scholarly journals Direct Interactions with Gαi and Gβγ Mediate Nongenomic Signaling by Estrogen Receptor α

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1370-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Premlata Kumar ◽  
Qian Wu ◽  
Ken L. Chambliss ◽  
Ivan S. Yuhanna ◽  
Susanne M. Mumby ◽  
...  

Abstract Estrogen induces G protein-dependent nongenomic signaling in a variety of cell types via the activation of a plasma membrane-associated subpopulation of estrogen receptor α (ERα). Using pull-down experiments with purified recombinant proteins, we now demonstrate that ERα binds directly to Gαi and Gβγ. Mutagenesis and the addition of blocking peptide reveals that this occurs via amino acids 251–260 and 271–595 of ERα, respectively. Studies of ERα complexed with heterotrimeric G proteins further show that estradiol causes the release of both Gαi and Gβγ without stimulating GTP binding to Gαi. Moreover, in COS-7 cells, the disruption of ERα-Gαi interaction by deletion mutagenesis of ERα or expression of blocking peptide, as well as Gβγ sequestration with β-adrenergic receptor kinase C terminus, prevents nongenomic responses to estradiol including src and erk activation. In endothelial cells, the disruption of ERα-Gαi interaction prevents estradiol-induced nitric oxide synthase activation and the resulting attenuation of monocyte adhesion that contributes to estrogen-related cardiovascular protection. Thus, through direct interactions, ERα mediates a novel mechanism of G protein activation that provides greater diversity of function of both the steroid hormone receptor and G proteins.

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pál Gyombolai ◽  
András D Tóth ◽  
Dániel Tímár ◽  
Gábor Turu ◽  
László Hunyady

The role of the highly conserved ‘DRY’ motif in the signaling of the CB1cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) was investigated by inducing single-, double-, and triple-alanine mutations into this site of the receptor. We found that the CB1R-R3.50A mutant displays a partial decrease in its ability to activate heterotrimeric Goproteins (∼80% of WT CB1R (CB1R-WT)). Moreover, this mutant showed an enhanced basal β-arrestin2 (β-arr2) recruitment. More strikingly, the double-mutant CB1R-D3.49A/R3.50A was biased toward β-arrs, as it gained a robustly increased β-arr1 and β-arr2 recruitment ability compared with the WT receptor, while its G-protein activation was decreased. In contrast, the double-mutant CB1R-R3.50A/Y3.51A proved to be G-protein-biased, as it was practically unable to recruit β-arrs in response to agonist stimulus, while still activating G-proteins, although at a reduced level (∼70% of CB1R-WT). Agonist-induced ERK1/2 activation of the CB1R mutants showed a good correlation with their β-arr recruitment ability but not with their G-protein activation or inhibition of cAMP accumulation. Our results suggest that G-protein activation and β-arr binding of the CB1R are mediated by distinct receptor conformations, and the conserved ‘DRY’ motif plays different roles in the stabilization of these conformations, thus mediating both G-protein- and β-arr-mediated functions of CB1R.


Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-654
Author(s):  
X. Shi ◽  
S. Amindari ◽  
K. Paruchuru ◽  
D. Skalla ◽  
H. Burkin ◽  
...  

ZP3 is a protein in the mammalian egg coat (zona pellucida) that binds sperm and stimulates acrosomal exocytosis, enabling sperm to penetrate the zona pellucida. The nature of the ZP3 receptor/s on sperm is a matter of considerable debate, but most evidence suggests that ZP3 binds to beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase-I (GalTase) on the sperm surface. It has been suggested that ZP3 induces the acrosome reaction by crosslinking GalTase, activating a heterotrimeric G protein. In this regard, acrosomal exocytosis is sensitive to pertussis toxin and the GalTase cytoplasmic domain can precipitate G(i) from sperm lysates. Sperm from mice that overexpress GalTase bind more soluble ZP3 and show accelerated G protein activation, whereas sperm from mice with a targeted deletion in GalTase have markedly less ability to bind soluble ZP3, undergo the ZP3-induced acrosome reaction, and penetrate the zona pellucida. We have examined the ability of GalTase to function as a ZP3 receptor and to activate heterotrimeric G proteins using Xenopus laevis oocytes as a heterologous expression system. Oocytes that express GalTase bound ZP3 but did not bind other zona pellucida glycoproteins. After oocyte maturation, ZP3 or GalTase antibodies were able to trigger cortical granule exocytosis and activation of GalTase-expressing eggs. Pertussis toxin inhibited GalTase-induced egg activation. Consistent with G protein activation, both ZP3 and anti-GalTase antibodies increased GTP-gamma[(35)S] binding as well as GTPase activity in membranes from eggs expressing GalTase. Finally, mutagenesis of a putative G protein activation motif within the GalTase cytoplasmic domain eliminated G protein activation in response to ZP3 or anti-GalTase antibodies. These results demonstrate directly that GalTase functions as a ZP3 receptor and following aggregation, is capable of activating pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins leading to exocytosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (51) ◽  
pp. 17486-17496
Author(s):  
Christopher T. Schafer ◽  
Anthony Shumate ◽  
David L. Farrens

