The crystal structure of rod cell visual pigment rhodopsin was recently solved at 2.8-A resolution. A critical evaluation of a decade of structure-function studies is now possible. It is also possible to begin to explain the structural basis for several unique physiological properties of the vertebrate visual system, including extremely low dark noise levels as well as high gain and color detection. The ligand-binding pocket of rhodopsin is remarkably compact, and several apparent chromophore-protein interactions were not predicted from extensive mutagenesis or spectroscopic studies. The transmembrane helices are interrupted or kinked at multiple sites. An extensive network of interhelical interactions stabilizes the ground state of the receptor. The helix movement model of receptor activation, which might apply to all G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) of the rhodopsin family, is supported by several structural elements that suggest how light-induced conformational changes in the ligand-binding pocket are transmitted to the cytoplasmic surface. The cytoplasmic domain of the receptor is remarkable for a carboxy-terminal helical domain extending from the seventh transmembrane segment parallel to the bilayer surface. Thus the cytoplasmic surface appears to be approximately the right size to bind to the transducin heterotrimer in a one-to-one complex. Future high-resolution structural studies of rhodopsin and other GPCRs will form a basis to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanism of GPCR-mediated signal transduction.

The recent report of the crystal structure of rhodopsin provides insights concerning structure-activity relationships in visual pigments and related G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The seven transmembrane helices of rhodopsin are interrupted or kinked at multiple sites. An extensive network of interhelical interactions stabilizes the ground state of the receptor. The ligand-binding pocket of rhodopsin is remarkably compact, and several chromophore-protein interactions were not predicted from mutagenesis or spectroscopic studies. The helix movement model of receptor activation, which likely applies to all GPCRs of the rhodopsin family, is supported by several structural elements that suggest how light-induced conformational changes in the ligand-binding pocket are transmitted to the cytoplasmic surface. The cytoplasmic domain of the receptor includes a helical domain extending from the seventh transmembrane segment parallel to the bilayer surface. The cytoplasmic surface appears to be approximately large enough to bind to the transducin heterotrimer in a one-to-one complex. The structural basis for several unique biophysical properties of rhodopsin, including its extremely low dark noise level and high quantum efficiency, can now be addressed using a combination of structural biology and various spectroscopic methods. Future high-resolution structural studies of rhodopsin and other GPCRs will form the basis to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanism of GPCR-mediated signal transduction.

The crystal structure of rhodopsin revealed a cytoplasmic helical segment (H8) extending from transmembrane (TM) helix seven to a pair of vicinal palmitoylated cysteine residues. We studied the structure of model peptides corresponding to H8 under a variety of conditions using steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence anisotropy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. We find that H8 acts as a membrane-surface recognition domain, which adopts a helical structure only in the presence of membranes or membrane mimetics. The secondary structural properties of H8 further depend on membrane lipid composition with phosphatidylserine inducing helical structure. Fluorescence quenching experiments using brominated acyl chain phospholipids and vesicle leakage assays suggest that H8 lies within the membrane interfacial region where amino acid side chains can interact with phospholipid headgroups. We conclude that H8 in rhodopsin, in addition to its role in binding the G protein transducin, acts as a membrane-dependent conformational switch domain.

Tctex-1, a light-chain component of the cytoplasmic dynein motor complex, can function independently of dynein to regulate multiple steps in neuronal development. However, how dynein-associated and dynein-free pools of Tctex-1 are maintained in the cell is not known. Tctex-1 was recently identified as a Gbc-binding protein and shown to be identical to the receptor-independent activator of G protein signaling AGS2. We propose a novel role for the interaction of Gbc with Tctex-1 in neurite outgrowth. Ectopic expression of either Tctex-1 or Gbc promotes neurite outgrowth whereas interfering with their function inhibits neuritogenesis. Using embryonic mouse brain extracts, we demonstrate an endogenous Gbc-Tctex-1 complex and show that Gbc co-segregates with dynein-free fractions of Tctex-1. Furthermore, Gb competes with the dynein intermediate chain for binding to Tctex-1, regulating assembly of Tctex-1 into the dynein motor complex. We propose that Tctex-1 is a novel effector of Gbc, and that Gbc-Tctex-1 complex plays a key role in the dynein-independent function of Tctex-1 in regulating neurite outgrowth in primary hippocampal neurons, most likely by modulating actin and microtubule dynamics.

