The interaction between receptors and guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins leads to G protein activation and subsequent regulation of effector enzymes. The molecular basis of receptor-G protein interaction has been examined by using the ability of the G protein from rods (transducin) to cause a conformational change in rhodopsin as an assay. Synthetic peptides corresponding to two regions near the carboxyl terminus of the G protein alpha subunit, Glu311-Val328 and Ile340-Phe350, compete with G protein for interaction with rhodopsin. Amino acid substitution studies show that Cys321 is required for this effect. Ile340-Phe350 and a modified peptide, acetyl-Glu311-Lys329-amide, mimic G protein effects on rhodopsin conformation, showing that these peptides bind to and stabilize the activated conformation of rhodopsin.

Rhodopsins, the photoreceptors in rod cells, are G-protein-coupled receptors with seven hydrophobic segments containing characteristic conserved sequence patterns that define a large family. Members of the family are expected to share a conserved transmembrane structure. Direct evidence for the arrangement of seven alpha-helices was obtained from a 9A projection map of bovine rhodopsin. Structural constraints inferred from a comparison of G-protein-coupled receptor sequences were used to assign the seven hydrophobic stretches in the sequence to features in the projection map. A low-resolution three-dimensional structure of bovine rhodopsin and two projection structures of frog rhodopsin confirmed the position of the three least tilted helices, 4, 6 and 7. A more elongated peak of density for helix 5 indicated that it is tilted or bent, but helices 1, 2 and 3 were not resolved. Here we have used electron micrographs of frozen-hydrated two-dimensional frog rhodopsin crystals to determine the structure of frog rhodopsin. Seven rods of density in the map are used to estimate tilt angles for the seven helices. Density visible on the extracellular side of the membrane suggests a folded domain. Density extends from helix 6 on the intracellular side, and a short connection between helices 1 and 2, and possibly a part of the carboxy terminus, are visible.

We have isolated 16 peptides from a cyanogen bromide digest of rhodopsin. These cyanogen bromide peptides account for the complete composition of the protein. Methionine-containing peptides from other chemical and enzymatic digests of rhodopsin have allowed us to place the cyanogen bromide peptides in order, yielding the sequence of the protein. We have completed the sequence of most of the cyanogen bromide peptides. This information, in conjunction with that from other laboratories, forms the basis for our prediction of the secondary structure of the protein and how it may be arranged in the disk membrane.

Rhodopsin is a member of an ancient class of receptors that transduce signals through their interaction with guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins). We have mapped the sites of interaction of rhodopsin with its G protein, which by analogy suggests how other members of this class of receptors may interact with their G proteins. Three regions of rhodopsin's cytoplasmic surface interact with the rod cell G protein transducin (Ga. These are (i) the second cytoplasmic loop, which connects rhodopsin helices m and IV, (U) the third cytoplasmic loop, which connects rhodopsin helices V and VI, and (iu) a putative fourth cytoplasmic loop formed by amino acids 310-321, as the carboxyl-terminal sequence emerges from helix VII and anchors to the lipid bilayer via palmitoylcysteines 322 and 323. Evidence for these regions of interaction of rhodopsin and Gt comes from the ability of synthetic peptides comprising these regions to compete with metarhodopsin II for binding to Gt. A spectroscopic assay that measures the "extra MIU" caused by Gt binding was used to measure the extent of binding of Gt in the presence of competing peptides. The three peptides corresponding to the second, third, and fourth cytoplasmic loops competed effectively with metarhodopsin H, exhibiting Kd values in the 2 jtM range; 11 additional peptides comprising all remaining surface regions of rhodopsin failed to compete even at 200 ,M. Any two peptides that were effective competitors showed a synergistic effect, having 15 times higher effectiveness when mixed than when assayed separately. A mathematical model was developed to describe this behavior.Rhodopsin is the best-studied receptor protein of that class of signal-transducing receptors that act via guanine nucleotidebinding proteins, or G proteins. Other members of this class include the adrenergic receptors (1), the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (2), the substance K receptor (3) Gt. We previously showed (9) that selected peptides from the sequence of the Gt a subunit (Gta) can interfere with binding of Gt to photolyzed rhodopsin, thus allowing assignment of these peptides to the region of the Gta sequence that binds to rhodopsin. In the work described here, we tested peptides from the rhodopsin sequence in order to see which ones reduce the level of extra MII. Such peptides presumably would do so by simulating a region ofrhodopsin's surface that interacts with Gt, thus interfering with Gt binding to MII. MATERIALS AND METHODSSpectrophotometric Assay. Binding of Gt to MII was measured as in refs. 7-9. The assay was performed at pH 8 and 4°C, conditions under which only a small, control amount of MII is formed in the absence of Gt. The full extra MII signal in the presence of Gt corresponds to a 60% MII fraction ofthe total photoexcited rhodopsin. The final levels of MII formation minus the control level (no Gt present) are a direct measure of the rhodopsin-Gt complexes formed. When normalized to the undisturbed full extra MII signal, they yield the relative amount of Gt that is ...

