Site-directed mutagenesis of CC chemokine receptor 1 reveals the mechanism of action of UCB 35625, a small molecule chemokine receptor antagonist.
The chemokine receptor CCR1 and its principal ligand, CCL3/MIP-1alpha, have been implicated in the pathology of several inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and asthma. As such, these molecules are the focus of much research with the ultimate aim of developing novel therapies. We have described previously a non-competitive small molecule antagonist of CCR1 (UCB 35625), which we hypothesized interacted with amino acids located within the receptor transmembrane (TM) helices (Sabroe, I., Peck, M. J., Jan Van Keulen, B., Jorritsma, A., Simmons, G., Clapham, P. R., Williams, T. J., and Pease, J. E. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 25985-25992). Here we describe an approach to identifying the mechanism by which the molecule antagonizes CCR1. Thirty-three point mutants of CCR1 were expressed transiently in L1.2 cells, and the cells were assessed for their capacity to migrate in response to CCL3 in the presence or absence of UCB 35625. Cells expressing the mutant constructs Y41A (TM helix 1, or TM1), Y113A (TM3), and E287A (TM7) were responsive to CCL3 but resistant to the antagonist, consistent with a role for the TM helices in CCR1 interactions with UCB 35625. Subsequent molecular modeling successfully docked the compound with CCR1 and suggests that the antagonist ligates TM1, 2, and 7 of CCR1 and severely impedes access to TM2 and TM3, a region thought to be perturbed by the chemokine amino terminus during the process of receptor activation. Insights into the mechanism of action of these compounds may facilitate the development of more potent antagonists that show promise as future therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory disease.
de Mendonça
Filipa Lopes
FL
Leukocyte Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
da Fonseca
Paula C A
PC
Phillips
Rhian M
RM
Saldanha
José W
JW
Williams
Timothy J
TJ
Pease
James E
JE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation; D017354:Point Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D054389:Receptors, CCR1; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012984:Software; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014162:Transfection; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
C515300:CCR1 protein, human; D054389:Receptors, CCR1; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D014966:Xanthenes; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C413447:UCB 35625