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Crystal structures of engineered human beta 2-adrenergic receptors (ARs) in complex with an inverse agonist ligand, carazolol, provide three-dimensional snapshots of the disposition of seven transmembrane helices and the ligand-binding site of an important G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). As expected, beta 2-AR shares substantial structural similarities with rhodopsin, the dim-light photoreceptor of the rod cell. However, although carazolol and the 11- cis-retinylidene moiety of rhodopsin are situated in the same general binding pocket, the second extracellular (E2) loop structures are quite distinct. E2 in rhodopsin shows beta-sheet structure and forms part of the chromophore-binding site. In the beta 2-AR, E2 is alpha-helical and seems to be distinct from the receptor's active site, allowing a potential entry pathway for diffusible ligands. The structures, together with extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) data from earlier studies, provide insight about possible structural determinants of ligand specificity and how the binding of agonist ligands might alter receptor conformation. We review key features of the new beta 2-AR structures in the context of recent complementary work on the conformational dynamics of GPCRs. We also report 600 ns molecular dynamics simulations that quantified beta 2-AR receptor mobility in a membrane bilayer environment and show how the binding of an agonist ligand, adrenaline (epinephrine), causes conformational changes to the ligand-binding pocket and neighboring helices.

Nucleobindin 1 (NUCB1) is a widely expressed multidomain calcium-binding protein whose precise physiological and biochemical functions are not well understood. We engineered and heterologously expressed a soluble form of NUCB1 (sNUCB1) and characterized its biophysical and biochemical properties. We show that sNUCB1 exists as a dimer in solution and that each monomer binds two divalent calcium cations. Calcium binding causes conformational changes in sNUCB1 as judged by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy experiments. Earlier reports suggested that NUCB1 might interact with heterotrimeric G protein ␣ subunits. We show that dimeric calcium-free sNUCB1 binds to expressed G␣ i1 and that calcium binding inhibits the interaction. The binding of sNUCB1 to G␣ i1 inhibits its basal rate of GDP release and slows its rate and extent of GTP␥S uptake. Additionally, our tissue culture experiments show that sNUCB1 prevents receptor-mediated G␣ i -dependent inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Thus, we conclude that sNUCB1 is a calcium-dependent guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) for G␣ i1 . To our knowledge, sNUCB1 is the first example of a calcium-dependent GDI for heterotrimeric G proteins. We also show that the mechanism of GDI activity of sNUCB1 is unique and does not arise from the consensus GoLoco motif found in RGS proteins. We propose that cytoplasmic NUCB1 might function to regulate heterotrimeric G protein trafficking and G protein-coupled receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways.Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, G proteins, couple to heptahelical cell surface G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) 3 and participate in intracellular signaling events. The G protein heterotrimer is composed of the G␣ subunit and the G␤␥ heterodimer. Upon ligand-mediated activation, GPCRs catalyze the exchange of GDP for GTP on G␣ leading to dissociation of the heterotrimer into G␣⅐GTP and G␤␥ subunits (1-3). These individual subunits then regulate downstream signaling cascades involving effector systems like adenylyl cyclases, Ca 2ϩ and K ϩ channels, phospholipase C isozymes, and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (4, 5). Thereafter, the intrinsic GTPase activity of G␣ reverts it back to the GDP-bound state, which can reassociate with G␤␥. This inhibits the interaction of G protein subunits with downstream effectors, which results in the turning-off of the signaling pathways. Hence, signaling by heterotrimeric G proteins is directly dependent on the lifetime of the GTP-bound state of G␣. This lifetime is regulated by GTPase-accelerating proteins (GAPs), which catalyze the rapid hydrolysis of the G␣-bound GTP to GDP and by guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs), which inhibit the exchange of GDP for GTP in the catalytic pocket of G␣ (6).Together, GAPs and GDIs exert a regulatory control on G protein signaling. In recent years, novel interacting partners of heterotrimeric G proteins called the regulators of G protein signaling or RGS proteins have been discovered that possess GAP ...

account for either the ability of aCaMKII to self-associate or bCaMKII to be unable to self-associate. Identification of these mutations that disrupt self-association and still allow targeting affords the opportunity to definitively determine the role that self-association plays in the subcellular localization of CaMKII during physiological and pathological conditions.