Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 28753422 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Review

How Ligands Illuminate GPCR Molecular Pharmacology.

Cell ·Vol. 170 ·No. 3 ·2017-07-27 ·Pages 414-427

Wacker D, Stevens RC, Roth BL

Abstract

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are modulated by a variety of endogenous and synthetic ligands, represent the largest family of druggable targets in the human genome. Recent structural and molecular studies have both transformed and expanded classical concepts of receptor pharmacology and have begun to illuminate the distinct mechanisms by which structurally, chemically, and functionally diverse ligands modulate GPCR function. These molecular insights into ligand engagement and action have enabled new computational methods and accelerated the discovery of novel ligands and tool compounds, especially for understudied and orphan GPCRs. These advances promise to streamline the development of GPCR-targeted medications.

MeSH Terms
Animals Drug Discovery Humans Ligands Models, Molecular Molecular Targeted Therapy Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/antagonists & inhibitors,chemistry,metabolism Signal Transduction
Chemicals
Ligands Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Wacker Daniel
Department of Pharmacology and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
Stevens Raymond C
Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Roth Bryan L
Department of Pharmacology and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA. Electronic address: bryan_roth@med.unc.edu.
References (114)
114 references, click to expand
  1. The G-protein-coupled receptors in the human genome form five main families. Phylogenetic analysis, paralogon groups, and fingerprints.
    Mol Pharmacol. 2003 Jun;63(6):1256-72 PMID: 12761335
  2. Multidimensional Tracking of GPCR Signaling via Peroxidase-Catalyzed Proximity Labeling.
    Cell. 2017 Apr 6;169(2):338-349.e11 PMID: 28388415
  3. Heterotrimeric G proteins precouple with G protein-coupled receptors in living cells.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Dec 20;102(51):18706-11 PMID: 16352729
  4. Activation and allosteric modulation of a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor.
    Nature. 2013 Dec 5;504(7478):101-6 PMID: 24256733
  5. Pharmacogenomic and structural analysis of constitutive g protein-coupled receptor activity.
    Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2007;47:53-87 PMID: 17029567
  6. Allosteric ligands for the pharmacologically dark receptors GPR68 and GPR65.
    Nature. 2015 Nov 26;527(7579):477-83 PMID: 26550826
  7. Definition of the G protein-coupled receptor transmembrane bundle binding pocket and calculation of receptor similarities for drug design.
    J Med Chem. 2009 Jul 23;52(14):4429-42 PMID: 19537715
  8. The antagonism of acetyl choline by atropine.
    J Physiol. 1926 Aug 6;61(4):547-56 PMID: 16993814
  9. Amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide, and metabolites of the catecholamine neurotransmitters are agonists of a rat trace amine receptor.
    Mol Pharmacol. 2001 Dec;60(6):1181-8 PMID: 11723224
  10. Crystal structure of the β2 adrenergic receptor-Gs protein complex.
    Nature. 2011 Jul 19;477(7366):549-55 PMID: 21772288
  11. Pharmacologic discrimination between receptor heterogeneity and allosteric interaction: resultant analysis of gallamine and pirenzepine antagonism of muscarinic responses in rat trachea.
    J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1989 Sep;250(3):944-52 PMID: 2778720
  12. Discovery of 1,2,4-triazine derivatives as adenosine A(2A) antagonists using structure based drug design.
    J Med Chem. 2012 Mar 8;55(5):1898-903 PMID: 22220592
  13. NMR structure and dynamics of the agonist dynorphin peptide bound to the human kappa opioid receptor.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Sep 22;112(38):11852-7 PMID: 26372966
