Faculty Collaboration Database

Molecular basis for lipid recognition by the prostaglandin D₂ receptor CRTH2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021 Aug 10;118(32)

Date

08/04/2021

Pubmed ID

34341104

Pubmed Central ID

PMC8364189

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2102813118

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85111810793 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   10 Citations

Abstract

Prostaglandin D₂ (PGD₂) signals through the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) CRTH2 to mediate various inflammatory responses. CRTH2 is the only member of the prostanoid receptor family that is phylogenetically distant from others, implying a nonconserved mechanism of lipid action on CRTH2. Here, we report a crystal structure of human CRTH2 bound to a PGD₂ derivative, 15R-methyl-PGD₂ (15mPGD₂), by serial femtosecond crystallography. The structure revealed a "polar group in"-binding mode of 15mPGD₂ contrasting the "polar group out"-binding mode of PGE₂ in its receptor EP3. Structural comparison analysis suggested that these two lipid-binding modes, associated with distinct charge distributions of ligand-binding pockets, may apply to other lipid GPCRs. Molecular dynamics simulations together with mutagenesis studies also identified charged residues at the ligand entry port that function to capture lipid ligands of CRTH2 from the lipid bilayer. Together, our studies suggest critical roles of charge environment in lipid recognition by GPCRs.

Author List

Liu H, Deepak RNVK, Shiriaeva A, Gati C, Batyuk A, Hu H, Weierstall U, Liu W, Wang L, Cherezov V, Fan H, Zhang C

Author

Wei Liu PhD Associate Professor in the Pharmacology and Toxicology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Crystallography, X-Ray
Humans
Lipid Metabolism
Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Mutation
Prostaglandin D2
Protein Conformation
Receptors, Immunologic
Receptors, Prostaglandin