Asymmetric Functioning of Dimeric Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Disclosed by Positive Allosteric Modulators

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 280; no. 26; pp. 24380 - 24385
• Main Authors: Goudet, Cyril, Kniazeff, Julie, Hlavackova, Veronika, Malhaire, Fanny, Maurel, Damien, Acher, Francine, Blahos, Jaroslav, Prézeau, Laurent, Pin, Jean-Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2005; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Actins - chemistry; Allosteric Site; Binding, Competitive; Cell Line; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Dimerization; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; GTP-Binding Proteins - chemistry; Humans; Inositol Phosphates - chemistry; Models, Biological; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Plasmids - metabolism; Point Mutation; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - chemistry; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - physiology; Receptors, GABA-B - chemistry; Receptors, GABA-B - physiology; Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate - chemistry; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - chemistry; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M502642200

The recent discovery of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) for G-protein-coupled receptors open new possibilities to control a number of physiological and pathological processes. Understanding the mechanism of action of such compounds will provide new information on the activation process of these important receptors. Within the last 10 years, a number of studies indicate that G-protein-coupled receptors can form dimers, but the functional significance of this phenomenon remains elusive. Here we used the metabotropic glutamate receptors as a model, because these receptors, for which PAMs have been identified, are constitutive dimers. We used the quality control system of the GABAB receptor to generate metabotropic glutamate receptor dimers in which a single subunit binds a PAM. We show that one PAM/dimer is sufficient to enhance receptor activity. Such a potentiation can still be observed if the subunit unable to bind the PAM is also made unable to activate G-proteins. However, the PAM acts as a non-competitive antagonist when it binds in the subunit that cannot activate G-proteins. These data are consistent with a single heptahelical domain reaching the active state per dimer during receptor activation.