Rhodopsin is a canonical class A photosensitive G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR), yet relatively few pharmaceutical agents targeting this visual receptor have been identified, in part due to the unique characteristics of its light-sensitive, covalently bound retinal ligands. Rhodopsin becomes activated when light isomerizes 11-cis-retinal into an agonist, all-trans-retinal (ATR), which enables the receptor to activate its G protein. We have previously demonstrated that, despite being covalently bound, ATR can display properties of equilibrium binding, yet how this is accomplished is unknown. Here, we describe a new approach for both identifying compounds that can activate and attenuate rhodopsin and testing the hypothesis that opsin binds retinal in equilibrium. Our method uses opsin-based fluorescent sensors, which directly report the formation of active receptor conformations by detecting the binding of G protein or arrestin fragments that have been fused onto the receptor's C terminus. We show that these biosensors can be used to monitor equilibrium binding of the agonist, ATR, as well as the noncovalent binding of β-ionone, an antagonist for G protein activation. Finally, we use these novel biosensors to observe ATR release from an activated, unlabeled receptor and its subsequent transfer to the sensor in real time. Taken together, these data support the retinal equilibrium binding hypothesis. The approach we describe should prove directly translatable to other GPCRs, providing a new tool for ligand discovery and mutant characterization.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (2) ◽  
pp. C533-C536 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Davis ◽  
E. M. Hogan ◽  
W. F. Boron

Many cells respond to shrinkage by stimulating specific ion transport processes (e.g., Na-H exchange). However, it is not known how the cell senses this volume change, nor how this signal is transduced to an ion transporter. We have studied the activation of Na-H exchange in internally dialyzed barnacle muscle fibers, measuring intracellular pH (pHi) with glass microelectrodes. When cells are dialyzed to a pHi of approximately 7.2, Na-H exchange is active only in shrunken cells. We found that the shrinkage-induced stimulation of Na-H exchange, elicited by increasing medium osmolality from 975 to 1,600 mosmol/kgH2O, is inhibited approximately 72% by including in the dialysis fluid 1 mM guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate). The latter is an antagonist of G protein activation. Even in unshrunken cells, Na-H exchange is activated by dialyzing the cell with 1 mM guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), which causes the prolonged activation of G proteins. Activation of Na-H exchange is also elicited in unshrunken cells by injecting cholera toxin, which activates certain G proteins. Neither exposing cells to 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate nor dialyzing them with a solution containing 20 microM adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) (or 50 microM dibutyryl cAMP) plus 0.5 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine substantially stimulates the exchanger. Thus our data suggest that a G protein plays a key role in the transduction of the shrinkage signal to the Na-H exchanger via a pathway that involves neither protein kinase C nor cAMP.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (33) ◽  
pp. 16394-16403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Kalogriopoulos ◽  
Steven D. Rees ◽  
Tony Ngo ◽  
Noah J. Kopcho ◽  
Andrey V. Ilatovskiy ◽  
...  

Heterotrimeric G proteins are key molecular switches that control cell behavior. The canonical activation of G proteins by agonist-occupied G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has recently been elucidated from the structural perspective. In contrast, the structural basis for GPCR-independent G protein activation by a novel family of guanine-nucleotide exchange modulators (GEMs) remains unknown. Here, we present a 2.0-Å crystal structure of Gαi in complex with the GEM motif of GIV/Girdin. Nucleotide exchange assays, molecular dynamics simulations, and hydrogen–deuterium exchange experiments demonstrate that GEM binding to the conformational switch II causes structural changes that allosterically propagate to the hydrophobic core of the Gαi GTPase domain. Rearrangement of the hydrophobic core appears to be a common mechanism by which GPCRs and GEMs activate G proteins, although with different efficiency. Atomic-level insights presented here will aid structure-based efforts to selectively target the noncanonical G protein activation.


2003 ◽  
Vol 278 (35) ◽  
pp. 33400-33407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giu-Jie Feng ◽  
Elaine Kellett ◽  
Carol A. Scorer ◽  
Jonathan Wilde ◽  
Julia H. White ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor M. Nikonorov ◽  
Thomas J. J. Blanck ◽  
Esperanza Recio-Pinto

Background G-protein activation mediates inhibition of N-type Ca2+ currents. Volatile anesthetics affect G-protein pathways at various levels, and activation of G-proteins has been shown to increase the volatile anesthetic potency for inhibiting the electrical-induced contraction in ileum. The authors investigated whether isoflurane inhibition of N-type Ba2+ currents was mediated by G-protein activation. Methods N-type Ba2+ currents were measured in the human neuronal SH-SY5Y cell line by using the whole cell voltage-clamp method. Results Isoflurane was found to have two effects on N-type Ba2+ currents. First, isoflurane reduced the magnitude of N-type Ba2+ currents to a similar extent (IC50 approximately 0.28 mm) in the absence and presence of GDPbetaS (a nonhydrolyzable GDP analog). Interestingly, GTPgammaS (a nonhydrolyzable GTP analog and G-protein activator) in a dose-dependent manner reduced the isoflurane block; 120 microm GTPgammaS completely eliminated the block of 0.3 mm isoflurane and reduced the apparent isoflurane potency by approximately 2.4 times (IC50 approximately 0.68 mm). Pretreatment with pertussis toxin or cholera toxin did not eliminate the GTPgammaS-induced protection against the isoflurane block. Furthermore, isoflurane reduced the magnitude of voltage-dependent G-protein-mediated inhibition of N-type Ba2+ currents, and this effect was eliminated by pretreatment with pertussis toxin or cholera toxin. Conclusions It was found that activation of G-proteins in a neuronal environment dramatically reduced the isoflurane potency for inhibiting N-type Ba2+ currents and, in turn, isoflurane affected the G-protein regulation of N-type Ba2+ currents.