The maintenance of photoreceptor cell polarity is compromised by the rhodopsin mutations causing the human disease autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. The severe form mutations occur in the C-terminal sorting signal of rhodopsin, VXPX-COOH. Here, we report that this sorting motif binds specifically to the small GTPase ARF4, a member of the ARF family of membrane budding and protein sorting regulators. The effects of blocking ARF4 action were functionally equivalent to the effects of blocking the rhodopsin C-terminal sorting signal. ARF4 was essential for the generation of post-Golgi carriers targeted to the rod outer segments of retinal photoreceptors. Thus, the severe retinitis pigmentosa alleles that affect the rhodopsin sorting signal interfere with interactions between ARF4 and rhodopsin, leading to aberrant trafficking and initiation of retinal degeneration.ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase ͉ membrane trafficking ͉ retinitis pigmetosa ͉ rhodopsin

Rhodopsin is the photoreceptor protein in rod cells of the vertebrate retina and the first member of the class of G protein-coupled receptors for which the amino acid sequence was determined. Rhodopsin is available in greater quantities than any other receptor of its class and therefore has been studied biochemically and biophysically by methods difficult or impossible to apply to its fellow receptors. Such studies support a model in which rhodopsin consists of seven transmembrane helices that form a binding pocket for its ligand, 11-cis retinal. Insights into the structure and function of rhodopsin serve as a model for understanding the structure and function of other members of the receptor class. Rhodopsin undergoes a change in conformation upon photoexcitation and activates a G protein, transducin, and is phosphorylated by a receptor-specific kinase, rhodopsin kinase. The phosphorylated photoactivated rhodopsin is bound by arrestin, thereby terminating activity of the receptor in the signal transduction process. These auxiliary proteins that function with rhodopsin on rod cells serve as models for understanding how other members of the receptor family may function in conjunction with other G proteins, kinases, and arrestin-like proteins.

No abstract

The binding sites for four monoclonal antibodies, rho 1D4, rho 3C2, rho 3A6, and rho 1C5, have been localized within the C-terminal region of bovine rhodopsin: Asp18'-Glu-Ala16'-Ser-Thr-Thr-Val12'-Ser-Lys-Thr-Gl u8'-Thr-Ser-Gln-Val4'-Ala-Pr o -Ala1'. Antibody binding sites were localized by using synthetic C-terminal peptides in conjunction with solid-phase competitive inhibition assays and limited proteolytic digestion of rhodopsin in conjunction with electrophoretic immunoblotting techniques. Binding of the rho 1D4 and rho 3C2 antibodies to immobilized rhodopsin was inhibited with peptides of length 1'-8' and longer. Antibody rho 1D4 binding was not inhibited by peptides 2'-13' or 3'-18', indicating that the C-terminal alanine residue of rhodopsin was required. Similar competitive inhibition studies indicated that the antibody rho 3A6 required peptides of length 1'-12' and longer whereas rho 1C5 required peptide 1'-18'. Peptide 3'-18' was as effective as 1'-18' in inhibiting rho 3A6 binding to rhodopsin, but replacement of glutamic acid in position 8' with glutamine abolished competition. This substitution had little effect on the binding of antibody rho 1C5. Thus, Glu8' was essential for rho 3A6 binding but not for the binding of the rho 1C5 antibody. Cleavage of the seven amino acid C-terminus from rhodopsin and further cleavage to F1 (Mr 25 000) and F2 (Mr 12 000) fragments with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease abolished binding of rho 1D4 antibody to the membrane-bound rhodopsin fragments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)