A functional selectivity mechanism at the serotonin-2A GPCR involves ligand-dependent conformations of intracellular loop 2

J Am Chem Soc. 2014 Nov 12;136(45):16044-54. doi: 10.1021/ja508394x. Epub 2014 Oct 31.

Abstract

With recent progress in determination of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) structure with crystallography, a variety of other experimental approaches (e.g., NMR spectroscopy, fluorescent-based assays, mass spectrometry techniques) are also being used to characterize state-specific and ligand-specific conformational states. MD simulations offer a powerful complementary approach to elucidate the dynamic features associated with ligand-specific GPCR conformations. To shed light on the conformational elements and dynamics of the important aspect of GPCR functional selectivity, we carried out unbiased microsecond-length MD simulations of the human serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT(2A)R) in the absence of ligand and bound to four distinct serotonergic agonists. The 5-HT(2A)R is a suitable system to study the structural features involved in the ligand-dependent conformational heterogeneity of GPCRs because it is well-characterized experimentally and exhibits a strong agonist-specific phenotype in that some 5-HT(2A)R agonists induce LSD-like hallucinations, while others lack this psychoactive property entirely. Here we report evidence for structural and dynamic differences in 5-HT(2A)R interacting with such pharmacologically distinct ligands, hallucinogens, and nonhallucinogens obtained from all-atom MD simulations. Differential ligand binding contacts were identified for structurally similar hallucinogens and nonhallucinogens and found to correspond to different conformations in the intracellular loop 2 (ICL2). From the different ICL2 conformations, functional selective phenotypes are suggested through effects on dimerization and/or distinct direct interaction with effector proteins. The findings are presented in the context of currently proposed hallucinogenesis mechanisms, and ICL2 is proposed as a fine-tuning selective switch that can differentiates modes of 5-HT(2A)R activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Space / metabolism*
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / chemistry*
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / metabolism*
  • Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists / metabolism
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A
  • Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Agonists