TY - JOUR

T1 - Role of Conserved Disulfide Bridges and Aromatic Residues in Extracellular Loop 2 of Chemokine Receptor CCR8 for Chemokine and Small Molecule Binding

AU - Barington, Line

AU - Rummel, Pia C

AU - Lückmann, Michael

AU - Pihl, Heidi

AU - Larsen, Olav

AU - Daugvilaite, Viktorija

AU - Johnsen, Anders H.

AU - Frimurer, Thomas M

AU - Karlshøj, Stefanie

AU - Rosenkilde, Mette M

N1 - Copyright © 2016, The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

PY - 2016/5/19

Y1 - 2016/5/19

N2 - Chemokine receptors play important roles in the immune system and are linked to several human diseases. The initial contact of chemokines with their receptors depends on highly specified extracellular receptor features. Here we investigate the importance of conserved extracellular disulfide bridges and aromatic residues in extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) for ligand binding and activation in the chemokine receptor CCR8. We used IP3 accumulation and radioligand binding experiments to determine the impact of receptor mutagenesis on both chemokine and small molecule agonist and antagonist binding and action in CCR8. We find that the 7 transmembrane (7TM) receptor conserved disulfide bridge (7TM bridge) linking transmembrane helix (TM)III and ECL2 is crucial for chemokine and small molecule action, whereas the chemokine receptor conserved disulfide bridge between the N terminus and TMVII is needed only for chemokines. Furthermore, we find that two distinct aromatic residues in ECL2, Y184 (Cys+1) and Y187 (Cys+4), are crucial for binding of the CC chemokines CCL1 (agonist) and MC148 (antagonist), respectively, but not for small molecule binding. Finally, using in silico modeling, we predict an aromatic cluster of interaction partners for Y187 in TMIV (F171) and TMV (W194). We show in vitro that these residues are crucial for the binding and action of MC148, thus supporting their participation in an aromatic cluster with Y187. This aromatic cluster appears to be present in a large number of CC chemokine receptors and thereby could play a more general role to be exploited in future drug development targeting these receptors.

AB - Chemokine receptors play important roles in the immune system and are linked to several human diseases. The initial contact of chemokines with their receptors depends on highly specified extracellular receptor features. Here we investigate the importance of conserved extracellular disulfide bridges and aromatic residues in extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) for ligand binding and activation in the chemokine receptor CCR8. We used IP3 accumulation and radioligand binding experiments to determine the impact of receptor mutagenesis on both chemokine and small molecule agonist and antagonist binding and action in CCR8. We find that the 7 transmembrane (7TM) receptor conserved disulfide bridge (7TM bridge) linking transmembrane helix (TM)III and ECL2 is crucial for chemokine and small molecule action, whereas the chemokine receptor conserved disulfide bridge between the N terminus and TMVII is needed only for chemokines. Furthermore, we find that two distinct aromatic residues in ECL2, Y184 (Cys+1) and Y187 (Cys+4), are crucial for binding of the CC chemokines CCL1 (agonist) and MC148 (antagonist), respectively, but not for small molecule binding. Finally, using in silico modeling, we predict an aromatic cluster of interaction partners for Y187 in TMIV (F171) and TMV (W194). We show in vitro that these residues are crucial for the binding and action of MC148, thus supporting their participation in an aromatic cluster with Y187. This aromatic cluster appears to be present in a large number of CC chemokine receptors and thereby could play a more general role to be exploited in future drug development targeting these receptors.

U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M115.706747

DO - 10.1074/jbc.M115.706747

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27226537

VL - 291

SP - 16208

EP - 16220

JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry

JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry

SN - 0021-9258

IS - 31

ER -