Evolutionary information helps understand distinctive features of the angiotensin II receptors AT1 and AT2 in amniota

PLoS Comput Biol. 2022 Feb 24;18(2):e1009732. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009732. eCollection 2022 Feb.

Abstract

In vertebrates, the octopeptide angiotensin II (AngII) is an important in vivo regulator of the cardiovascular system. It acts mainly through two G protein-coupled receptors, AT1 and AT2. To better understand distinctive features of these receptors, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis that revealed a mirror evolution of AT1 and AT2, each one split into two clades, separating fish from terrestrial receptors. It also revealed that hallmark mutations occurred at, or near, the sodium binding site in both AT1 and AT2. Electrostatics computations and molecular dynamics simulations support maintained sodium binding to human AT1 with slow ingress from the extracellular side and an electrostatic component of the binding free energy around -3kT, to be compared to around -2kT for human AT2 and the δ opioid receptor. Comparison of the sodium binding modes in wild type and mutated AT1 and AT2 from humans and eels indicates that the allosteric control by sodium in both AT1 and AT2 evolved during the transition from fish to amniota. The unusual S7.46N mutation in AT1 is mirrored by a L3.36M mutation in AT2. In the presence of sodium, the N7.46 pattern in amniota AT1 stabilizes the inward orientation of N3.35 in the apo receptor, which should contribute to efficient N3.35 driven biased signaling. The M3.36 pattern in amniota AT2 favours the outward orientation of N3.35 and the receptor promiscuity. Both mutations have physiological consequences for the regulation of the renin-angiotensin system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiotensin II* / genetics
  • Angiotensin II* / metabolism
  • Angiotensin II* / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Phylogeny
  • Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2* / genetics
  • Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2* / metabolism
  • Receptors, Angiotensin / genetics
  • Receptors, Angiotensin / metabolism
  • Sodium
  • Vertebrates / genetics

Substances

  • Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2
  • Receptors, Angiotensin
  • Angiotensin II
  • Sodium

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the grant 100567 from GENCI (Grand équipement national de calcul intensif) to MC, institutional grants from CNRS, INSERM, and the University of Angers to DH, a fellowship from the University of Carthage (Tunisia) to AT and a fellowship from the University of Angers to RBB. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.