title: The molecular basis of species-specific ligand activation of trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR(1)).
abstract: The trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR(1)) is an aminergic G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) potently activated by 3-iodothyronamine (1), an endogenous derivative of thyroid hormone. Structure-activity relationship studies on 1 and related agonists showed that the rat and mouse species of TAAR(1) accommodated structural modifications and functional groups on the ethylamine portion and the biaryl ether moiety of the molecule. However, the two receptors clearly exhibited distinct, species-specific ligand preferences despite being remarkably similar with 93% sequence similarity. In this study, we generated single and double mutants of rat and mouse TAAR(1) to probe the molecular recognition of agonists and the underlying basis for the ligand selectivity of rat and mouse TAAR(1). Key, nonconserved specificity determinant residues in transmembranes helices 4 and 7 within the ligand binding site appear to be the primary source of a number of the observed ligand preferences. Residue 7.39 in transmembrane 7 dictated the preference for a beta-phenyl ring, while residue 4.56 in transmembrane 4 was partially responsible for the lower potency of 1 and tyramine for the mouse receptor. Additionally, 1 and tyramine were found to have the same binding mode in rat TAAR(1) despite structure-activity relationship data suggesting the possibility of each molecule having different binding orientations. These findings provide valuable insights into the critical binding site residues involved in the ligand-receptor interaction that can influence compound selectivity and functional activity of aminergic GPCRs.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA. scanlant@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Edwin S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.forename: Eli S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Groban
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bunzow
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Grandy
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Scanlan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000819:agonists / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D051381:Rats; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000819:agonists* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013970:Thyronines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014439:Tyramine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000095383:Trace Amine-Associated Receptors
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D013970:Thyronines; D014439:Tyramine; D000095383:Trace Amine-Associated Receptors; C487948:3-iodothyronamine