  14. Beta-arrestin-dependent formation of beta2 adrenergic receptor-Src protein kinase complexes.
    Science. 1999 Jan 29;283(5402):655-61 PMID: 9924018
  15. Fluorescent pirenzepine derivatives as potential bitopic ligands of the human M1 muscarinic receptor.
    J Med Chem. 2004 Aug 12;47(17):4300-15 PMID: 15294002
  16. Allosteric nanobodies reveal the dynamic range and diverse mechanisms of G-protein-coupled receptor activation.
    Nature. 2016 Jul 21;535(7612):448-52 PMID: 27409812
  17. New insights from structural biology into the druggability of G protein-coupled receptors.
    Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2012 May;33(5):249-60 PMID: 22465153
  18. ZINC--a free database of commercially available compounds for virtual screening.
    J Chem Inf Model. 2005 Jan-Feb;45(1):177-82 PMID: 15667143
  19. A simple method for quantifying functional selectivity and agonist bias.
    ACS Chem Neurosci. 2012 Mar 21;3(3):193-203 PMID: 22860188
  20. Temporally precise in vivo control of intracellular signalling.
    Nature. 2009 Apr 23;458(7241):1025-9 PMID: 19295515
  21. Agonist-bound adenosine A2A receptor structures reveal common features of GPCR activation.
    Nature. 2011 May 18;474(7352):521-5 PMID: 21593763
  22. Structure of class B GPCR corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1.
    Nature. 2013 Jul 25;499(7459):438-43 PMID: 23863939
  23. Orphan receptor ligand discovery by pickpocketing pharmacological neighbors.
    Nat Chem Biol. 2017 Feb;13(2):235-242 PMID: 27992882
  24. Biased signaling pathways in β2-adrenergic receptor characterized by 19F-NMR.
    Science. 2012 Mar 2;335(6072):1106-10 PMID: 22267580
  25. Identification of a small-molecule ligand that activates the neuropeptide receptor GPR171 and increases food intake.
    Sci Signal. 2016 May 31;9(430):ra55 PMID: 27245612
  26. Prescription drug spending trends in the United States: looking beyond the turning point.
    Health Aff (Millwood). 2009 Jan-Feb;28(1):w151-60 PMID: 19088102
  27. Distinct cortical and striatal actions of a β-arrestin-biased dopamine D2 receptor ligand reveal unique antipsychotic-like properties.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Dec 13;113(50):E8178-E8186 PMID: 27911814
  28. GPCR-G Protein-β-Arrestin Super-Complex Mediates Sustained G Protein Signaling.
    Cell. 2016 Aug 11;166(4):907-19 PMID: 27499021
  29. Phase-plate cryo-EM structure of a class B GPCR-G-protein complex.
    Nature. 2017 Jun 1;546(7656):118-123 PMID: 28437792
  30. Crystal structure of rhodopsin bound to arrestin by femtosecond X-ray laser.
    Nature. 2015 Jul 30;523(7562):561-7 PMID: 26200343
  31. Hitchhiking on the heptahelical highway: structure and function of 7TM receptor complexes.
    Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2016 Jul;17 (7):439-50 PMID: 27093944
  32. Protein kinase inhibitors: insights into drug design from structure.
    Science. 2004 Mar 19;303(5665):1800-5 PMID: 15031492
  33. DREADDs for Neuroscientists.
    Neuron. 2016 Feb 17;89(4):683-94 PMID: 26889809
  34. Trial watch: Opportunities and challenges of the 2016 target landscape.
    Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2017 Jan;16(1):10-11 PMID: 27980340
  35. Ligand discovery from a dopamine D3 receptor homology model and crystal structure.
    Nat Chem Biol. 2011 Sep 18;7(11):769-78 PMID: 21926995
  36. Structure-based discovery of opioid analgesics with reduced side effects.
    Nature. 2016 Sep 8;537(7619):185-190 PMID: 27533032
  37. Conserved binding mode of human beta2 adrenergic receptor inverse agonists and antagonist revealed by X-ray crystallography.
    J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Aug 25;132(33):11443-5 PMID: 20669948
  38. Structure-based discovery of beta2-adrenergic receptor ligands.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Apr 21;106(16):6843-8 PMID: 19342484
  39. Opiate agonists and antagonists discriminated by receptor binding in brain.
    Science. 1973 Dec 28;182(4119):1359-61 PMID: 4128222
  40. Functional selectivity and classical concepts of quantitative pharmacology.
    J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2007 Jan;320(1):1-13 PMID: 16803859
  41. 3-Iodothyronamine is an endogenous and rapid-acting derivative of thyroid hormone.
