title: The activation process of the alpha1B-adrenergic receptor: potential role of protonation and hydrophobicity of a highly conserved aspartate.
abstract: In this study, a quantitative approach was used to investigate the role of D142, which belongs to the highly conserved E/DRY sequence, in the activation process of the alpha1B-adrenergic receptor (alpha1B-AR). Experimental and computer-simulated mutagenesis were performed by substituting all possible natural amino acids at the D142 site. The resulting congeneric set of proteins together with the finding that all the receptor mutants show various levels of constitutive (agonist-independent) activity enabled us to quantitatively analyze the relationships between structural/dynamic features and the extent of constitutive activity. Our results suggest that the hydrophobic/hydrophilic character of D142, which could be regulated by protonation/deprotonation of this residue, is an important modulator of the transition between the inactive (R) and active (R*) state of the alpha1B-AR. Our study represents an example of quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of the activation process of a G protein-coupled receptor.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Pharmacologie et Toxicologie, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scheer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fanelli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: De Benedetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cotecchia
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D019556:COS Cells; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008024:Ligands; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011224:Prazosin / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011522:Protons; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012997:Solvents; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000596:Amino Acids; D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D008024:Ligands; D011522:Protons; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D012997:Solvents; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D011224:Prazosin; D004837:Epinephrine