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The receptor for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a member of the seven-transmembrane-spanning, GTP-binding protein-coupled receptor family. We showed that tyrosine at position 106 in transmembrane helix 3 of the TRH receptor directly binds the ring carbonyl of the pyroglutamyl moiety of TRH (Perlman, J. H., Thaw, C. N., Laakkonen L., Bowers, C. Y., Osman, R., and Gershengorn, M. C. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 1610-1613). We now show that asparagine at position 110 of transmembrane helix 3 directly interacts with the ring N-H of the TRH pyroglutamyl moiety. Based on these findings and evidence that two transmembrane arginines are important in binding, we developed a three-dimensional model of the TRH receptor binding pocket using molecular modeling and simulation programs. The model places the binding pocket for TRH within the transmembrane domains of the receptor and predicts that multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions are involved in binding TRH. To our knowledge, this is the first model, at an atomic level of detail, of the interaction of a peptide ligand with a GTP-binding protein-coupled receptor.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, pyroglutamic acid-histidine-proline-amide) binds to a seven-transmembrane-spanning, G protein-coupled receptor. We tested the hypothesis that Tyr106 of the third transmembrane helix of the TRH receptor (TRH-R) binds pyroglutamyl of TRH by mutating Tyr106 to Phe and replacing the ring carbonyl of the TRH pyroglutamyl moiety with a methylene group ([Pro1]TRH). Compared to the affinity of wild-type TRH-R for TRH, the affinities of [Phe106]TRH-R for TRH and of wild-type TRH-R for [Pro1]TRH were 100,000- and 110,000-fold lower, respectively. The affinity of [Phe106]TRH-R for [Pro1]TRH was only 16-fold lower than that for TRH, demonstrating a lack of additivity of the effects of these changes in the receptor and ligand. These data provide compelling evidence that the hydroxyl group of Tyr106 of the TRH-R binds the TRH pyroglutamyl carbonyl group. To our knowledge, this represents the highest affinity, non-covalent bond yet observed between single functional groups of a GPCR and ligand and is the first delineation of a direct binding interaction between a residue in the transmembrane core of a GPCR and a specific moiety of a peptide agonist.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone, TRH (< Glu-His-Proamide), and [N tau-Me-His]TRH (MeTRH) are present as neutral and positively charged forms at physiologic pH, and it was possible that they bind to the TRH receptor (TRH-R) as charged (protonated) species. Binding affinities of TRH and MeTRH to endogenous rat TRH-Rs and to transfected wild type mouse TRH-Rs decreased below pH 7.1. Half-maximal decreases in binding occurred at the approximate pK alpha values of these ligands. Asp to Ala mutations in extracellular loop 1, TM-4, and TM-5 did not decrease binding affinity, but an Asp to Ala mutation in TM-2 caused the affinity to decrease 8-fold. The pH dependences of binding of MeTRH, however, were similar in wild type and all mutant receptors and were consistent with the protonated form of MeTRH binding less well. Thus, the binding of TRH to its receptor does not involve ionic interactions and may be a prototype for binding of neutral peptide ligands to G protein-coupled receptors.