    Nat Med. 2004 Jun;10(6):638-42 PMID: 15146179
  42. Recurrent activating mutations of G-protein-coupled receptor CYSLTR2 in uveal melanoma.
    Nat Genet. 2016 Jun;48(6):675-80 PMID: 27089179
  43. Structural basis of glutamate recognition by a dimeric metabotropic glutamate receptor.
    Nature. 2000 Oct 26;407(6807):971-7 PMID: 11069170
  44. Structure of the human dopamine D3 receptor in complex with a D2/D3 selective antagonist.
    Science. 2010 Nov 19;330(6007):1091-5 PMID: 21097933
  45. Activation mechanism of endothelin ETB receptor by endothelin-1.
    Nature. 2016 Sep 15;537(7620):363-368 PMID: 27595334
  46. A G protein-biased ligand at the μ-opioid receptor is potently analgesic with reduced gastrointestinal and respiratory dysfunction compared with morphine.
    J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2013 Mar;344(3):708-17 PMID: 23300227
  47. beta-Arrestin: a protein that regulates beta-adrenergic receptor function.
    Science. 1990 Jun 22;248(4962):1547-50 PMID: 2163110
  48. Molecular signatures of G-protein-coupled receptors.
    Nature. 2013 Feb 14;494(7436):185-94 PMID: 23407534
  49. Mutations in the V2 vasopressin receptor gene are associated with X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
    Nat Genet. 1992 Oct;2(2):103-6 PMID: 1303257
  50. Treatment of medulloblastoma with hedgehog pathway inhibitor GDC-0449.
    N Engl J Med. 2009 Sep 17;361(12 ):1173-8 PMID: 19726761
  51. Teratogen-mediated inhibition of target tissue response to Shh signaling.
    Science. 1998 Jun 5;280(5369):1603-7 PMID: 9616123
  52. Discovery of β-arrestin-biased dopamine D2 ligands for probing signal transduction pathways essential for antipsychotic efficacy.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Nov 8;108(45):18488-93 PMID: 22025698
  53. The mammalian beta 2-adrenergic receptor: reconstitution of functional interactions between pure receptor and pure stimulatory nucleotide binding protein of the adenylate cyclase system.
    Biochemistry. 1984 Sep 25;23(20):4519-25 PMID: 6149763
  54. Adrenaline-activated structure of β2-adrenoceptor stabilized by an engineered nanobody.
    Nature. 2013 Oct 24;502(7472):575-579 PMID: 24056936
  55. Structure-function of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily.
    Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2013;53:531-56 PMID: 23140243
  56. Requirement of rigid-body motion of transmembrane helices for light activation of rhodopsin.
    Science. 1996 Nov 1;274(5288):768-70 PMID: 8864113
  57. Thrombin signalling and protease-activated receptors.
    Nature. 2000 Sep 14;407(6801):258-64 PMID: 11001069
  58. Pharmacological chaperones rescue cell-surface expression and function of misfolded V2 vasopressin receptor mutants.
    J Clin Invest. 2000 Apr;105(7):887-95 PMID: 10749568
  59. Intracellular allosteric antagonism of the CCR9 receptor.
    Nature. 2016 Dec 15;540(7633):462-465 PMID: 27926729
  60. MK-7128, a novel CB1 receptor inverse agonist, improves scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits in mice.
    Behav Pharmacol. 2011 Apr;22(2):91-100 PMID: 21301326
  61. Operational models of pharmacological agonism.
    Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1983 Dec 22;220(1219):141-62 PMID: 6141562
  62. Beta-adrenergic receptor kinase: primary structure delineates a multigene family.
    Science. 1989 Oct 13;246(4927):235-40 PMID: 2552582
  63. Biased ligands for better cardiovascular drugs: dissecting G-protein-coupled receptor pharmacology.
    Circ Res. 2011 Jul 8;109(2):205-16 PMID: 21737816
  64. Diversity of G proteins in signal transduction.
    Science. 1991 May 10;252(5007):802-8 PMID: 1902986
  65. Beta-arrestin-biased ligands at seven-transmembrane receptors.
    Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2007 Aug;28(8):416-22 PMID: 17644195
  66. Structural insights into biased G protein-coupled receptor signaling revealed by fluorescence spectroscopy.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Apr 24;109(17):6733-8 PMID: 22493271
