Sodium ions allosterically modulate the M2 muscarinic receptor

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 7;10(1):11177. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68133-9.

Abstract

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a key role in the vast majority of cellular signal transduction processes. Previous experimental evidence has shown that sodium ion (Na+) allosterically modulate several class A GPCRs and theoretical studies suggested that the same also holds true for muscarinic receptors. Here we examined, using Xenopus oocytes as an expression system, the effect of Na+ on a prototypical GPCR, the M2 muscarinic receptor (M2R). We found that removal of extracellular Na+ resulted in a decrease in the potency of ACh toward the M2R and that a conserved aspartate in transmembrane domain 2 is crucial for this effect. We further show that this allosteric effect of Na+ does not underlie the voltage-dependence of this receptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism
  • Allosteric Regulation
  • Allosteric Site*
  • Animals
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M2 / chemistry
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M2 / metabolism*
  • Sodium / metabolism*
  • Xenopus

Substances

  • Receptor, Muscarinic M2
  • Sodium
  • Acetylcholine