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Agonist-induced phosphorylation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor 1 (PTHR1) regulates receptor signaling in vitro, but the role of this phosphorylation in vivo is uncertain. We investigated this role by injecting "knock-in" mice expressing a phosphorylation-deficient (PD) PTHR1 with PTH ligands and assessing acute biologic responses. Following injection with PTH (1-34), or with a unique, long-acting PTH analog, PD mice, compared with WT mice, exhibited enhanced increases in cAMP levels in the blood, as well as enhanced cAMP production and gene expression responses in bone and kidney tissue. Surprisingly, however, the hallmark hypercalcemic and hypophosphatemic responses were markedly absent in the PD mice, such that paradoxical hypocalcemic and hyperphosphatemic responses were observed, quite strikingly with the long-acting PTH analog. Spot urine analyses revealed a marked defect in the capacity of the PD mice to excrete phosphate, as well as cAMP, into the urine in response to PTH injection. This defect in renal excretion was associated with a severe, PTH-induced impairment in glomerular filtration, as assessed by the rate of FITC-inulin clearance from the blood, which, in turn, was explainable by an overly exuberant systemic hypotensive response. The overall findings demonstrate the importance in vivo of PTH-induced phosphorylation of the PTHR1 in regulating acute ligand responses, and they serve to focus attention on mechanisms that underlie the acute calcemic response to PTH and factors, such as blood phosphate levels, that influence it.

Vasopressin (VP) binds to the vasopressin type 2 receptor (V2R) to trigger physiological effects including body fluid homeostasis and blood pressure regulation. Signaling is terminated by receptor downregulation involving clathrin-mediated endocytosis and V2R degradation. We report here that both native and epitope-tagged V2R are internalized from the plasma membrane of LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells in the presence of another ligand, transferrin (Tf). The presence of iron-saturated Tf (holo-Tf; 4 h) reduced V2R binding sites at the cell surface by up to 33% while iron-free (apo-Tf) had no effect. However, no change in green fluorescent protein-tagged V2R distribution was observed in the presence of bovine serum albumin, atrial natriuretic peptide, or ANG II. Conversely, holo-Tf did not induce the internalization of another G protein-coupled receptor, the parathyroid hormone receptor. In contrast to the effect of VP, Tf did not increase intracellular cAMP or modify aquaporin-2 distribution in these cells, although addition of VP and Tf together augmented VP-induced V2R internalization. Tf receptor coimmunoprecipitated with V2R, suggesting that they interact closely, which may explain the additive effect of VP and Tf on V2R endocytosis. Furthermore, Tf-induced V2R internalization was abolished in cells expressing a dominant negative dynamin (K44A) mutant, indicating the involvement of clathrin-coated pits. We conclude that Tf can induce heterologous downregulation of the V2R and this might desensitize VP target cells without activating downstream V2R signaling events. It also provides new insights into urine-concentrating defects observed in rat models of hemochromatosis.

Application of chemical synthesis to gain access to high purity hPTH as well as more stable analogues was accomplished through a menu of extended NCL followed by metal free dethiylation.

The classical model of arrestin-mediated desensitization of cell-surface G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is thought to be universal. However, this paradigm is incompatible with recent reports that the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor (PTHR), a crucial GPCR for bone and mineral ion metabolism, sustains G(S) activity and continues to generate cAMP for prolonged periods after ligand washout; during these periods the receptor is observed mainly in endosomes, associated with the bound ligand, G(S) and β-arrestins. In this review we discuss possible molecular mechanisms underlying sustained signaling by the PTHR, including modes of signal generation and attenuation within endosomes, as well as the biological relevance of such non-canonical signaling., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The generation of cAMP by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and its termination are currently thought to occur exclusively at the plasma membrane of cells. Under existing models of receptor regulation, this signal is primarily restricted by desensitization of the receptors through their binding to β-arrestins. However, this paradigm is not consistent with recent observations that the parathyroid hormone receptor type 1 (PTHR) continues to stimulate cAMP production even after receptor internalization, as β-arrestins are known to rapidly bind and internalize activated PTHR. Here we show that binding to β-arrestin1 prolongs rather than terminates the generation of cAMP by PTHR, and that cAMP generation correlates with the persistence of arrestin-receptor complexes on endosomes. PTHR signaling is instead turned off by the retromer complex, which regulates the movement of internalized receptor from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus. Thus, binding by the retromer complex regulates the sustained generation of cAMP triggered by an internalized GPCR.

At the 2nd Pepducin Science Symposium held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on November 4-5, 2010, investigators working in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) research convened to discuss progress since last year's inaugural conference. This year's symposium focused on increasing knowledge of the structure and function of this ubiquitous superfamily of membrane receptors and their potential modulation for disease treatment. Presentations also focused on how GPCR mechanisms might be exploited to treat diseases with pepducins, novel synthetic lipopeptide pharmacophores that modulate heptahelical GPCR activity. While the multiple roles of GPCRs in physiological and pathophysiological processes offer significant opportunities for novel drug development, the global nature of their activity challenges drug-specific and validated target identification. This year's conference highlighted advances in understanding of GPCR agonist and antagonist ligand-binding motifs, their ligand-independent functions, structure-activity relationships (SARs), and evolving unique methods to probe GPCR structure and function. Study results summarized at the meeting also provided evidence for evolving views of how signaling mechanisms work through these receptors., (© 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.)

The parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) receptor (PTHR1) in cells of the renal proximal tubule mediates the reduction in membrane expression of the sodium-dependent P(i) co-transporters, NPT2a and NPT2c, and thus suppresses the re-uptake of P(i) from the filtrate. In most cell types, the liganded PTHR1 activates Gα(S)/adenylyl cyclase/cAMP/PKA (cAMP/PKA) and Gα(q/11)/phospholipase C/phosphatidylinositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3))/Ca(2+)/PKC (IP(3)/PKC) signaling pathways, but the relative roles of each pathway in mediating renal regulation P(i) transport remain uncertain. We therefore explored the signaling mechanisms involved in PTH-dependent regulation of NPT2a function using potent, long-acting PTH analogs, M-PTH(1-28) (where M = Ala(1,12), Aib(3), Gln(10), Har(11), Trp(14), and Arg(19)) and its position 1-modified variant, Trp(1)-M-PTH(1-28), designed to be phospholipase C-deficient. In cell-based assays, both M-PTH(1-28) and Trp(1)-M-PTH(1-28) exhibited potent and prolonged cAMP responses, whereas only M-PTH(1-28) was effective in inducing IP(3) and intracellular calcium responses. In opossum kidney cells, a clonal cell line in which the PTHR1 and NPT2a are endogenously expressed, M-PTH(1-28) and Trp(1)-M-PTH(1-28) each induced reductions in (32)P uptake, and these responses persisted for more than 24 h after ligand wash-out, whereas that of PTH(1-34) was terminated by 4 h. When injected into wild-type mice, both M-modified PTH analogs induced prolonged reductions in blood P(i) levels and commensurate reductions in NPT2a expression in the renal brush border membrane. Our findings suggest that the acute down-regulation of NPT2a expression by PTH ligands involves mainly the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway and are thus consistent with the elevated blood P(i) levels seen in pseudohypoparathyroid patients, in whom Gα(s)-mediated signaling in renal proximal tubule cells is defective.

The parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor type 1 (PTHR), a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), transmits signals to two hormone systems-PTH, endocrine and homeostatic, and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP), paracrine-to regulate different biological processes. PTHR responds to these hormonal stimuli by activating heterotrimeric G proteins, such as G(S) that stimulates cAMP production. It was thought that the PTHR, as for all other GPCRs, is only active and signals through G proteins on the cell membrane, and internalizes into a cell to be desensitized and eventually degraded or recycled. Recent studies with cultured cell and animal models reveal a new pathway that involves sustained cAMP signaling from intracellular domains. Not only do these studies challenge the paradigm that cAMP production triggered by activated GPCRs originates exclusively at the cell membrane but they also advance a comprehensive model to account for the functional differences between PTH and PTHrP acting through the same receptor.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) are two related peptides that control calcium/phosphate homeostasis and bone development, respectively, through activation of the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTH1R), a class B G protein-coupled receptor. Both peptides hold clinical interest for their capacities to stimulate bone formation. PTH and PTHrP display different selectivity for two distinct PTH1R conformations, but how their binding to the receptor differs is unclear. The high resolution crystal structure of PTHrP bound to the extracellular domain (ECD) of PTH1R reveals that PTHrP binds as an amphipathic alpha-helix to the same hydrophobic groove in the ECD as occupied by PTH, but in contrast to a straight, continuous PTH helix, the PTHrP helix is gently curved and C-terminally "unwound." The receptor accommodates the altered binding modes by shifting the side chain conformations of two residues within the binding groove: Leu-41 and Ile-115, the former acting as a rotamer toggle switch to accommodate PTH/PTHrP sequence divergence, and the latter adapting to the PTHrP curvature. Binding studies performed with PTH/PTHrP hybrid ligands having reciprocal exchanges of residues involved in different contacts confirmed functional consequences for the altered interactions and enabled the design of altered PTH and PTHrP peptides that adopt the ECD-binding mode of the opposite peptide. Hybrid peptides that bound the ECD poorly were selective for the G protein-coupled PTH1R conformation. These results establish a molecular model for better understanding of how two biologically distinct ligands can act through a single receptor and provide a template for designing better PTH/PTHrP therapeutics.

Cell signaling mediated by the G protein-coupled parathyroid hormone receptor type 1 (PTHR) is fundamental to bone and kidney physiology. It has been unclear how the two ligand systems--PTH, endocrine and homeostatic, and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP), paracrine--can effectively operate with only one receptor and trigger different durations of the cAMP responses. Here we analyze the ligand response by measuring the kinetics of activation and deactivation for each individual reaction step along the PTHR signaling cascade. We found that during the time frame of G protein coupling and cAMP production, PTHrP(1-36) action was restricted to the cell surface, whereas PTH(1-34) had moved to internalized compartments where it remained associated with the PTHR and Galpha(s), potentially as a persistent and active ternary complex. Such marked differences suggest a mechanism by which PTH and PTHrP induce differential responses, and these results indicate that the central tenet that cAMP production originates exclusively at the cell membrane must be revised.

The parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR) is a class B G protein-coupled receptor that plays critical roles in bone and mineral ion metabolism. Ligand binding to the PTHR involves interactions to both the amino-terminal extracellular (N) domain, and transmembrane/extracellular loop, or juxtamembrane (J) regions of the receptor. Recently, we found that PTH(1-34), but not PTH-related protein, PTHrP(1-36), or M-PTH(1-14) (M = Ala/Aib(1),Aib(3),Gln(10),Har(11),Ala(12),Trp(14),Arg(19)), binds to the PTHR in a largely GTPgammaS-resistant fashion, suggesting selective binding to a novel, high-affinity conformation (R(0)), distinct from the GTPgammaS-sensitive conformation (RG). We examined the effects in vitro and in vivo of introducing the M substitutions, which enhance interaction to the J domain, into PTH analogs extended C-terminally to incorporate residues involved in the N domain interaction. As compared with PTH(1-34), M-PTH(1-28) and M-PTH(1-34) bound to R(0) with higher affinity, produced more sustained cAMP responses in cells, formed more stable complexes with the PTHR in FRET and subcellular localization assays, and induced more prolonged calcemic and phosphate responses in mice. Moreover, after 2 weeks of daily injection in mice, M-PTH(1-34) induced larger increases in trabecular bone volume and greater increases in cortical bone turnover, than did PTH(1-34). Thus, the putative R(0) PTHR conformation can form highly stable complexes with certain PTH ligand analogs and thereby mediate surprisingly prolonged signaling responses in bone and/or kidney PTH target cells. Controlling, via ligand analog design, the selectivity with which a PTH ligand binds to R(0), versus RG, may be a strategy for optimizing signaling duration time, and hence therapeutic efficacy, of PTHR agonist ligands.

PTH and PTHrP use the same G protein-coupled receptor, the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTHR), to mediate their distinct biological actions. The extent to which the mechanisms by which the two ligands bind to the PTHR differ is unclear. We examined this question using several pharmacological and biophysical approaches. Kinetic dissociation and equilibrium binding assays revealed that the binding of [(125)I]PTHrP(1-36) to the PTHR was more sensitive to GTPgammaS (added to functionally uncouple PTHR-G protein complexes) than was the binding of [(125)I]PTH(1-34) ( approximately 75% maximal inhibition vs. approximately 20%). Fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based kinetic analyses revealed that PTHrP(1-36) bound to the PTHR more slowly and dissociated from it more rapidly than did PTH(1-34). The cAMP signaling response capacity of PTHrP(1-36) in cells decayed more rapidly than did that of PTH(1-34) (t(1/2) = approximately 1 vs. approximately 2 h). Divergent residue 5 in the ligand, Ile in PTH and His in PTHrP, was identified as a key determinant of the altered receptor-interaction responses exhibited by the two peptides. We conclude that whereas PTH and PTHrP bind similarly to the G protein-coupled PTHR conformation (RG), PTH has a greater capacity to bind to the G protein-uncoupled conformation (R(0)) and, hence, can produce cumulatively greater signaling responses (via R(0)-->RG isomerization) than can PTHrP. Such conformational selectivity may relate to the distinct modes by which PTH and PTHrP act biologically, endocrine vs. paracrine, and may help explain reported differences in the effects that the ligands have on calcium and bone metabolism when administered to humans.

With the advent of advances in chemical and molecular biology, the structure of parathyroid hormone (PTH); the related protein, parathyroid-related protein (PTHrP); and their principal receptor (PTH/PTHrP receptor [PTHR1]) were established over recent decades. Tests with purified hormonal peptide in humans led to the surprising, even paradoxical, finding that PTH can be used pharmacologically to build bone, providing a dramatic therapeutic impact on osteoporosis. These developments plus recent insights into previously unappreciated ligand-receptor conformations that cause prolonged biological activation have stimulated the field of calcium and bone biology and posed new questions about the role of PTH and PTHrP as well as possible new directions in the therapy of osteoporosis and calcium-deficit states.

The principal receptor-binding domain (Ser(17)-Val(31)) of parathyroid hormone (PTH) is predicted to form an amphiphilic alpha-helix and to interact primarily with the N-terminal extracellular domain (N domain) of the PTH receptor (PTHR). We explored these hypotheses by introducing a variety of substitutions in region 17-31 of PTH-(1-31) and assessing, via competition assays, their effects on binding to the wild-type PTHR and to PTHR-delNt, which lacks most of the N domain. Substitutions at Arg(20) reduced affinity for the intact PTHR by 200-fold or more, but altered affinity for PTHR-delNt by 4-fold or less. Similar effects were observed for Glu substitutions at Trp(23), Leu(24), and Leu(28), which together form the hydrophobic face of the predicted amphiphilic alpha-helix. Glu substitutions at Arg(25), Lys(26), and Lys(27) (which forms the hydrophilic face of the helix) caused 4-10-fold reductions in affinity for both receptors. Thus, the side chains of Arg(20), together with those composing the hydrophobic face of the ligand's putative amphiphilic alpha-helix, contribute strongly to PTHR-binding affinity by interacting specifically with the N domain of the receptor. The side chains projecting from the opposite helical face contribute weakly to binding affinity by different mechanisms, possibly involving interactions with the extracellular loop/transmembrane domain region of the receptor. The data help define the roles that side chains in the binding domain of PTH play in the PTH-PTHR interaction process and provide new clues for understanding the overall topology of the bimolecular complex.

We have studied the effects of C-terminal group modifications (amide, methylamide, dimethylamide, aldehyde, and alcohol) on the conformation, adenylyl cyclase stimulation (AC), or binding of parathyroid hormone (hPTH) analogues, hPTH(1-28)NH(2) and hPTH(1-31)NH(2). hPTH(1-31)NH(2) has a C-terminal alpha-helix bounded by residues 17-29 [Chen, Z., et al. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 12766]. In both cases, relative to the natural analogue with a carboxyl C-terminus, the amide and methylamide had increased helix content whereas the dimethylamide forms had CD spectra more similar to the carboxyl one. Conformational effects were more pronounced with hPTH(1-28) than with hPTH(1-31), with increases in helix content of approximately 30% in contrast to 10%. Stabilization of the C-terminal helix of residues 1-28 seemed to correlate with an ability of the C-terminal function to H-bond appropriately. None of the analogues affected the AC stimulating activity significantly, but there was an up to 15-fold decrease in the level of apparent binding of the carboxyl hPTH(1-28) analogue compared to that of the methylamide and a 4-fold decrease in the level of binding of the aldehyde or dimethylamide. There was no significant change in binding activities for the 1-31 analogues. These observations are consistent with previous studies that imply the importance of a region of the hormone's C-terminal alpha-helix for tight binding to the receptor. They also show that modulation of helix stability does have an effect on the binding of the hormone, but only when the C-terminus is at the putative end of the helix. The similarity of AC stimulation even when binding changed 10-fold can be explained by assuming greater efficacy of the weaker binding PTH-receptor complexes in stimulating AC.