  67. Allosteric sodium in class A GPCR signaling.
    Trends Biochem Sci. 2014 May;39(5):233-44 PMID: 24767681
  68. Molecular control of δ-opioid receptor signalling.
    Nature. 2014 Feb 13;506(7487):191-6 PMID: 24413399
  69. The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2015/16: G protein-coupled receptors.
    Br J Pharmacol. 2015 Dec;172(24):5744-869 PMID: 26650439
  70. Regulation of serotonin-2C receptor G-protein coupling by RNA editing.
    Nature. 1997 May 15;387(6630):303-8 PMID: 9153397
  71. Crystal Structure of an LSD-Bound Human Serotonin Receptor.
    Cell. 2017 Jan 26;168(3):377-389.e12 PMID: 28129538
  72. From heptahelical bundle to hits from the Haystack: structure-based virtual screening for GPCR ligands.
    Methods Enzymol. 2013;522:279-336 PMID: 23374191
  73. Structural Insights into the Dynamic Process of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Signaling.
    Cell. 2015 May 21;161(5):1101-11 PMID: 25981665
  74. Cryo-EM structure of the activated GLP-1 receptor in complex with a G protein.
    Nature. 2017 Jun 8;546(7657):248-253 PMID: 28538729
  75. Inverse agonist activity of beta-adrenergic antagonists.
    Mol Pharmacol. 1994 Mar;45(3):490-9 PMID: 7908406
  76. Structural insights into µ-opioid receptor activation.
    Nature. 2015 Aug 20;524(7565):315-21 PMID: 26245379
  77. Transduction of receptor signals by beta-arrestins.
    Science. 2005 Apr 22;308(5721):512-7 PMID: 15845844
  78. Structure of the agonist-bound neurotensin receptor.
    Nature. 2012 Oct 25;490(7421):508-13 PMID: 23051748
  79. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XC. multisite pharmacology: recommendations for the nomenclature of receptor allosterism and allosteric ligands.
    Pharmacol Rev. 2014 Oct;66(4):918-47 PMID: 25026896
  80. The Orphan G protein-coupled receptors GPR41 and GPR43 are activated by propionate and other short chain carboxylic acids.
    J Biol Chem. 2003 Mar 28;278(13):11312-9 PMID: 12496283
  81. Fragment and Structure-Based Drug Discovery for a Class C GPCR: Discovery of the mGlu5 Negative Allosteric Modulator HTL14242 (3-Chloro-5-[6-(5-fluoropyridin-2-yl)pyrimidin-4-yl]benzonitrile).
    J Med Chem. 2015 Aug 27;58(16):6653-64 PMID: 26225459
  82. Structural basis for allosteric regulation of GPCRs by sodium ions.
    Science. 2012 Jul 13;337(6091):232-6 PMID: 22798613
  83. The role of kinetic context in apparent biased agonism at GPCRs.
    Nat Commun. 2016 Feb 24;7:10842 PMID: 26905976
  84. Structural basis for molecular recognition at serotonin receptors.
    Science. 2013 May 3;340(6132):610-4 PMID: 23519210
  85. Human herpesvirus KSHV encodes a constitutively active G-protein-coupled receptor linked to cell proliferation.
    Nature. 1997 Jan 23;385(6614):347-50 PMID: 9002520
  86. Two disparate ligand-binding sites in the human P2Y1 receptor.
    Nature. 2015 Apr 16;520(7547):317-21 PMID: 25822790
  87. Crystal structure of rhodopsin: A G protein-coupled receptor.
    Science. 2000 Aug 4;289(5480):739-45 PMID: 10926528
  88. Endogenous allosteric modulators of G protein-coupled receptors.
    J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2015 May;353(2):246-60 PMID: 25650376
  89. Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Sep 3;99(18):11934-9 PMID: 12192085
