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G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activate four families of heterotrimeric G proteins, and individual receptors must select a subset of G proteins to produce appropriate cellular responses. Although the precise mechanisms of coupling selectivity are uncertain, the Gα subunit C terminus is widely believed to be the primary determinant recognized by cognate receptors. Here, we directly assess coupling between 14 representative GPCRs and 16 Gα subunits, including one wild-type Gα subunit from each of the four families and 12 chimeras with exchanged C termini. We use a sensitive bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay that provides control over both ligand and nucleotide binding, and allows direct comparison across G protein families. We find that the Gs- and Gq-coupled receptors we studied are relatively promiscuous and always couple to some extent to Gi1 heterotrimers. In contrast, Gi-coupled receptors are more selective. Our results with Gα subunit chimeras show that the Gα C terminus is important for coupling selectivity, but no more so than the Gα subunit core. The relative importance of the Gα subunit core and C terminus is highly variable and, for some receptors, the Gα core is more important for selective coupling than the C terminus. Our results suggest general rules for GPCR-G protein coupling and demonstrate that the critical G protein determinants of selectivity vary widely, even for different receptors that couple to the same G protein.

Class F receptors are considered valuable therapeutic targets due to their role in human disease, but structural changes accompanying receptor activation remain unexplored. Employing population and cancer genomics data, structural analyses, molecular dynamics simulations, resonance energy transfer-based approaches and mutagenesis, we identify a conserved basic amino acid in TM6 in Class F receptors that acts as a molecular switch to mediate receptor activation. Across all tested Class F receptors (FZD 4,5,6,7, SMO), mutation of the molecular switch confers an increased potency of agonists by stabilizing an active conformation as assessed by engineered mini G proteins as conformational sensors. Disruption of the switch abrogates the functional interaction between FZDs and the phosphoprotein Dishevelled, supporting conformational selection as a prerequisite for functional selectivity. Our studies reveal the molecular basis of a common activation mechanism conserved in all Class F receptors, which facilitates assay development and future discovery of Class F receptor-targeting drugs. Class F receptors are therapeutic targets in human disease and understanding their structural changes during receptor activation may provide important pharmacological insight. Here, the authors combine computational and experimental methods to identify a molecular switch in TM6/7 of Class F receptors that mediates receptor activation.

The adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) latrophilin 3 (ADGRL3) has been associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use in human genetic studies. Knockdown in multiple species leads to hyperlocomotion and altered dopamine signaling. Thus, ADGRL3 is a potential target for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders that involve dopamine dysfunction, but its basic signaling properties are poorly understood. Identification of adhesion GPCR signaling partners has been limited by a lack of tools to acutely activate these receptors in living cells. Here, we design a novel acute activation strategy to characterize ADGRL3 signaling by engineering a receptor construct in which we could trigger acute activation enzymatically. Using this assay, we found that ADGRL3 signals through G12/G13 and Gq, with G12/13 the most robustly activated. Gα 12/13 is a new player in ADGRL3 biology, opening up unexplored roles for ADGRL3 in the brain. Our methodological advancements should be broadly useful in adhesion GPCR research. Among the adhesion receptor class of GPCRs, which are understudied, the adhesion receptor ADGRL3 can be activated by its own tethered agonist and couples to G protein G12/13 and somewhat to Gq.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

G proteins are activated when they associate with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), often in response to agonist-mediated receptor activation. It is generally thought that agonist-induced receptor-G protein association necessarily promotes G protein activation and, conversely, that activated GPCRs do not interact with G proteins that they do not activate. Here we show that GPCRs can form agonist-dependent complexes with G proteins that they do not activate. Using cell-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and luminescence assays we find that vasopressin V₂ receptors (V₂R) associate with both Gs and G12 heterotrimers when stimulated with the agonist arginine vasopressin (AVP). However, unlike V₂R-Gs complexes, V₂R-G12 complexes are not destabilized by guanine nucleotides and do not promote G12 activation. Activating V₂R does not lead to signaling responses downstream of G12 activation, but instead inhibits basal G12-mediated signaling, presumably by sequestering G12 heterotrimers. Overexpressing G12 inhibits G protein receptor kinase (GRK) and arrestin recruitment to V₂R and receptor internalization. Formyl peptide (FPR1 and FPR2) and Smoothened (Smo) receptors also form complexeswith G12 that are insensitive to nucleotides, suggesting that unproductive GPCR-G12 complexes are not unique to V₂R. These results indicate that agonist-dependent receptor-G protein association does not always lead to G protein activation and may in fact inhibit G protein activation.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are targeted by a large fraction of approved drugs and regulate many important cellular processes. Association of GPCRs with heterotrimeric G proteins in response to agonist activation is thought to invariably lead to G protein activation. We find instead that G 12 heterotrimers can associate with agonist-bound receptors in a manner that does not lead to activation. These unproductive agonist–receptor-G protein ternary complexes sequester G 12 heterotrimers and thus inhibit rather than support G 12 signaling. These findings reveal a mechanism whereby agonist activation of GPCRs can inhibit as well as promote G protein signaling. G proteins are activated when they associate with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), often in response to agonist-mediated receptor activation. It is generally thought that agonist-induced receptor-G protein association necessarily promotes G protein activation and, conversely, that activated GPCRs do not interact with G proteins that they do not activate. Here we show that GPCRs can form agonist-dependent complexes with G proteins that they do not activate. Using cell-based bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and luminescence assays we find that vasopressin V 2 receptors (V 2 R) associate with both G s and G 12 heterotrimers when stimulated with the agonist arginine vasopressin (AVP). However, unlike V 2 R-G s complexes, V 2 R-G 12 complexes are not destabilized by guanine nucleotides and do not promote G 12 activation. Activating V 2 R does not lead to signaling responses downstream of G 12 activation, but instead inhibits basal G 12 -mediated signaling, presumably by sequestering G 12 heterotrimers. Overexpressing G 12 inhibits G protein receptor kinase (GRK) and arrestin recruitment to V 2 R and receptor internalization. Formyl peptide (FPR1 and FPR2) and Smoothened (Smo) receptors also form complexes with G 12 that are insensitive to nucleotides, suggesting that unproductive GPCR-G 12 complexes are not unique to V 2 R. These results indicate that agonist-dependent receptor-G protein association does not always lead to G protein activation and may in fact inhibit G protein activation.

Hundreds of human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) converge on activation of four families of heterotrimeric G proteins. Individual receptors select a subset of G proteins in order to produce appropriate cellular responses. While the precise mechanisms of coupling selectivity are uncertain, the G alpha subunit carboxy (C) terminus is believed to be the primary region recognized by GPCRs. We directly assessed coupling between 14 representative GPCRs and 16 G alpha subunits, including one wild-type G alpha subunit from each of the four families and 12 chimeras with exchanged C termini. We found that Gi-coupled receptors were relatively selective for Gi1 heterotrimers, while Gs-, Gq-, and G12- coupled receptors were more promiscuous and always coupled in some measure to Gi1 heterotrimers. Our tests with G alpha subunit chimeras show that the G alpha subunit core and C terminus both play important roles in selectivity. This suggests that the key G protein determinants of selectivity vary widely, even for different receptors that couple to the same G protein.While promiscuous GPCR-G protein coupling is often observed. These interactions behave as expected with receptor-G protein coupling and activation being almost synonymous. Agonist bound GPCRs activate the G protein heterotrimers they interact with, while ignoring G protein subtypes that they cannot activate. However, we have shown that GPCRs can form unproductive complexes with G12 heterotrimers. Vasopressin 2 receptor (V2R) forms agonist-dependent complexes with G12 heterotrimers. Unlike V2R complexes with cognate Gs heterotrimers, V2R-G12 complexes do not dissociate when GDP or GTP is present. Stimulating V2R with arginine vasopressin (AVP) does not activate signaling responses downstream of G12 activation. Evaluation of several G12-coupled receptors demonstrated that agonist induced GPCR-G12 complexes have a wide range resistance to GDP. Like V2R receptors, formyl peptide 2 receptors (FPR2) and smoothened receptors (SMOR) formed complexes with G12 heterotrimers that were relatively resistant to GDP. Our results indicate that several GPCRs can form agonist-dependent unproductive complexes with G12 heterotrimers that are relatively resistant to GDP. Suggesting that for some GPCRs agonist-dependent association with G12 heterotrimers is weakly coupled to nucleotide exchange