Mechanisms of ligand binding to the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTHR) were explored using PTH fragment analogs as radioligands in binding assays. In particular, the modified amino-terminal fragment analog, (125)I-[Aib(1,3),Nle8,Gln10,homoarginine11,Ala12,Trp14,Tyr15]rPTH(1-15)NH2, (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15), was used as a radioligand that we hypothesized to bind solely to the juxtamembrane (J) portion of the PTHR containing the extracellular loops and transmembrane helices. We also employed (125)I-PTH(1-34) as a radioligand that binds to both the amino-terminal extracellular (N) and J domains of the PTHR. Binding was examined in membranes derived from cells expressing either wild-type or mutant PTHRs. We found that the binding of (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) to the wild-type PTHR was strongly (approximately 90%) inhibited by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate (GTPgammaS), whereas the binding of (125)I-PTH(1-34) was only mildly (approximately 25%) inhibited by GTPgammaS. Of these two radioligands, only (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) bound to PTHR-delNt, which lacks most of the receptor's N domain, and again this binding was strongly inhibited by GTPgammaS. Binding of (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) to the constitutively active receptor, PTHR-H223R, was only mildly (approximately 20%) inhibited by GTPgammaS, as was the binding of (125)I-PTH(1-34). In membranes prepared from cells lacking Galpha(S) via knockout mutation of Gnas, no binding of (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) was observed, but binding of (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) was recovered by virally transducing the cells to heterologously express Galpha(S). (125)I-PTH(1-34) bound to the membranes with or without Galpha(S). The overall findings confirm the hypothesis that (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) binds solely to the J domain of the PTHR. They further show that this binding is strongly dependent on coupling of the receptor to Galpha(S)-containing heterotrimeric G proteins, whereas the binding of (125)I-PTH(1-34) can occur in the absence of such coupling. Thus, (125)I-[Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) appears to function as a selective probe of Galpha(S)-coupled, active-state PTHR conformations.

We have used backbone N-methylations of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to study the role of these NH groups in the C-terminal amphiphilic alpha-helix of PTH (1-31) in binding to and activating the PTH receptor (P1R). The circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated the structure of the C-terminal alpha-helix was locally disrupted around the methylation site. The CD spectra differences were explained by assuming a helix disruption for four residues on each side of the site of methylation and taking into account the known dependence of CD on the length of an alpha-helix. Binding and adenylyl cyclase-stimulating data showed that outside of the alpha-helix, methylation of residues Asp30 and Val31 had little effect on structure or activities. Within the alpha-helix, disruption of the structure was associated with increased loss of activity, but for specific residues Val21, Leu24, Arg25, and Leu28 there was a dramatic loss of activities, thus suggesting a more direct role of these NH groups in correct P1R binding and activation. Activity analyses with P1R-delNT, a mutant with its long N-terminal region deleted, gave a different pattern of effects and implicated Ser17, Trp23, and Lys26 as important for its PTH activation. These two groups of residues are located on opposite sides of the helix. These results are compatible with the C-terminal helix binding to both the N-terminal segment and also to the looped-out extracellular region. These data thus provide direct evidence for important roles of the C-terminal domain of PTH in determining high affinity binding and activation of the P1R receptor.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has a central role in the regulation of serum calcium and phosphate, while parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) has important developmental roles. Both peptides signal through the same receptor, the PTH/PTHrP receptor (a class B G-protein-coupled receptor). The different biological effects of these ligands result from their modes of regulation and secretion, endocrine vs. paracrine/autocrine. The importance of PTH and PTHrP is evident by the variety of clinical syndromes caused by deficiency or excess production of either peptide, and the demonstration that intermittent injection of PTH increases bone mass, and thus provides a means to treat osteoporosis. This, in turn, has triggered increased interest in understanding the mechanisms of PTH/PTHrP receptor action and the search for smaller peptide or non-peptide agonists that have efficacy at this receptor when administered non-parenterally.

Current antagonists for the parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) receptor (PTHR) are N-terminally truncated or N-terminally modified analogs of PTH(1-34) or PTHrP(1-34) and are thought to bind predominantly to the N-terminal extracellular (N) domain of the receptor. We hypothesized that ligands that bind only to PTHR region comprised of the extracellular loops and seven transmembrane helices (the juxtamembrane or J domain) could also antagonize the PTHR. To test this, we started with the J domain-selective agonists [Gln(10),Ala(12),Har(11),Trp(14),Arg(19) (M)]PTH(1-21), [M]PTH(1-15), and [M]PTH(1-14), and introduced substitutions at positions 1-3 that were predicted to dissociate PTHR binding and cAMP signaling activities. Strong dissociation was observed with the tri-residue sequence diethylglycine (Deg)(1)-para-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (Bpa)(2)-Deg(3). In HKRK-B7 cells, which express the cloned human PTHR, [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-21), [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-15), and [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-14) fully inhibited (IC(50)s = 100-700 nm) the binding of (125)I-[alpha-aminoisobutyric acid(1,3),M]PTH(1-15) and were severely defective for stimulating cAMP accumulation. In ROS 17/2.8 cells, which express the native rat PTHR, [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-21) and [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-15) antagonized the cAMP-agonist action of PTH(1-34), as did PTHrP(5-36) (IC(50)s = 0.7 microm, 2.6 microm, and 36 nm, respectively). In COS-7 cells expressing PTHR-delNt, which lacks the N domain of the receptor, [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2), M]PTH(1-21) and [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-15) inhibited the agonist actions of [alpha-aminoisobutyric acid(1,3)]PTH(1-34) and [M]PTH(1-14) (IC(50)s approximately 1 microm), whereas PTHrP(5-36) failed to inhibit. [Deg(1,3),Bpa(2),M]PTH(1-14) inhibited the constitutive cAMP-signaling activity of PTHR-tether-PTH(1-9), in which the PTH(1-9) sequence is covalently linked to the PTHR J domain, as well as that of PTHR(cam)H223R. Thus, the J-domain-selective N-terminal PTH fragment analogs can function as antagonists as well as inverse agonists for the PTHR. The new ligands described should be useful for further studies of the ligand binding and activation mechanisms that operate in the critical PTHR J domain.

Unlabelled: To define and minimize the N-terminal PTH pharmacophore, the effects of introducing different conformationally constraining di-alkyl amino acids at positions 1 and 3 of PTH(1-14) analogs were studied. Improvements in PTH receptor-binding affinity and signaling potency were found, although some substitutions resulted in partial agonism., Introduction: The N-terminal portion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a critical role in PTH-1 receptor (P1R) activation. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this action and to minimize the N-terminal PTH pharmacophore, we employed the PTH(1-14) fragment as a scaffold for structure-activity relationship studies, and thus previously found that substitutions of the conformationally constraining, di-alkyl amino acid, alpha-amino-isobutyric acid (Aib), at positions 1 and 3 increase the P1R-binding affinity and signaling potency of the analog approximately 100-fold. Here we extend these findings by investigating the effects of other constrained di-alkyl amino acids at positions 1 and/or 3 on PTH analog activity., Materials and Methods: The di-alkyl amino acids, 1-aminocycloalkane-carboxylic acid (Ac(x)c, x = 3, 5, or 6) or diethylglycine (Deg), representing alkyl configurations of varying volumes and shape (cyclic and linear), were introduced into the parent peptide, [M]PTH(1-14) (M = Ala(1,3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14)), and the analogs were tested for activity in P1R-expressing cells., Results: Relative to the binding affinity and cAMP-stimulating potency of the parent peptide (IC(50) = 27 mM; EC(50) = 220 nM), PTH(1-14) analogs substituted at position 1 exhibited 2- (Ac(3)c) to 60-fold (Ac(5)c) increases in affinity and potency, as measured in LLC-PK1 cells stably expressing the cloned P1R. Combining the substitutions of Ac(5)c(1) and Aib(3) yielded the highest affinity and most potent PTH(1-14) and shorter-length analogs to date: [Ac(5)c(1), Aib(3),M]PTH(1-X) (X = 14, 11, and 10; IC(50)s = 80 nM, 260 nM, and 850 microM; EC(50)s = 1.7 nM, 3.1 nM, and 1.9 microM, respectively). The effects of Ac(6)c(1) were similar to those of Ac(5)c(1). A dissociation of binding affinity and signaling activity occurred with Deg, as [Deg1,3,M]PTH(1-14) was a partial agonist., Conclusion: Constraining the N-terminal PTH backbone conformation with di-alkyl amino acids at positions 1 and 3 may be a general strategy for optimizing and minimizing the PTH pharmacophore; however, inhibitory side-chain effects may be encountered. The new analogs presented should be useful as minimum-length functional probes of the PTH-PTH receptor interaction mechanism.

