A G Protein-Coupled Receptor Dimerization Interface in Human Cone Opsins

Biochemistry. 2017 Jan 10;56(1):61-72. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00877. Epub 2016 Nov 29.

Abstract

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) detect a wide variety of physical and chemical signals and transmit that information across the cellular plasma membrane. Dimerization is a proposed modulator of GPCR signaling, but the structure and stability of class A GPCR dimerization have been difficult to establish. Here we investigated the dimerization affinity and binding interface of human cone opsins, which initiate and sustain daytime color vision. Using a time-resolved fluorescence approach, we found that human red cone opsin exhibits a strong propensity for dimerization, whereas the green and blue cone opsins do not. Through mutagenesis experiments, we identified a dimerization interface in the fifth transmembrane helix of human red cone opsin involving amino acids I230, A233, and M236. Insights into this dimerization interface of red cone opsin should aid ongoing investigations of the structure and function of GPCR quaternary interactions in cell signaling. Finally, we demonstrated that the same residues needed for dimerization are also partially responsible for the spectral tuning of red cone opsin. This last observation has the potential to open up new lines of inquiry regarding the functional role of dimerization for red cone opsin.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cone Opsins / chemistry*
  • Cone Opsins / genetics
  • Cone Opsins / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mutation
  • Protein Multimerization*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / chemistry*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Red Fluorescent Protein
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence

Substances

  • Cone Opsins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins