TY - JOUR
T1 - β-arrestin-biased agonism at the β2-adrenergic receptor
AU - Drake, Matthew T.
AU - Violin, Jonathan D.
AU - Whalen, Erin J.
AU - Wisler, James W.
AU - Shenoy, Sudha K.
AU - Lefkowitz, Robert J.
PY - 2008/2/29
Y1 - 2008/2/29
N2 - Classically, the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) and other members of the seven-transmembrane receptor (7TMR) superfamily activate G protein-dependent signaling pathways in response to ligand stimulus. It has recently been discovered, however, that a number of 7TMRs, including β2AR, can signal via β-arrestin-dependent pathways independent of G protein activation. It is currently unclear if among β2AR agonists there exist ligands that disproportionately signal via G proteins or β-arrestins and are hence "biased." Using a variety of approaches that include highly sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based methodologies, including a novel assay for receptor internalization, we show that the majority of known β2AR agonists exhibit relative efficacies for β-arrestin-associated activities (β-arrestin membrane translocation and β2AR internalization)identical to their relative efficacies for G protein-dependent signaling (cyclic AMP generation). However, for three βAR ligands there is a marked bias toward β-arrestin signaling; these ligands stimulate β-arrestin-dependent receptor activities to a much greater extent than would be expected given their efficacy for G protein-dependent activity. Structural comparison of these biased ligands reveals that all three are catecholamines containing an ethyl substitution on the α-carbon, a motif absent on all of the other, unbiased ligands tested. Thus, these studies demonstrate the potential for developing a novel class of 7TMR ligands with a distinct bias for β-arrestin-mediated signaling.
AB - Classically, the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) and other members of the seven-transmembrane receptor (7TMR) superfamily activate G protein-dependent signaling pathways in response to ligand stimulus. It has recently been discovered, however, that a number of 7TMRs, including β2AR, can signal via β-arrestin-dependent pathways independent of G protein activation. It is currently unclear if among β2AR agonists there exist ligands that disproportionately signal via G proteins or β-arrestins and are hence "biased." Using a variety of approaches that include highly sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based methodologies, including a novel assay for receptor internalization, we show that the majority of known β2AR agonists exhibit relative efficacies for β-arrestin-associated activities (β-arrestin membrane translocation and β2AR internalization)identical to their relative efficacies for G protein-dependent signaling (cyclic AMP generation). However, for three βAR ligands there is a marked bias toward β-arrestin signaling; these ligands stimulate β-arrestin-dependent receptor activities to a much greater extent than would be expected given their efficacy for G protein-dependent activity. Structural comparison of these biased ligands reveals that all three are catecholamines containing an ethyl substitution on the α-carbon, a motif absent on all of the other, unbiased ligands tested. Thus, these studies demonstrate the potential for developing a novel class of 7TMR ligands with a distinct bias for β-arrestin-mediated signaling.
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U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M708118200
DO - 10.1074/jbc.M708118200
M3 - Article
C2 - 18086673
AN - SCOPUS:41949089470
SN - 0021-9258
VL - 283
SP - 5669
EP - 5676
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
IS - 9
ER -