Hydrophobic amino acids at the cytoplasmic ends of helices 3 and 6 of rhodopsin conjointly modulate transducin activation

• Published in: Archives of biochemistry and biophysics Vol. 506; no. 2; pp. 142 - 149
• Main Authors: Bosch-Presegué, Laia, Iarriccio, Laura, Aguilà, Mònica, Toledo, Darwin, Ramon, Eva, Cordomí, Arnau, Garriga, Pere
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.02.2011
• Subjects: Amino Acid Substitution; Amino Acids - chemistry; Animals; Biotecnologia; Cattle; Enginyeria química; Fototransducció visual; G proteins; G-protein activation; G-protein-coupled receptor; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; In Vitro Techniques; Models, Molecular; Muscarinic receptor; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Mutant Proteins - chemistry; Mutant Proteins - genetics; Mutant Proteins - metabolism; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; Protein Stability; Protein Structure, Secondary; Proteïnes G; Receptor, Muscarinic M3 - chemistry; Receptor, Muscarinic M3 - genetics; Receptor, Muscarinic M3 - metabolism; Receptors; Recombinant Proteins - chemistry; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Rhodopsin; Rhodopsin - chemistry; Rhodopsin - genetics; Rhodopsin - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Spectrophotometry; Transducin - metabolism; Visual phototransduction; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC; Rhodopsin; Muscarinic receptor; G-protein activation; Visual phototransduction; G-protein-coupled receptor
• DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2010.11.019
• ISSN: 0003-9861

► Hydrophobic amino acid interactions are critical for rhodopsin–G-protein activation. ► The two second and third cytoplasmic loops cooperate for providing a common domain for G-protein recognition. ► Specificity for G-protein activation may require the complete second and third cytoplasmic loops of the receptor. Rhodopsin is the visual photoreceptor responsible for dim light vision. This receptor is located in the rod cell of the retina and is a prototypical member of the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily. The structural details underlying the molecular recognition event in transducin activation by photoactivated rhodopsin are of key interest to unravel the molecular mechanism of signal transduction in the retina. We constructed and expressed rhodopsin mutants in the second and third cytoplasmic domains of rhodopsin – where the natural amino acids were substituted by the human M3 acetylcholine muscarinic receptor homologous residues – in order to determine their potential involvement in G-protein recognition. These mutants showed normal chromophore formation and a similar photobleaching behavior than WT rhodopsin, but decreased thermal stability in the dark state. The single mutant V138 3.53 and the multiple mutant containing V227 5.62 and a combination of mutations at the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane helix 6 caused a reduction in transducin activation upon rhodopsin photoactivation. Furthermore, combination of mutants at the second and third cytoplasmic domains revealed a cooperative role, and partially restored transducin activation. The results indicate that hydrophobic interactions by V138 3.53, V227 5.62, V250 6.33, V254 6.37 and I255 6.38 are critical for receptor activation and/or efficient rhodopsin–transducin interaction.