  90. Structural features for functional selectivity at serotonin receptors.
    Science. 2013 May 3;340(6132):615-9 PMID: 23519215
  91. Allosteric Modulation as a Unifying Mechanism for Receptor Function and Regulation.
    Cell. 2016 Aug 25;166(5):1084-102 PMID: 27565340
  92. In silico design of novel probes for the atypical opioid receptor MRGPRX2.
    Nat Chem Biol. 2017 May;13(5):529-536 PMID: 28288109
  93. Magic shotguns versus magic bullets: selectively non-selective drugs for mood disorders and schizophrenia.
    Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2004 Apr;3(4):353-9 PMID: 15060530
  94. Pathway and mechanism of drug binding to G-protein-coupled receptors.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Aug 9;108(32):13118-23 PMID: 21778406
  95. Crystal Structure of the Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB1.
    Cell. 2016 Oct 20;167(3):750-762.e14 PMID: 27768894
  96. Interaction of G protein coupled receptors and cholesterol.
    Chem Phys Lipids. 2016 Sep;199:61-73 PMID: 27108066
  97. Strategies to discover unexpected targets for drugs active at G protein-coupled receptors.
    Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2011;51:117-44 PMID: 20868273
  98. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCIV. Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors.
    Pharmacol Rev. 2015;67(2):338-67 PMID: 25713288
  99. Trends in the exploitation of novel drug targets.
    Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2011 Aug 01;10(8):579-90 PMID: 21804595
  100. Three allosteric modulators act at a common site, distinct from that of competitive antagonists, at muscarinic acetylcholine M2 receptors.
    J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1997 Jul;282(1):278-85 PMID: 9223565
  101. A ternary complex model explains the agonist-specific binding properties of the adenylate cyclase-coupled beta-adrenergic receptor.
    J Biol Chem. 1980 Aug 10;255(15):7108-17 PMID: 6248546
  102. Extra-helical binding site of a glucagon receptor antagonist.
    Nature. 2016 Apr 25;533(7602):274-7 PMID: 27111510
  103. Structure of a nanobody-stabilized active state of the β(2) adrenoceptor.
    Nature. 2011 Jan 13;469(7329):175-80 PMID: 21228869
  104. Activation of the inhibitory GTP-binding protein of adenylate cyclase, Gi, by beta-adrenergic receptors in reconstituted phospholipid vesicles.
    J Biol Chem. 1984 Aug 10;259(15):9351-4 PMID: 6146612
  105. Comprehensive characterization of the Published Kinase Inhibitor Set.
    Nat Biotechnol. 2016 Jan;34(1):95-103 PMID: 26501955
  106. The G protein-biased κ-opioid receptor agonist RB-64 is analgesic with a unique spectrum of activities in vivo.
    J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2015 Jan;352(1):98-109 PMID: 25320048
  107. Beta-arrestin acts as a clathrin adaptor in endocytosis of the beta2-adrenergic receptor.
    Nature. 1996 Oct 3;383(6599):447-50 PMID: 8837779
  108. Predicting new molecular targets for known drugs.
    Nature. 2009 Nov 12;462(7270):175-81 PMID: 19881490
  109. 1 rhodopsin mutations in congenital night blindness.
    Adv Exp Med Biol. 2010;664:263-72 PMID: 20238025
  110. Evidence for possible involvement of 5-HT(2B) receptors in the cardiac valvulopathy associated with fenfluramine and other serotonergic medications.
    Circulation. 2000 Dec 5;102(23):2836-41 PMID: 11104741
  111. Drugs and valvular heart disease.
    N Engl J Med. 2007 Jan 4;356(1):6-9 PMID: 17202450
  112. Molecular interaction fingerprint approaches for GPCR drug discovery.
    Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2016 Oct;30:59-68 PMID: 27479316
  113. Integrated Approaches for Genome-wide Interrogation of the Druggable Non-olfactory G Protein-coupled Receptor Superfamily.
    J Biol Chem. 2015 Aug 7;290(32):19471-7 PMID: 26100629
  114. A mutation-induced activated state of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor. Extending the ternary complex model.
    J Biol Chem. 1993 Mar 5;268(7):4625-36 PMID: 8095262
Article Info
Journal
Cell
Abbr.
Cell
ISSN
1097-4172
Published
2017-07-27
Pages
414-427
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0413066
PMCID
PMC5560499
Subset
IM
Grants
NIMH NIH HHS · U19 MH082441 · United States
NIMH NIH HHS · R01 MH112205 · United States
NIDA NIH HHS · P01 DA035764 · United States
NIDDK NIH HHS · U24 DK116195 · United States
NIMH NIH HHS · U01 MH104974 · United States
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: product@genelibs.com