Residue 19 of parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a unique role in the interaction process with the PTH1 receptor. A Glu(19) --> Arg(19) substitution, based on the Arg(19) of the PTH-related protein (PTHrP), increases the binding affinity when incorporated into the N-terminus of PTH [i.e., PTH(1-20)] and has no effect when introduced into the C-terminus of PTH [i.e., PTH(15-31)]. To explore Arg(19) and the midregion (residues 10-15), we designed the novel PTH scaffold peptide, PG5, which has the PTH(1-9) domain linked to the PTH(15-31) segment via a pentaglycine spacer. Substitution of Glu(19) with Arg(19) in PG5 resulted in a 9-fold increase in binding affinity. Additionally, the substitution enhanced stimulated cAMP formation in cells expressing PTH1-delNt, a PTH1 receptor construct lacking most of the N-terminus, confirming that residue 19 is interacting with the juxtamembrane portion of PTH1. The binding and signaling capacities of the PG5 analogues were diminished relative to those of PTH(1-34), indicating that the residue 10-14 region of PTH provides more than just a simple linker function. To probe this further, the structural consequences of the glycine linker and its interaction with PTH1 were examined by circular dichroism, (1)H NMR, and extensive ligand/receptor molecular dynamics simulations. The structural data clearly illustrate the helix-stabilizing effect of Arg(19) substitution propagating N-terminally from position 19 to the pentaglycine linker. Overall, these studies suggest that an alpha-helix is the preferred conformation for the residue 15-20 region of PTH and that residues 10-14 are also required for full affinity and potency of the hormone.

The N-terminal fragment of PTH(1-34) is critical for PTH1 receptor activation. Various modifications of PTH(1-14) have been shown to result in a considerable increase in signaling potency [Shimizu et al. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 21836-21843]. Our structural investigations revealed an unusually stable helical structure of the signaling domain (1-14), where residues 6 (Gln) and 10 (Gln or Asn) were located on the same face of the alpha-helix. To test whether a stable N-terminal alpha-helix is required for productive interaction with PTH1 receptor, we designed two conformationally restricted PTH(1-14) analogues, each containing a lactam bridge at positions 6 and 10. Specifically, substitutions Gln(6)-->Glu(6) and Asn(10)-->Lys(10) were introduced into the most potent [Ala(1,3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14)]PTH(1-14)NH2 agonist. Both the Glu(6)-Lys(10) and Lys(6)-Glu(10) lactam-bridged analogues were characterized to examine the importance of orientation of the lactam. According to biological studies [Shimizu et al. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 2282-2290], none of the 6/10 substituted analogues (linear or cyclic) remained as active as the parent peptide. However, relative to their corresponding linear peptides, lactam-bridged analogues either maintained potency or showed 6-fold improvement. High-resolution structures as determined by 1H NMR and NOE-restrained molecular dynamics simulations clearly illustrate the structural differences between the linear and cyclic PTH(1-14) fragments, supporting the hypothesis that an alpha-helix is the preferred bioactive conformation of the N-terminal fragment of PTH. In addition, our results demonstrate that the structural order of the very first residues (1-4) of the signaling domain plays a significant role in PTH action.

Recent functional studies have suggested that position 19 in PTH interacts with the portion of the PTH-1 receptor (P1R) that contains the extracellular loops and seven transmembrance helices (TMs) (the J domain). We tested this hypothesis using the photoaffinity cross-linking approach. A PTHrP(1-36) analog and a conformationally constrained PTH(1-21) analog, each containing para-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (Bpa) at position 19, each cross-linked efficiently to the P1R expressed in COS-7 cells, and digestive mapping analysis localized the cross-linked site to the interval (Leu232-Lys240) at the extracellular end of TM2. Point mutation analysis identified Ala234, Val235, and Lys240 as determinants of cross-linking efficiency, and the Lys240-->Ala mutation selectively impaired the binding of PTH(1-21) and PTH(1-19) analogs, relative to that of PTH(1-15) analogs. The findings support the hypothesis that residue 19 of the receptor-bound ligand contacts, or is close to, the P1R J domain-specifically, Lys240 at the extracellular end of TM2. The findings also support a molecular model in which the 1-21 region of PTH binds to the extracellular face of the P1R J domain as an alpha-helix.

The N-terminal domain of PTH(1-34) is critical for PTH-1 receptor (P1R) activation and has been postulated to be alpha-helical when bound to the receptor. We investigated the possibility that the side chains of residues 6 (Gln) and 10 (Gln or Asn) of PTH analogues, which would align on the same face of the predicted alpha-helix, could interact and thereby contribute to the PTH/P1R interaction process. We utilized PTH(1-11), PTH(1-14), and PTH(1-34) analogues substituted with alanine at one or both of these positions and functionally evaluated the peptides in cell lines (HKRK-B7 and HKRK-B28) stably expressing the P1R, as well as in COS-7 cells transiently expressing either the P1R or a P1R construct that lacks the amino-terminal extracellular domain (P1R-DelNt). In HKRK-B7 cells, the single substitutions of Gln(6) --> Ala and Gln(10) --> Ala reduced the cAMP-stimulating potency of [Ala(3),Gln(10),Arg(11)]rPTH(1-11)NH(2) approximately 60- and approximately 2-fold, respectively, whereas the combined Ala(6,10) substitution resulted in a approximately 2-fold gain in potency, relative to the single Ala(6) substitution. Similar effects on P1R-mediated cAMP-signaling potency and P1R-binding affinity were observed for these substitutions in [Aib(1,3),Gln(10),Har(11),Ala(12),Trp(14)]rPTH(1-14)NH(2). Installation of a lactam bridge between the Lys(6) and the Glu(10) side chains of [Ala(3,12),Lys(6),Glu(10),Har(11),Trp(14)]rPTH(1-14)NH(2) increased signaling potency 6-fold, relative to the nonbridged linear analogue. Alanine substitutions at positions 6 and/or 10 of [Tyr(34)]hPTH(1-34)NH(2) did not affect signaling potency nor binding affinity on the intact P1R; however, Ala(6) abolished PTH(1-34) signaling on P1R-DelNt, and this effect was reversed by Ala(10). The overall data support the hypothesis that the N-terminal portion of PTH is alpha-helical when bound to the activation domain of the PTH-1 receptor and they further suggest that intrahelical side chain interactions between residues 6 and 10 of the ligand can contribute to the receptor interaction process.

Residue 19 of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been shown to play an important role in both binding to and activation of the PTH receptor; specifically, Arg(19)-containing analogues have improved biological function over similar Glu(19) peptides [Shimizu et al. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 13224-13233]. Additionally the juxtamembrane portion of the receptor is involved in the different biological responses. Here, we determine the conformational preferences of PTH analogues to provide a structural basis for their biological actions. On the basis of circular dichroism results, the Arg(19) --> Glu(19) mutations within the context of both PTH(1-20) and PTH(1-34) analogues lead to increases in helix content, ranging from a 8-15% increase. High-resolution structures as determined by (1)H NMR and NOE-restrained molecular dynamics simulations clearly illustrate the difference between Arg(19) and Glu(19)-PTH(1-20), particularly with the extent and stability of the C-terminal helix. The Arg(19)-containing analogue has a well defined, stable alpha-helix from Ser(4)-Arg(19), while the Glu(19) analogue is less ordered at the C-terminus. On the basis of these observations, we propose that position 19 of PTH(1-20) must be alpha-helical for optimal interaction with the juxtamembrane portion of the receptor. This mode of binding extends the current view of PTH binding (indeed ligand binding for all class B GPCRs), which invokes a bihelical ligand with the C-terminus of the ligand interacting with the N-terminus of the receptor (responsible for binding) and the N-terminus of the ligand interacting with the seven-helical bundle (leading to receptor activation).