2000 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis F. Barrett ◽  
Ann R. Rittenhouse

N-type voltage-gated calcium channel activity in rat superior cervical ganglion neurons is modulated by a variety of pathways. Activation of heterotrimeric G-proteins reduces whole-cell current amplitude, whereas phosphorylation by protein kinase C leads to an increase in current amplitude. It has been proposed that these two distinct pathways converge on the channel's pore-forming α1B subunit, such that the actions of one pathway can preclude those of the other. In this study, we have characterized further the actions of PKC on whole-cell barium currents in neonatal rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. We first examined whether the effects of G-protein–mediated inhibition and phosphorylation by PKC are mutually exclusive. G-proteins were activated by including 0.4 mM GTP or 0.1 mM GTP-γ-S in the pipette, and PKC was activated by bath application of 500 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). We found that activated PKC was unable to reverse GTP-γ-S–induced inhibition unless prepulses were applied, indicating that reversal of inhibition by phosphorylation appears to occur only after dissociation of the G-protein from the channel. Once inhibition was relieved, activation of PKC was sufficient to prevent reinhibition of current by G-proteins, indicating that under phosphorylating conditions, channels are resistant to G-protein–mediated modulation. We then examined what effect, if any, phosphorylation by PKC has on N-type barium currents beyond antagonizing G-protein–mediated inhibition. We found that, although G-protein activation significantly affected peak current amplitude, fast inactivation, holding-potential–dependent inactivation, and voltage-dependent activation, when G-protein activation was minimized by dialysis of the cytoplasm with 0.1 mM GDP-β-S, these parameters were not affected by bath application of PMA. These results indicate that, under our recording conditions, phosphorylation by PKC has no effect on whole-cell N-type currents, other than preventing inhibition by G-proteins.


eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junke Liu ◽  
Zongyong Zhang ◽  
David Moreno-Delgado ◽  
James AR Dalton ◽  
Xavier Rovira ◽  
...  

GPCRs play critical roles in cell communication. Although GPCRs can form heteromers, their role in signaling remains elusive. Here we used rat metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors as prototypical dimers to study the functional interaction between each subunit. mGluRs can form both constitutive homo- and heterodimers. Whereas both mGlu2 and mGlu4 couple to G proteins, G protein activation is mediated by mGlu4 heptahelical domain (HD) exclusively in mGlu2-4 heterodimers. Such asymmetric transduction results from the action of both the dimeric extracellular domain, and an allosteric activation by the partially-activated non-functional mGlu2 HD. G proteins activation by mGlu2 HD occurs if either the mGlu2 HD is occupied by a positive allosteric modulator or if mGlu4 HD is inhibited by a negative modulator. These data revealed an oriented asymmetry in mGlu heterodimers that can be controlled with allosteric modulators. They provide new insight on the allosteric interaction between subunits in a GPCR dimer.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (35) ◽  
pp. 21723-21730
Author(s):  
Najeah Okashah ◽  
Shane C. Wright ◽  
Kouki Kawakami ◽  
Signe Mathiasen ◽  
Joris Zhou ◽  
...  

G proteins are activated when they associate with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), often in response to agonist-mediated receptor activation. It is generally thought that agonist-induced receptor-G protein association necessarily promotes G protein activation and, conversely, that activated GPCRs do not interact with G proteins that they do not activate. Here we show that GPCRs can form agonist-dependent complexes with G proteins that they do not activate. Using cell-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and luminescence assays we find that vasopressin V2receptors (V2R) associate with both Gsand G12heterotrimers when stimulated with the agonist arginine vasopressin (AVP). However, unlike V2R-Gscomplexes, V2R-G12complexes are not destabilized by guanine nucleotides and do not promote G12activation. Activating V2R does not lead to signaling responses downstream of G12activation, but instead inhibits basal G12-mediated signaling, presumably by sequestering G12heterotrimers. Overexpressing G12inhibits G protein receptor kinase (GRK) and arrestin recruitment to V2R and receptor internalization. Formyl peptide (FPR1 and FPR2) and Smoothened (Smo) receptors also form complexes with G12that are insensitive to nucleotides, suggesting that unproductive GPCR-G12complexes are not unique to V2R. These results indicate that agonist-dependent receptor-G protein association does not always lead to G protein activation and may in fact inhibit G protein activation.


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