1. Ligand-induced conformational changes in a SMALP-encapsulated GPCR.
- Author
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Routledge SJ, Jamshad M, Little HA, Lin YP, Simms J, Thakker A, Spickett CM, Bill RM, Dafforn TR, Poyner DR, and Wheatley M
- Subjects
- Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions, Ligands, Maleates chemistry, Pichia chemistry, Protein Conformation, Spectrometry, Fluorescence methods, Triazines pharmacology, Triazoles pharmacology, Tryptophan chemistry, Lipids chemistry, Receptor, Adenosine A2A chemistry, Styrene chemistry
- Abstract
The adenosine 2A receptor (A
2A R), a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), was solubilised and purified encapsulated in styrene maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs). The purified A2A R-SMALP was associated with phospholipids characteristic of the plasma membrane of Pichia pastoris, the host used for its expression, confirming that the A2A R-SMALP encapsulated native lipids. The fluorescence spectrum of the A2A R-SMALP showed a characteristic broad emission peak at 330 nm, produced by endogenous Trp residues. The inverse agonist ZM241385 caused 30% increase in fluorescence emission, unusually accompanied by a red-shift in the emission wavelength. The emission spectrum also showed sub-peaks at 321 nm, 335 nm and 350 nm, indicating that individual Trp inhabited different environments following ZM241385 addition. There was no effect of the agonist NECA on the A2A R-SMALP fluorescence spectrum. Substitution of two Trp residues by Tyr suggested that ZM241385 affected the environment and mobility of Trp2466.48 in TM6 and Trp2687.33 at the extracellular face of TM7, causing transition to a more hydrophobic environment. The fluorescent moiety IAEDANS was site-specifically introduced at the intracellular end of TM6 (residue 2316.33 ) to report on the dynamic cytoplasmic face of the A2A R. The inverse agonist ZM241385 caused a concentration-dependent increase in fluorescence emission as the IAEDANS moved to a more hydrophobic environment, consistent with closing the G-protein binding crevice. NECA generated only 30% of the effect of ZM241385. This study provides insight into the SMALP environment; encapsulation supported constitutive activity of the A2A R and ZM241385-induced conformational transitions but the agonist NECA generated only small effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2020
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