title: Molecular basis of receptor/G protein coupling selectivity studied by coexpression of wild type and mutant m2 muscarinic receptors with mutant G alpha(q) subunits.
abstract: The molecular basis of receptor/G protein coupling selectivity was studied by using the m2 muscarinic receptor, a prototypical G(i/o)-coupled receptor as a model system. We could recently show that the m2 receptor can efficiently interact with mutant G protein alpha(q) subunits in which the last five amino acids were replaced with alpha(i2) or alpha(o) sequence [Liu, J., Conklin, B. R., Blin, N., Yun, J., & Wess, J. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 11642-11646]. Additional mutagenesis studies led to the identification of a four-amino-acid motif on the m2 receptor (Val385, Thr386, Ile389, and Leu390) that is predicted to functionally interact with the C-terminal portion of alpha(i/o) subunits. To further investigate the structural requirements for this interaction to occur, these four m2 receptor residues were replaced, either individually or in combination, with the corresponding residues present in the G(q/11)-coupled muscarinic receptors (m1, m3, and m5). The ability of the resulting mutant m2 receptors to interact with a mutant alpha(q) subunit (qo5) in which the last five amino acids were replaced with alpha(o) sequence was investigated in co-transfected COS-7 cells [studied biochemical response: stimulation of phosphatidyl inositol (PI) hydrolysis]. Our data suggest that the presence of three of the four targeted m2 receptor residues (Val385, Thr386, and Ile389) is essential for efficient recognition of C-terminal alpha(i/o) sequences. To study which specific amino acids within the C-terminal segment of alpha(i/o) subunits are critical for this interaction to occur, the wild type m2 receptor was co-expressed with a series of mutant alpha(q) subunits containing single or multiple alpha(q) --> alpha(i1,2) point mutations at their C-terminus. Remarkably, the wild type m2 receptor, while unable to efficiently stimulate wild type alpha(q), gained the ability to productively interact with three alpha(q) single-point mutants, providing the first example that the receptor coupling selectivity of G protein alpha subunits can be switched by single amino acid substitutions. Given the high degree of structural homology among different G protein-coupled receptors and among different classes of G protein alpha subunits, our results should be of broad general relevance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kostenis
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Conklin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wess
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020710:RGS Proteins; D043585:Receptor, Muscarinic M2; D043587:Receptor, Muscarinic M3; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D020710:RGS Proteins; D043585:Receptor, Muscarinic M2; D043587:Receptor, Muscarinic M3; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; C097187:regulator of G-protein signalling 19