G Protein-Coupled Receptor Allosterism and Complexing
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0031-6997/02/5402-323–374$7.00 PHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEWS Vol. 54, No. 2 Copyright © 2002 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 20202/986538 Pharmacol Rev 54:323–374, 2002 Printed in U.S.A G Protein-Coupled Receptor Allosterism and Complexing ARTHUR CHRISTOPOULOS AND TERRY KENAKIN Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia (A.C.); and 7TM Pharmacology Systems Research, Glaxo Smith-Kline Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (T.K.) This paper is available online at http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org Abstract .............................................................................. 323 I. Introduction ........................................................................... 324 II. Allosteric receptor models of G protein-coupled receptors................................... 325 A. Historical perspective ............................................................... 325 1. Cooperativity in binding .......................................................... 325 2. Allosteric transitions: multistate models of receptor action ........................... 326 3. Allosteric interactions: ternary complex models ..................................... 327 B. Behavior of the ternary complex model ............................................... 332 C. The molecular nature of allosterism at G protein-coupled receptors ...................... 333 1. G protein-specific receptor conformations........................................... 334 Downloaded from 2. Ligand-specific receptor conformations ............................................. 336 III. Detecting allosteric interactions ......................................................... 338 A. Assays of radioligand binding ........................................................ 338 1. Equilibrium binding assays ....................................................... 338 2. Inhibition binding assays ......................................................... 339 by guest on June 7, 2018 3. Nonequilibrium (kinetic) studies................................................... 344 B. Assays of receptor function .......................................................... 348 1. Schild analysis .................................................................. 348 2. Additivity of concentration ratios .................................................. 348 3. Pharmacological resultant analysis ................................................ 350 C. Potential pitfalls.................................................................... 351 IV. Usefulness of allosteric modulators ...................................................... 352 V. Location of the allosteric site(s).......................................................... 354 A. Locks and keys ..................................................................... 354 B. Modulation by ions ................................................................. 355 C. Interactions at the receptor-G protein interface ........................................ 356 D. Extracellular allosteric sites ......................................................... 357 1. Multiple allosteric sites........................................................... 359 VI. Endogenous allosteric modulators ....................................................... 360 VII. G protein-coupled receptor complexing ................................................... 361 A. Receptor-receptor interactions........................................................ 362 B. Accessory proteins .................................................................. 364 VIII. Conclusions ........................................................................... 368 Acknowledgments ...................................................................... 368 References ............................................................................ 368 Abstract——G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) conformational change in the receptor protein trans- represent the largest family of cell-surface receptors. mitted between two topographically distinct binding These receptors are natural allosteric proteins be- sites, one for the agonist and another for the G protein. cause agonist-mediated signaling by GPCRs requires a It is now becoming increasingly recognized, however, that the agonist-bound GPCR can also form ternary Address correspondence to: Dr. Arthur Christopoulos, Department of complexes with other ligands or “accessory” proteins Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Victo- and display altered binding and/or signaling proper- ria 3010, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] ties in relation to the binary agonist-receptor complex. 323 324 CHRISTOPOULOS AND KENAKIN Allosteric sites on GPCRs represent novel drug targets ric effects. Moreover, we provide an overview of the because allosteric modulators possess a number of current knowledge regarding the location of possible theoretical advantages over classic orthosteric li- allosteric sites on GPCRs and candidate endogenous gands, such as a ceiling level to the allosteric effect allosteric modulators. Finally, we discuss the poten- and a potential for greater GPCR subtype-selectivity. tial for allosteric effects arising from the formation of Because of the noncompetitive nature of allosteric GPCR oligomers or GPCRs complexed with accessory phenomena, the detection and quantification of such cellular proteins. It is proposed that the study of allo- effects often relies on a combination of equilibrium steric phenomena will become of progressively binding, nonequilibrium kinetic, and functional sig- greater import to the drug discovery process due to naling assays. This review discusses the development the advent of newer and more sensitive GPCR screen- and properties of allosteric receptor models for ing technologies. GPCRs and the detection and quantification of alloste- I. Introduction GPCR can be considered a potential binding site for biologically active molecules, both proteins and small A general property of all receptors is the ability to molecules such as drugs. It is a major premise of this interact with their endogenous ligands (hormones and review that a tripartite system composed of a ligand, a neurotransmitters) to alter cellular responsiveness GPRC, and an additional GPCR coupling partner repre- without changing the chemical nature of the ligand. This sents a general motif for ligand action at GPCRs extend- is in contrast to enzymes, where oftentimes a substrate ing beyond the G protein example. In other words, the is made to bind in an energetically unfavorable mode requisite interaction between topographically distinct that leads to its eventual modification. G protein-cou- binding sites on a GPCR to effect change in cellular pled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest superfam- function identifies these receptors as natural allosteric ily of receptors and, not surprisingly, mediate the ma- proteins. jority of transmembrane signal transduction in living Drugs have traditionally been discovered through the cells. These receptors respond to a wide range of rela- screening of numerous chemical structures on a biolog- tively small and structurally diverse chemicals such as ical system. The greater the number of structures tested, biogenic amines, peptides, hormones, and even light with global changes in receptor conformation that then the greater is the probability of detecting a biologically lead to larger scale protein-protein interactions. active ligand. Throughout this process, it is clear that Traditionally, the unifying feature of GPCRs has been the type of receptor screen employed to detect biologi- their interaction with G protein(s) to transduce stimuli cally active molecules will greatly define the types of imparted to the receptor from the extracellular environ- molecules detected. Thus, if the tracer molecule in the ment to the intracellular response machinery of the cell. screen is a radioligand, then the ligands most readly Implicit in this mechanism, therefore, is the fact that the detected by that screen will be those that obstruct the intracellular contact points on the GPCR recognized by access of the radioligand to its specific binding site. the G protein are necessarily distinct from the extracel- Notably, the current emphasis away from radioligand lular domains used by endogenous ligands. The lateral binding and toward high throughput functional screen- translocation of GPCRs in the cell membrane to interact ing is beginning to reveal ligands that can change bio- with their cognate G protein(s) is the best known exam- logical function without exerting apparent effects on ple of GPCR-protein interaction, but it is by no means radioligand binding. It is possible that such ligands are the only such example, because additional protein cou- not interacting with the classic, agonist-binding domain pling partners are now being rapidly identified for the of the receptor but rather with other topographically GPCR superfamily (vide infra). The entire surface of a distinct domains. This raises an interesting philosophical point in drug discovery, namely the current paucity of allosteric li- 1 Abbreviations: GPCR, G protein-coupled receptor; ICI-174,864, N,N-diallyl-Tyr-Aib-Aib-Phe-Leu-OH; NalBzOH, naloxone benzoyl- gands in the known population of biologically active hydrazone; PI, phosphoinositide; CTC, cubic ternary complex; ETC, molecules. On one hand it could be assumed that this extended ternary