Structural insights into the human D1 and D2 dopamine receptor signaling complexes

Abstract

The D1- and D2-dopamine receptors (D1R and D2R), which signal through G_s and G_i, respectively, represent the principal stimulatory and inhibitory dopamine receptors in the central nervous system. D1R and D2R also represent the main therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and many other neuropsychiatric disorders, and insight into their signaling is essential for understanding both therapeutic and side effects of dopaminergic drugs. Here, we report four cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of D1R-G_s and D2R-G_i signaling complexes with selective and non-selective dopamine agonists, including two currently used anti-Parkinson's disease drugs, apomorphine and bromocriptine. These structures, together with mutagenesis studies, reveal the conserved binding mode of dopamine agonists, the unique pocket topology underlying ligand selectivity, the conformational changes in receptor activation, and potential structural determinants for G protein-coupling selectivity. These results provide both a molecular understanding of dopamine signaling and multiple structural templates for drug design targeting the dopaminergic system.

Keywords: D1R; D2R; G protein selectivity; Parkinson’s disease; apomorphine; bromocriptine; cryo-EM; dopamine receptors; ligand selectivity; receptor activation.