Recent data suggest that the binding of parathyroid hormone (PTH)-(1-34) to the PTH-1 receptor (P1R) involves a high-affinity interaction between the C-terminal (15-34) domain of the ligand and the amino-terminal extracellular (N) domain of the receptor and a low-affinity interaction between the N-terminal (1-14) portion of PTH and the juxtamembrane (J) region of the receptor, with the latter interaction giving rise to signal transduction. We investigated whether residues C-terminal of position 14 in PTH(1-34) contribute to the J component of the interaction mechanism by comparing the capacity of PTH analogues N-terminally modified to improve J domain affinity and C-terminally truncated at position 14, 20, or 34 to stimulate cAMP formation in COS-7 cells transiently transfected with P1R-delNt, a P1R construct that lacks most of the N domain. In these cells, the potency of [M]PTH(1-34) (M = Ala(1,3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14),Arg(19)) was 120-fold greater than that of [M]PTH(1-14) (EC(50)s = 3.0 +/- 0.8 and 360 +/- 90 nM, respectively) but was equal to that of [M]PTH(1-20) (EC(50) = 2.3 +/- 0.3 nM). Reverting the Arg(19) substitution of [M]PTH(1-20) to the native Glu reduced cAMP signaling potency on P1R-delNt by 12-fold (EC(50) of [M]PTH(1-20)-Glu(19) = 27 +/- 4 nM), and it decreased the analog's capacity to inhibit the binding of the J domain-selective radioligand, (125)I-[Aib(1,3),Nle(8),M,Tyr(21)]ratPTH(1-21), to the full-length P1R stably expressed in LLC-PK1 cells by 40-fold. The Glu(19) --> Arg modification, however, did not affect the capacity of PTH(15-31) to inhibit the binding of the N domain-selective radioligand (125)I-bPTH(3-34) to the full-length receptor. The overall data suggest that residues (15-20) of PTH, and particularly residue 19, contribute to the capacity of the N-terminal portion of the ligand to interact with the juxtamembrane region of the receptor. The NMR data presented in the accompanying manuscript suggests that this role could involve intramolecular effects on secondary structure in the N-terminal portion of the ligand.

The N-terminal portion of parathyroid hormone is critical for PTH-1 receptor (P1R) activation and has been postulated to be alpha-helical when bound to the receptor. We investigated whether substitution of the sterically hindered and helix-promoting amino acid alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) in N-terminal PTH oligopeptides would improve the capacity of the peptide to activate the P1R. Analysis of the effects of individual Aib substitutions at each position in [Ala(3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14)]PTH(1-14)NH(2) ([M]PTH(1-14)) on cAMP-stimulating potency in HKRK-B28 cells revealed that Aib at most positions diminished potency; however, Aib at positions 1 and 3 enhanced potency. Thus [Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-14) was approximately 100-fold more potent than [M]PTH(1-14) (EC(50) = 1.1 +/- 0.1 and 100 +/- 20 nm, respectively), approximately 100,000-fold more potent than native PTH(1-14), and 2-fold more potent than PTH(1-34). The shorter peptide, [Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-11), was also fully efficacious and 1,000-fold more potent than [M]PTH(1-11) (EC(50) 4 +/- 1 nm versus 3 +/- 1 microm). In cAMP stimulation assays performed in COS-7 cells expressing P1R-delNt, a receptor that lacks most of the N-terminal extracellular domain, [Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-14) was 50-fold more potent than [M]PTH(1-14) (EC(50) = 0.7 +/- 0.2 versus 40 +/- 2 nm) and 1,000-fold more potent than PTH(1-34) (EC(50) = 700 nm). [Aib(1,3),M]PTH(1-14), but not PTH(1-34), inhibited the binding of (125)I-[Aib(1,3),Nle(8),Gln(10),Har(11),Ala(12),Trp(14),Arg(19),Tyr(21)]PTH(1-21)NH(2) to hP1R-delNt (IC(50) = 1,600 +/- 200 nm). The Aib(1,3) substitutions in otherwise unmodified PTH(1-34) enhanced potency and binding affinity on hP1R-delNt, but they had no effect for this peptide on hP1R-WT. Circular dichroism spectroscopy demonstrated that the Aib-1,3 substitutions increased helicity in all peptides tested, including PTH(1-34). The overall data thus suggest that the N-terminal residues of PTH are intrinsically disordered but become conformationally constrained, possibly as an alpha-helix, upon interaction with the activation domain of the PTH-1 receptor.

We have investigated receptor structural components responsible for ligand-dependent inverse agonism in a constitutively active mutant of the human parathyroid hormone (PTH)/parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) receptor type 1 (hP1R). This mutant receptor, hP1R-H223R (hP1R(CAM-HR)), was originally identified in Jansen's chondrodysplasia and is altered in transmembrane domain (TM) 2. We utilized the PTHrP analog, [Bpa(2),Ile(5),Trp(23),Tyr(36)]PTHrP-(1-36)-amide (Bpa(2)-PTHrP-(1-36)), which has valine 2 replaced by p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (Bpa); this substitution renders the peptide a photoreactive inverse agonist at hP1R(CAM-HR). This analog cross-linked to hP1R(CAM-HR) at two contiguous receptor regions as follows: the principal cross-link site (site A) was between receptor residues Pro(415)-Met(441), spanning the TM6/extracellular loop three boundary; the second cross-link site (site B) was within the TM4/TM5 region. Within the site A interval, substitution of Met(425) to Leu converted Bpa(2)-PTHrP-(1-36) from an inverse agonist to a weak partial agonist; this conversion was accompanied by a relative shift of cross-linking from site A to site B. The functional effect of the M425L mutation was specific for Bpa(2)-containing analogs, as inverse agonism of Bpa(2)-PTH-(1-34) was similarly eliminated, whereas inverse agonism of [Leu(11),d-Trp(12)]PTHrP-(5-36) was not affected. Overall, our data indicate that interactions between residue 2 of the ligand and the extracellular end of TM6 of the hP1R play an important role in modulating the conversion between active and inactive receptor states.

The carboxyl-terminal portions of parathyroid hormone (PTH)-(1--34) and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP)-(1-36) are critical for high affinity binding to the PTH/PTHrP receptor (P1R), but the mechanism of receptor interaction for this domain is largely unknown. To identify interaction sites between the carboxyl-terminal region of PTHrP-(1--36) and the P1R, we prepared analogs of [I(5),W(23),Y(36)]PTHrP-(1--36)-amide with individual p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (Bpa) substitutions at positions 22--35. When tested with LLC-PK(1) cells stably transfected with human P1R (hP1R), the apparent binding affinity and the EC(50) of agonist-stimulated cAMP accumulation for each analog was, with the exception of the Bpa(24)-substituted analog, similar to that of the parent compound. The radiolabeled Bpa(23)-, Bpa(27)-, Bpa(28)-, and Bpa(33)-substituted compounds affinity-labeled the hP1R sufficiently well to permit subsequent mapping of the cross-linked receptor region. Each of these peptides cross-linked to the amino-terminal extracellular domain of the P1R: [I(5),Bpa(23),Y(36)]PTHrP-(1-36)-amide cross-linked to the extreme end of this domain (residues 33-63); [I(5),W(23),Bpa(27),Y(36)]PTHrP-(1--36)-amide cross-linked to residues 96--102; [I(5),W(23),Bpa(28),Y(36)]PTHrP-(1--36)- amide cross-linked to residues 64--95; and [I(5),W(23), Bpa(33),Y(36)]PTHrP-(1--36)-amide cross-linked to residues 151-172. These data thus predict that residues 23, 27, 28, and 33 of native PTHrP are each near to different regions of the amino-terminal extracellular receptor domain of the P1R. This information helps define sites of proximity between several ligand residues and this large receptor domain, which so far has been largely excluded from models of the hormone-receptor complex.

