1
|
Wu Y, Jensen N, Rossner MJ, Wehr MC. Exploiting Cell-Based Assays to Accelerate Drug Development for G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5474. [PMID: 38791511 PMCID: PMC11121687 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are relevant targets for health and disease as they regulate various aspects of metabolism, proliferation, differentiation, and immune pathways. They are implicated in several disease areas, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental disorders. It is worth noting that about a third of all marketed drugs target GPCRs, making them prime pharmacological targets for drug discovery. Numerous functional assays have been developed to assess GPCR activity and GPCR signaling in living cells. Here, we review the current literature of genetically encoded cell-based assays to measure GPCR activation and downstream signaling at different hierarchical levels of signaling, from the receptor to transcription, via transducers, effectors, and second messengers. Singleplex assay formats provide one data point per experimental condition. Typical examples are bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays and protease cleavage assays (e.g., Tango or split TEV). By contrast, multiplex assay formats allow for the parallel measurement of multiple receptors and pathways and typically use molecular barcodes as transcriptional reporters in barcoded assays. This enables the efficient identification of desired on-target and on-pathway effects as well as detrimental off-target and off-pathway effects. Multiplex assays are anticipated to accelerate drug discovery for GPCRs as they provide a comprehensive and broad identification of compound effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Wu
- Research Group Cell Signalling, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Systasy Bioscience GmbH, Balanstr. 6, 81669 Munich, Germany
| | - Niels Jensen
- Systasy Bioscience GmbH, Balanstr. 6, 81669 Munich, Germany
- Section of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz J. Rossner
- Systasy Bioscience GmbH, Balanstr. 6, 81669 Munich, Germany
- Section of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Michael C. Wehr
- Research Group Cell Signalling, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Systasy Bioscience GmbH, Balanstr. 6, 81669 Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Abstract
G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest and pharmacologically most important family of cell-surface receptors. Some GPCRs interact specifically with receptor-activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs), but the consequences of this interaction for the receptor activation mechanism are not well understood. Using a set of fluorescent biosensors for the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) and its downstream signaling partners, we show here that RAMP2 induces a unique, preactivated receptor state that shows faster activation and altered downstream signaling. This type of GPCR modulation may open new methods of drug design. Receptor-activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) are ubiquitously expressed membrane proteins that associate with different G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), including the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R), a class B GPCR and an important modulator of mineral ion homeostasis and bone metabolism. However, it is unknown whether and how RAMP proteins may affect PTH1R function. Using different optical biosensors to measure the activation of PTH1R and its downstream signaling, we describe here that RAMP2 acts as a specific allosteric modulator of PTH1R, shifting PTH1R to a unique preactivated state that permits faster activation in a ligand-specific manner. Moreover, RAMP2 modulates PTH1R downstream signaling in an agonist-dependent manner, most notably increasing the PTH-mediated Gi3 signaling sensitivity. Additionally, RAMP2 increases both PTH- and PTHrP-triggered β-arrestin2 recruitment to PTH1R. Employing homology modeling, we describe the putative structural molecular basis underlying our functional findings. These data uncover a critical role of RAMPs in the activation and signaling of a GPCR that may provide a new venue for highly specific modulation of GPCR function and advanced drug design.
Collapse
|
3
|
Ma X, Gao M, Vischer HF, Leurs R. A NanoBRET-Based H 3R Conformational Biosensor to Study Real-Time H 3 Receptor Pharmacology in Cell Membranes and Living Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158211. [PMID: 35897787 PMCID: PMC9332000 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conformational biosensors to monitor the activation state of G protein-coupled receptors are a useful addition to the molecular pharmacology assay toolbox to characterize ligand efficacy at the level of receptor proteins instead of downstream signaling. We recently reported the initial characterization of a NanoBRET-based conformational histamine H3 receptor (H3R) biosensor that allowed the detection of both (partial) agonism and inverse agonism on living cells in a microplate reader assay format upon stimulation with H3R ligands. In the current study, we have further characterized this H3R biosensor on intact cells by monitoring the effect of consecutive ligand injections in time and evaluating its compatibility with photopharmacological ligands that contain a light-sensitive azobenzene moiety for photo-switching. In addition, we have validated the H3R biosensor in membrane preparations and found that observed potency values better correlated with binding affinity values that were measured in radioligand competition binding assays on membranes. Hence, the H3R conformational biosensor in membranes might be a ready-to-use, high-throughput alternative for radioligand binding assays that in addition can also detect ligand efficacies with comparable values as the intact cell assay.
Collapse
|
4
|
Anton SE, Kayser C, Maiellaro I, Nemec K, Möller J, Koschinski A, Zaccolo M, Annibale P, Falcke M, Lohse MJ, Bock A. Receptor-associated independent cAMP nanodomains mediate spatiotemporal specificity of GPCR signaling. Cell 2022; 185:1130-1142.e11. [PMID: 35294858 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) relay extracellular stimuli into specific cellular functions. Cells express many different GPCRs, but all these GPCRs signal to only a few second messengers such as cAMP. It is largely unknown how cells distinguish between signals triggered by different GPCRs to orchestrate their complex functions. Here, we demonstrate that individual GPCRs signal via receptor-associated independent cAMP nanodomains (RAINs) that constitute self-sufficient, independent cell signaling units. Low concentrations of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and isoproterenol exclusively generate highly localized cAMP pools around GLP-1- and β2-adrenergic receptors, respectively, which are protected from cAMP originating from other receptors and cell compartments. Mapping local cAMP concentrations with engineered GPCR nanorulers reveals gradients over only tens of nanometers that define the size of individual RAINs. The coexistence of many such RAINs allows a single cell to operate thousands of independent cellular signals simultaneously, rather than function as a simple "on/off" switch.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Selma E Anton
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Kayser
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabella Maiellaro
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany; School of Life Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Katarina Nemec
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jan Möller
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Koschinski
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Manuela Zaccolo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Paolo Annibale
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Martin Falcke
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Department of Physics, Humboldt University, Newtonstr. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin J Lohse
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany; Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Free University Berlin, Takustr. 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany; ISAR Bioscience Institute, Semmelweisstrasse 5, 82152 Planegg, Munich, Germany.
| | - Andreas Bock
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany; Rudolf Boehm Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Härtelstr. 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zheng Y, Wágner G, Hauwert N, Ma X, Vischer HF, Leurs R. New Chemical Biology Tools for the Histamine Receptor Family. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 59:3-28. [PMID: 35851442 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The histamine research community has in the last decade been very active and generated a number of exciting new chemical biology tools for the study of histamine receptors, their ligands, and their pharmacology. In this paper we describe the development of histamine receptor structural biology, the use of receptor conformational biosensors, and the development of new ligands for covalent or fluorescent labeling or for photopharmacological approaches (photocaging and photoswitching). These new tools allow new approaches to study histamine receptors and hopefully will lead to better insights in the molecular aspects of histamine receptors and their ligands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zheng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gábor Wágner
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Niels Hauwert
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaoyuan Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henry F Vischer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Leurs
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (AIMMS), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|