Coupling of agonist binding to effector domain activation in metabotropic glutamate-like receptors

J Biol Chem. 2006 Aug 25;281(34):24653-61. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M602277200. Epub 2006 Jun 20.

Abstract

Many membrane receptors are made of a ligand binding domain and an effector domain mediating intracellular signaling. This is the case for the metabotropic glutamate-like G-protein-coupled receptors. How ligand binding leads to the active conformation of the effector domain in such receptors is largely unknown. Here, we used an evolutionary trace analysis and mutagenesis to identify critical residues involved in the allosteric coupling between the Venus flytrap ligand binding domain (VFT) and the heptahelical G-protein activating domain of the metabotropic glutamate-like receptors. We have shown that a conserved interdomain disulfide bridge is required for this allosteric interaction. Taking into account that these receptors are homodimers, this finding provides important new information explaining how the different conformations of the dimer of VFT lead to different signaling of such dimeric receptors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / agonists
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / chemistry*
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / metabolism

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate