title: Aromatic D-amino acids act as chemoattractant factors for human leukocytes through a G protein-coupled receptor, GPR109B.
abstract: GPR109B (HM74) is a putative G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) whose cognate ligands have yet to be characterized. GPR109B shows a high degree of sequence similarity to GPR109A, another GPCR that was identified as a high-affinity nicotinic acid (niacin) receptor. However, the affinity of nicotinic acid to GPR109B is very low. In this study, we found that certain aromatic D-amino acids, including D-phenylalanine, D-tryptophan, and the metabolite of the latter, D-kynurenine, decreased the activity of adenylate cyclase in cells transfected with GPR109B cDNA through activation of pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G proteins. These D-amino acids also elicited a transient rise of intracellular Ca(2+) level in cells expressing GPR109B in a PTX-sensitive manner. In contrast, these D-amino acids did not show any effects on cells expressing GPR109A. We found that the GPR109B mRNA is abundantly expressed in human neutrophils. D-phenylalanine and D-tryptophan induced a transient increase of intracellular Ca(2+) level and a reduction of cAMP levels in human neutrophils. Furthermore, knockdown of GPR109B by RNA interference inhibited the D-amino acids-induced decrease of cellular cAMP levels in human neutrophils. These D-amino acids induced chemotactic activity of freshly prepared human neutrophils. We also found that D-phenylalanine and D-tryptophan induced chemotactic responses in Jurkat cells transfected with the GPR109B cDNA but not in mock-transfected Jurkat cells. These results suggest that these aromatic D-amino acids elicit a chemotactic response in human neutrophils via activation of GPR109B.
authors.affiliation: Yanagisawa Orphan Receptor Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Irukayama-Tomobe
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokomizo
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashidate-Yoshida
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D024322:Amino Acids, Aromatic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D037342:Pertussis Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D024322:Amino Acids, Aromatic; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; C473653:HCAR3 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D002118:Calcium