The receptor for parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that plays a key role in controlling blood Ca(2+) concentration and endochondral bone formation. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which the receptor recognizes the PTH and PTHrP peptide ligands and transmits their signal across the cell membrane. The available data suggest that there are two principal components to the ligand-receptor interaction. First, a docking interaction between the C-terminal portion of PTH(1-34) and the N-terminal extracellular domain of the receptor; and second, a weaker interaction between the N-terminal portion of the ligand and the juxtamembrane region of the receptor, which induces signal transduction. A full understanding of these processes could lead to new PTH/PTHrP receptor ligands that are effective in controlling diseases of bone and mineral metabolism, such as osteoporosis.

The amino-terminal portion of PTH is critical for PTH-1 receptor (P1Rc) activation. In exploring this component of the ligand receptor interaction, we recently showed that the agonist potency of the weakly active PTH-(1-14)NH(2) peptide can be enhanced by natural amino acid substitutions at several positions, including position 11 (normally leucine). Here we show that the potency of PTH-(1-14)NH(2) can be enhanced by using nonnatural amino acids that increase the length and polarizability of the position 11 side-chain. Thus, in LLC-PK(1) cells stably expressing high levels of the human P1Rc, [homoarginine([Har)(11)]PTH-(1-14)NH(2) was 30-fold more potent for cAMP production than was native PTH-(1-14)NH(2). Combining the homoarginine-11 substitution with other recently identified activity-enhancing substitutions yielded [Ala(3,12),Gln(10),Har(11),Trp(14)]PTH-(1-14)NH(2), which was 1500-fold more potent than PTH-(1-14)NH(2) (EC(50) = 0.12 +/- 0.04 and 190 +/- 20 microM, respectively) and only 63-fold less potent than PTH-(1-34) (EC(50) = 1.9 +/- 0.5 nM). The even shorter analog [Ala(3),Gln(10),Har(11)]PTH-(1-11)NH(2) was also a full cAMP agonist (EC(50) = 3.1 +/- 1.5 microM). Receptor mutations at Phe(184) and Leu(187) located near the boundary of the amino-terminal domain and transmembrane domain-1 severely impaired responsiveness to the PTH-(1-11) analog. Overall, these studies demonstrate that PTH analogs of only 11 amino acids are sufficient for activation of the PTH-1 receptor through interaction with its juxtamembrane region.

Previous studies on parathyroid hormone (PTH)(1-14) revealed that residues (1-9) played a dominant role in stimulating PTH-1 receptor-mediated increases in cAMP formation. In the present study, we examined the effects of installing a metal-binding motif in the (10-14) region of rat PTH(1-14) on the peptide's agonist activity. We found that substitution of histidine for the native asparagine at position 10 of PTH(1-14) provided a peptide that was approx. 8-fold more potent as an agonist in the presence of divalent zinc salts than it was in the absence of the metal. This enhancement in potency was dependent on the native histidine at position 14, the concentration of Zn(II) utilized, and did not occur with other divalent metal ions. The zinc-activated [His(10)]-PTH(1-14) peptide was blocked by a classical PTH-1 receptor antagonist, PTHrP(7-36), and did not activate the PTH-2 receptor. The zinc-mediated enhancing effect did not require the large N-terminal extracellular domain of the PTH-1 receptor. Although we were able to demonstrate that [His(10)]-PTH(1-14) binds Zn(II) using (1)H-NMR, our spectroscopic studies (circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance) were not consistent with the notion that zinc enhanced the activity of [His(10)]-PTH(1-14) simply by inducing a helical structure in the 10-14 region. Rather, the data suggest that the enhancement in cAMP potency arises from the formation of a ternary complex between [His(10)]-PTH(1-14), a zinc atom, and the extracellular loop/transmembrane domain region of the PTH-1 receptor.

The spontaneous signaling activity of some G protein-coupled receptors and the capacity of certain ligands (inverse agonists) to inhibit such constitutive activity are poorly understood phenomena. We investigated these processes for several analogs of PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) and the constitutively active human PTH/PTHrP receptors (hP1Rcs) hP1Rc-H223R and hP1Rc-T410P. The N-terminally truncated antagonist PTHrP(5-36) functioned as a weak partial/neutral agonist with both mutant receptors but was converted to an inverse agonist for both receptors by the combined substitution of Leu(11) and D-Trp(12). The N-terminally intact analog [Bpa(2)]PTHrP(1-36)-a partial agonist with the wild-type hP1Rc-was a selective inverse agonist, in that it depressed basal cAMP signaling by hP1Rc-H223R but enhanced signaling by hP1Rc-T410P. The ability of [Bpa(2)]PTHrP(1-36) to discriminate between the two receptor mutants suggested that H223R and T410P confer constitutive receptor activity by inducing distinct conformational changes. This hypothesis was confirmed by the observations that: 1) the double mutant receptor hP1Rc-H223R/T410P exhibited basal cAMP levels that were 2-fold higher than those of either single mutant; and 2) hP1Rc-H223R and hP1Rc-T410P internalized (125)I-PTHrP(5-36) to markedly different extents. The overall results thus reveal that two different types of inverse agonists are possible for PTHrP ligands (nonselective and selective) and that constitutively active PTH-1 receptors can access different conformational states.

Ligand binding to the PTH1 receptor is described by a "two-site" model, in which the C-terminal portion of the ligand interacts with the N-terminal domain of the receptor (N interaction), and the N-terminal region of the ligand binds the juxtamembrane domain of the receptor (J interaction). Previous studies have not considered the dynamic nature of receptor conformation in ligand binding and receptor activation. In this study the ligand binding mechanism was compared for the G-protein-coupled (RG) and uncoupled (R) PTH1 receptor conformations. The two-site model was confirmed by demonstration of spatially distinct binding sites for PTH(3-34) and PTH(1-14): PTH(1-14), which binds predominantly to the J domain, only partially inhibited binding of 125I-PTH(3-34); and PTH(3-34), shown to bind predominantly to the N domain, only partially inhibited PTH(1-14)-stimulated cAMP accumulation. To assess the effect of R-G coupling, ligand binding to R was measured by displacement of 125I-PTH(3-34) with 30 microM guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTPgammaS) present, and binding to RG was measured by displacement of 125I-[MAP]PTHrP(1-36) (where MAP is model amphipathic peptide), a new radioligand that binds selectively to RG. Agonists bound with higher affinity to RG than R, whereas antagonists bound similarly to these states. The J interaction was responsible for enhanced agonist binding to RG: residues 1 and 2 were required for increased PTH(1-34) affinity for RG; residue 5 of MAP-PTHrP(1-36) was a determinant of R/RG binding selectivity, and PTH(1-14) bound selectively to RG. The N interaction was insensitive to R-G coupling; PTH(3-34) binding was GTPgammaS-insensitive. Finally, several observations suggest the receptor conformation is more "closed" at RG than R. At the R state, an open conformation is suggested by the simultaneous binding of PTH(1-14) and PTH(3-34). At RG PTH(1-14) better occluded binding of 125I-PTH(3-34) and agonist ligands bound pseudo-irreversibly, suggesting a more closed conformation of this receptor state. The results extend the two-site model to take into account R and RG conformations and suggest a model for differences of receptor conformation between these states.

The tuberoinfundibular peptide TIP39 [TIP-(1-39)], which exhibits only limited amino acid sequence homology with PTH and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP), stimulates cAMP accumulation in cells expressing the PTH2 receptor (PTH2R), but it is inactive at the PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTH1R). However, when using either (125)I-labeled rat [Nle(8,21),Tyr(34)]PTH-(1-34)amide (rPTH) or (125)I-labeled human [Tyr(36)]PTHrP-(1-36)amide [PTHrP-(1-36)] for radioreceptor studies, TIP-(1-39) bound to LLCPK(1) cells stably expressing the PTH1R (HKrk-B7 cells), albeit with weak apparent affinity (243 +/- 52 and 210 +/- 64 nM, respectively). In comparison to the parent peptide, the apparent binding affinity of TIP-(3-39) was about 3-fold higher, and that of TIP-(9-39) was about 5.5-fold higher. However, despite their improved IC(50) values at the PTH1R, both truncated peptides failed to stimulate cAMP accumulation in HKrk-B7 cells. In contrast, the chimeric peptide PTHrP-(1-20)/TIP-(23-39) bound to HKrk-B7 cells with affinities of 31 +/- 8.2 and 11 +/- 4.0 nM when using radiolabeled rPTH and PTHrP-(1-36), respectively, and it stimulated cAMP accumulation in HKrk-B7 and SaOS-2 cells with potencies (EC(50), 1.40 +/- 0.3 and 0.38 +/- 0.12 nM, respectively) and efficacies (maximum levels, 39 +/- 8 and 31 +/- 3 pmol/well, respectively) similar to those of PTH-(1-34) and PTHrP-(1-36). In both cell lines, TIP(9-39) and, to a lesser extent, TIP-(1-39) inhibited the actions of the three agonists with efficiencies similar to those of [Leu(11),D-Trp(12),Trp(23),Tyr(36)]PTHrP-(7-36)amide, an established PTH1R antagonist. Taken together, the currently available data suggest that the carboxyl-terminal portion of TIP-(1-39) interacts efficiently with the PTH1R, at sites identical to or closely overlapping those used by PTH-(1-34) and PTHrP-(1-36). The amino-terminal residues of TIP-(1-39), however, are unable to interact productively with the PTH1R, thus enabling TIP-(1-39) and some of its truncated analogs to function as an antagonist at this receptor.

The amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal portions of the 1-34 fragment of parathyroid hormone (PTH) contain the major determinants of receptor activation and receptor binding, respectively. We investigated how the amino-terminal signaling portion of PTH interacts with the receptor by utilizing analogs of the weakly active fragment, rat (r) PTH(1-14)NH(2), and cells transfected with the wild-type human PTH-1 receptor (hP1R-WT) or a truncated PTH-1 receptor which lacked most of the amino-terminal extracellular domain (hP1R-delNt). Of 132 mono-substituted PTH(1-14) analogs, most having substitutions in the (1-9) region were inactive in assays of cAMP formation in LLC-PK1 cells stably expressing hP1R-WT, whereas most having substitutions in the (10-14) region were active. Several substitutions (e.g. Ser(3) --> Ala, Asn(10) --> Ala or Gln, Leu(11) --> Arg, Gly(12) --> Ala, His(14) --> Trp) enhanced activity 2-10-fold. These effects were additive, as [Ala(3),(10,12),Arg(11), Trp(14)] rPTH(1-14)NH(2) was 220-fold more potent than rPTH(1-14)NH(2) (EC(50) = 0.6 +/- 0.1 and 133 +/- 16 micrometer, respectively). Native rPTH(1-11) was inactive, but [Ala(3,10), Arg(11)]rPTH(1-11)NH(2) achieved maximal cAMP stimulation (EC(50) = 17 micrometer). The modified PTH fragments induced cAMP formation with hP1R-delNt in COS-7 cells as potently as they did with hP1R-WT; PTH(1-34) was 6,000-fold weaker with hP1R-delNt than with hP1R-WT. The most potent analog, [Ala(3,10,12),Arg(11), Trp(14)]rPTH(1-14)NH(2), stimulated inositol phosphate production with hP1R-WT. The results show that short NH(2)-terminal peptides of PTH can be optimized for considerable gains in signaling potency through modification of interactions involving the regions of the receptor containing the transmembrane domains and extracellular loops.

Interactions between the N-terminal residues of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the region of the PTH receptor containing the extracellular loops and transmembrane domains are thought to be critical for receptor activation. We evaluated this hypothesis by replacing the large N-terminal extracellular domain of the human type 1 PTH receptor (hP1Rc-WT) with residues 1-9 of PTH (AVSEIQLMH) using a tetraglycine linker between His-9 of the ligand and Glu-182 of the receptor near the extracellular terminus of transmembrane domain-1. Expression of this construct, hP1Rc-Tether(1-9), in COS-7 cells resulted in basal cAMP levels that were 10-fold higher than those seen in control cells transfected with hP1Rc-WT. Extending the ligand sequence to include Asn-10 and the activity-enhancing substitution of Leu-11 --> Arg yielded hP1Rc-[Arg(11)]Tether(1-11), for which we observed basal cAMP levels that were 50-fold higher than those seen with P1Rc-WT. An alanine-scan analysis of hP1Rc-[Arg(11)]Tether(1-11) revealed that Gln-6 and His-9 were not critical for autoactivation, whereas Val-2, Ile-5, and Met-8 were. The data show that tethered PTH/PTH receptors can autoactivate. Analysis of the structure-activity relationships in these tethered receptor constructs can provide new information concerning how the N-terminal residues of PTH interact with the extracellular loops and transmembrane regions of the PTH-1 receptor, particularly in regard to receptor activation.

Recent mutagenesis and cross-linking studies suggest that three regions of the PTH-1 receptor play important roles in ligand interaction: (i) the extreme NH(2)-terminal region, (ii) the juxtamembrane base of the amino-terminal extracellular domain, and (iii) the third extracellular loop. In this report, we analyzed the second of these segments in the rat PTH-1 receptor (residues 182-190) and its role in functional interaction with short PTH fragment analogs. Twenty-eight singly substituted PTH-1 receptors were transiently transfected into COS-7 cells and shown to be fully expressed by surface antibody binding analysis. Alanine-scanning analysis identified Phe(184), Arg(186), Leu(187), and Ile(190) as important determinants of maximum binding of (125)I-labeled bovine PTH-(1-34) and (125)I-labeled bovine PTH-(3-34) and determinants of responsiveness to the NH(2)-terminal analog, PTH-(1-14) in cAMP stimulation assays. Alanine mutations at these four sites augmented the ability of the COOH-terminal peptide [Glu(22), Trp(23)]PTHrP-(15-36) to inhibit the cAMP response induced by PTH-(1-34). At Phe(184) and Leu(187), hydrophobic substitutions (e.g. Ile, Met, or Leu) preserved PTH-(1-34)-mediated cAMP signaling potency, whereas hydrophilic substitutions (e.g. Asp, Glu, Lys, or Arg) weakened this response by 20-fold or more, as compared with the unsubstituted receptor's response. The results suggest that hydrophobicity at positions occupied by Phe(184) and Leu(187) in the PTH-1 receptor plays an important role in determining functional interaction with the 3-14 portion of PTH.

The N-terminal regions of PTH and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) are involved in receptor-mediated signaling and subtype selectivity. To better understand the molecular basis for these processes, we first prepared a series of [I5,W23,Y36]-PTHrP(1-36)NH2 analogs having stepwise deletions of residues 1-4 and characterized them with the human (h)PTH-1 and hPTH-2 receptor subtypes stably transfected in LLC-PK1 cells. Deletions beyond residue 2 caused progressive and severe losses in cAMP-signaling efficacy without dramatically diminishing receptor-binding affinity; consistent with this, [I5,W23]-PTHrP(5-36) was a potent antagonist for both PTH receptor subtypes. We then prepared and characterized photolabile analogs of [I5,W23,Y36]-PTHrP(1-36)NH2 that were singly modified with parabenzoyl-L-phenylalanine (Bpa) along the first six residues. These full-length analogs exhibited receptor subtype-selective agonism, antagonism, and photochemical cross-linking profiles. In particular, the [Bpa2]- and [Bpa4]-substituted analogs selectively antagonized and preferentially cross-linked to the PTH-1 receptor and PTH-2 receptor, respectively. These results demonstrate that the 1-5 region of [I5,W23]-PTHrP(1-36) is critical for activating the PTH-1 and PTH-2 receptors and suggest that the individual residues in this region play distinct roles in modulating the activation states of the two receptors. The cross-linking of both agonist and antagonist ligands to these PTH receptors lays the groundwork for identifying critical signaling determinants in the ligand binding pocket of the receptor.

