cell surface of normal glandular cells. MUC1 is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated in carcinoma cells. The role MUC1 plays in cancer progression represents two sides of one coin: on the one hand, loss of polarity and overexpression of MUC1 in cancer cells interferes with cell adhesion and shields the tumor cell from immune recognition by the cellular arm of the immune system, thus favoring metastases; on the other hand, MUC1, in essence a self-antigen, is displaced and altered in malignancy and induces immune responses. Tumor-associated MUC1 has short carbohydrate sidechains and exposed epitopes on its peptide core; it gains access to the circulation and comes into contact with the immune system provoking humoral and cellular immune responses. Natural antibodies to MUC1 present in the circulation of cancer patients may be beneficial to the patient by restricting tumor growth and dissemination: early stage breast cancer patients with a humoral response to MUC1 have a better disease-specific survival. Several MUC1 peptide vaccines, differing in vectors, carrier proteins and adjuvants, have been tested in phase I clinical trials. They are capable of inducing predominantly humoral responses to the antigen, but evidence that these immune responses may be effective against the tumor in humans is still scarce.     

Callose deposition: a multifaceted plant defense response

Callose deposition in Arabidopsis has emerged as a popular model system to quantify activity of plant immunity. However, there has been a noticeable rise in contradicting reports about the regulation of pathogen-induced callose. To address this controversy, we have examined the robustness of callose deposition under different growth conditions and in response to two different pathogen-associated molecular patterns, the flagellin epitope Flg22 and the polysaccharide chitosan. Based on a commonly used hydroponic culture system, we found that variations in growth conditions have a major impact on the plant's overall capacity to deposit callose. This environmental variability correlated with levels of hydrogen peroxide (H?O?) production. Depending on the growth conditions, pretreatment with abscissic acid stimulated or repressed callose deposition. Despite a similar effect of growth conditions on Flg22- and chitosan-induced callose, both responses showed differences in timing, tissue responsiveness, and colocalization with H?O?. Furthermore, mutant analysis revealed that Flg22- and chitosan-induced callose differ in the requirement for the NADPH oxidase RBOHD, the glucosinolate regulatory enzymes VTC1 and PEN2, and the callose synthase PMR4. Our study demonstrates that callose is a multifaceted defense response that is controlled by distinct signaling pathways, depending on the environmental conditions and the challenging pathogen-associated molecular pattern.     

GPCRs: Emerging anti-cancer drug targets

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest and most diverse protein family in the human genome with over 800 members identified to date. They play critical roles in numerous cellular and physiological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, neurotransmission, development and apoptosis. Consequently, aberrant receptor activity has been demonstrated in numerous disorders/diseases, and as a result GPCRs have become the most successful drug target class in pharmaceuticals treating a wide variety of indications such as pain, inflammation, neurobiological and metabolic disorders. Many independent studies have also demonstrated a key role for GPCRs in tumourigenesis, establishing their involvement in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. Given the growing appreciation of the role(s) that GPCRs play in cancer pathogenesis, it is surprising to note that very few GPCRs have been effectively exploited in pursuit of anti-cancer therapies. The present review provides a broad overview of the roles that various GPCRs play in cancer growth and development, highlighting the potential of pharmacologically modulating these receptors for the development of novel anti-cancer therapeutics.     

Allostery in GPCRs: 'MWC' revisited

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest family of receptors in the genome and are the targets for at least 30% of current medicines. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the discovery of allosteric modulators of GPCR activity and a growing appreciation of the diverse modes by which GPCRs can be regulated by both orthosteric and allosteric ligands. Interestingly, some of the contemporary views of GPCR function reflect characteristics that are shared by prototypical allosteric proteins, as encompassed in the classic Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) model initially proposed for enzymes and subsequently extended to other protein families. In this review, we revisit the MWC model in the context of emerging structural, functional and operational data on GPCR allostery.