The type 1 receptor (PTH1R) for parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is highly expressed in bone and kidney and mediates in these tissues the PTH-dependent regulation of mineral ion homeostasis. The PTH1R also mediates the paracrine actions of PTHrP, which play a particularly vital role in the process of endochondral bone formation. These important functions, the likely involvement of the PTH1R in certain genetic diseases affecting skeletal development and calcium homeostasis, and the potential utility of PTH in treating osteoporosis have been the driving force behind intense investigations of both the receptor and its peptide ligands. Recent lines of work have led to the identification of constitutively active PTH1Rs in patients with Jansen's metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, the demonstration of inverse agonism by certain ligand analogs, and the discovery of the PTH-2 receptor subtype that responds to PTH but not PTHrP. As reviewed herein, a detailed exploration of the receptor-ligand interaction process is currently being pursued through the use of site-directed mutagenesis and photoaffinity cross-linking methods; ultimately, such work could enable the development of novel PTH receptor ligands that have therapeutic value in treating diseases such as osteoporosis and certain forms of hypercalcemia.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) activate the PTH/PTHrP receptor to trigger parallel increases in adenylyl cyclase (AC) and phospholipase C (PLC). The amino (N)-terminal region of PTH-(1-34) is essential for AC activation. Ligand domains required for activation of PLC, PKC, and other effectors have been less well-defined, although some studies in rodent systems have identified a core region [hPTH-(29-32)] involved in PKC activation. To determine the critical ligand domain(s) for PLC activation, a series of truncated hPTH-(1-34) analogues were assessed using LLC-PK1 cells that stably express abundant transfected human or rat PTH/PTHrP receptors. Phospholipase C signaling and ligand-binding affinity were reduced by carboxyl (C)-terminal truncation of hPTH-(1-34) but were coordinately restored when a binding-enhancing substitution (Glu(19) --> Arg(19)) was placed within hPTH-(1-28), the shortest hPTH peptide that could fully activate both AC and PLC. Phospholipase C, but not AC, activity was reduced by substituting Gly(1) for Ser(1) in hPTH-(1-34) and was eliminated entirely by removing either residue 1 or the alpha-amino group alone. These changes did not alter binding affinity. These findings led to design of an analogue, [Gly(1),Arg(19)]hPTH-(1-28), that was markedly signal-selective, with full AC but no PLC activity. Thus, the extreme N-terminus of hPTH constitutes a critical activation domain for coupling to PLC. The C-terminal region, especially hPTH-(28-31), contributes to PLC activation through effects upon receptor binding but is not required for full PLC activation. The N-terminal determinants of AC and PLC activation in hPTH-(1-34) overlap but are not identical, as subtle modifications in this region may dissociate activation of these two effectors. The [Gly(1),Arg(19)]hPTH-(1-28) analogue, in particular, should prove useful in dissociating AC- from PLC-dependent actions of PTH.

Recent mutagenesis and cross-linking studies suggest that residues in the carboxyl-terminal portion of PTH(1-34) interact with the amino-terminal extracellular domain of the receptor and thereby contribute strongly to binding energy; and that residues in the amino-terminal portion of the ligand interact with the receptor region containing the transmembrane helices and extracellular loops and thereby induce second messenger signaling. We investigated the latter component of this hypothesis using the short amino-terminal fragment PTH(1-14) and a truncated rat PTH-1 receptor (r delta Nt) that lacks most of the amino-terminal extracellular domain. The binding of PTH(1-14) to LLC-PK1 or COS-7 cells transfected with the intact PTH-1 receptor was too weak to detect; however, PTH(1-14) dose-dependently stimulated cAMP formation in these cells over the dose range of 1-100 microM. PTH(1-14) also stimulated cAMP formation in COS-7 cells transiently transfected with r delta Nt, and its potency with this receptor was nearly equal to that seen with the intact receptor. In contrast, PTH(1-34) was approximately 100-fold weaker in potency with r delta Nt than it was with the intact receptor. Alanine scanning of PTH(1-14) revealed that for both the intact and truncated receptors, the 1-9 segment of PTH forms a critical receptor activation domain. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the amino-terminal portion of PTH(1-34) interacts with the juxtamembrane regions of the PTH-1 receptor and that these interactions are sufficient for initiating signal transduction.

Low resolution mutational studies have indicated that the amino-terminal extracellular domain of the rat parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) receptor (rP1R) interacts with the carboxyl-terminal portion of PTH-(1-34) or PTHrP-(1-36). To further define ligand-receptor interactions, we prepared a fully functional photoreactive analog of PTHrP, [Ile5,Bpa23,Tyr36]PTHrP-(1-36)-amide ([Bpa23]PTHrP, where Bpa is p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine). Upon photolysis, radioiodinated [Bpa23]PTHrP covalently and specifically bound to the rP1R. CNBr cleavage of the broad approximately 80-kDa complex yielded a radiolabeled approximately 9-kDa non-glycosylated protein band that could potentially be assigned to rP1R residues 23-63, Tyr23 being the presumed amino-terminus of the receptor. This assignment was confirmed using a mutant rP1R (rP1R-M63I) that yielded, upon photoligand binding and CNBr digestion, a broad protein band of approximately 46 kDa, which was reduced to a sharp band of approximately 20 kDa upon deglycosylation. CNBr digestion of complexes formed with two additional rP1R double mutants (rP1R-M63I/L40M and rP1R-M63I/L41M) yielded non-glycosylated protein bands that were approximately 6 kDa in size, indicating that [Bpa23]PTHrP cross-links to amino acids 23-40 of the rP1R. This segment overlaps a receptor region previously identified by deletion mapping to be important for ligand binding. Alanine scanning of this region revealed two residues, Thr33 and Gln37, as being functionally involved in ligand binding. Thus, the convergence of photoaffinity cross-linking and mutational data demonstrates that the extreme amino-terminus of the rP1R participates in ligand binding.

The parathyroid hormone (PTH)-2 receptor displays strong ligand selectivity in that it responds fully to PTH but not at all to PTH-related peptide (PTHrP). In contrast, the PTH-1 receptor (PTH/PTHrP receptor) responds fully to both ligands. Previously it was shown that two divergent residues in PTH and PTHrP account for PTH-2 receptor selectivity; position 23 (Trp in PTH and Phe in PTHrP) determines binding selectivity and position 5 (Ile in PTH and His in PTHrP) determines signaling selectivity. To identify sites in the PTH-2 receptor involved in discriminating between His5 and Ile5, we constructed PTH-2 receptor/PTH-1 receptor chimeras, expressed them in COS-7 cells, and tested for cAMP responsiveness to [Trp23] PTHrP-(1-36), and to the nondiscriminating peptide [Ile5, Trp23]PTHrP-(1-36) (the Phe23 --> Trp modification enabled high affinity binding of each ligand to the PTH-2 receptor). The chimeras revealed that the membrane-spanning/loop region of the receptor determined His5/Ile5 signaling selectivity. Subsequent analysis of smaller cassette substitutions and then individual point mutations led to the identification of two single residues that function as major determinants of residue 5 signaling selectivity. These residues, Ile244 at the extracellular end of transmembrane helix 3, and Tyr318 at the COOH-terminal portion of extracellular loop 2, are replaced by Leu and Ile in the PTH-1 receptor, respectively. The results thus indicate a functional interaction between two residues in the core region of the PTH-2 receptor and residue 5 of the ligand.

Two different activating PTH/PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) receptor mutations, H223R and T410P, were recently identified as the most likely cause of Jansen's metaphyseal chondrodysplasia. To assess the functional importance of either amino acid position in the human PTH/PTHrP receptor, H223 and T410 were individually replaced by all other amino acids. At position 223, only arginine and lysine led to agonist-independent cAMP accumulation; all other amino acid substitutions resulted in receptor mutants that lacked constitutive activity or were uninformative due to poor cell surface expression. In contrast, most amino acid substitutions at position 410 conferred constitutive cAMP accumulation and affected PTH/PTHrP receptor expression not at all or only mildly. Mutations corresponding to the H223R or T410P exchange in the human PTH/PTHrP receptor also led to constitutive activity when introduced into the opossum receptor homolog, but showed little or no change in basal cAMP accumulation when introduced into the rat PTH/PTHrP receptor. The PTH/PTHrP receptor residues mutated in Jansen's disease are conserved in all mammalian members of this family of G protein-coupled receptors. However, when the equivalent of either the H223R or the T410P mutation was introduced into several other related receptors, including the PTH2 receptor and the receptors for calcitonin, secretin, GH-releasing hormone, glucagon-like peptide I, and CRH, the resulting mutants failed to induce constitutive activity. These studies suggest that two residues in the human PTH/PTHrP receptor, 223 and 410, have critical roles in signal transduction, but with different sequence constrains.

Calcitonin (CT) and parathyroid hormone (PTH), whose receptors belong to the same family of G protein-coupled receptors, share no amino acid sequence homology and selectively activate either CT or PTH receptors. We now show, however, that reciprocal hybrid ligands (CT/PTH and PTH/CT), which do not activate the "wild-type" receptors, activate PTH/CT and CT/PTH receptor chimeras, respectively. Our findings indicate that PTH and CT share a similar architecture with at least two functional, receptor-specific domains. These domains are sufficiently independent to permit synthetic hybrid ligands to efficiently activate appropriate receptor chimeras. Therefore, both ligands follow, despite their very different primary sequences, a common pattern of ligand-receptor interaction.