Conformational changes associated with receptor-stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange in a heterotrimeric G-protein α-subunit: NMR analysis of GTPγS-bound states

Abstract

Solution NMR studies of a 15N-labeled G-protein α-subunit (Gα) chimera (15N-ChiT)-reconstituted heterotrimer have shown previously that G-protein βγ-subunit (G βγ) association induces a "preactivated" conformation that likely facilitates interaction with the agonist-activated form of a G-protein-coupled receptor (R*) and guanine nucleotide exchange (Abdulaev, N. G., Ngo, T., Zhang, C., Dinh, A., Brabazon, D. M., Ridge, K. D., and Marino, J. P. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. 280, 38071-38080). Here we demonstrated that the 15N-ChiT-reconstituted heterotrimer can form functional complexes under NMR experimental conditions with light-activated, detergent-solubilized rhodopsin (R*), as well as a soluble mimic of R*. NMR methods were used to track R*-triggered guanine nucleotide exchange and release of guanosine 5′-O-3-thiotriphosphate (GTPγS)/Mg2+-bound ChiT. A heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) spectrum of R*-generated GTPγS/Mg 2+-bound ChiT revealed 1HN, 15N chemical shift changes relative to GDP/Mg2+-bound ChiT that were similar, but not identical, to those observed for the GDP·AlF4-/Mg2+-bound state. Line widths observed for R*-generated GTPγS/Mg2+-bound 15N-ChiT, however, indicated that it is more conformationally dynamic relative to the GDP/Mg2+- and GDP·AlF4-/Mg 2+-bound states. The increased dynamics appeared to be correlated with Gβγ and R* interactions because they are not observed for GTPγS/Mg2+-bound ChiT generated independently of R*. In contrast to R*, a soluble mimic that does not catalytically interact with G-protein (Abdulaev, N. G., Ngo, T., Chen, R., Lu, Z., and Ridge, K. D. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 39354-39363) is found to form a stable complex with the GTPγS/ Mg2+-exchanged heterotrimer. The HSQC spectrum of 15N-ChiT in this complex displays a unique chemical shift pattern that nonetheless shares similarities with the heterotrimer and GTPγS/Mg2+-bound ChiT. Overall, these results demonstrated that R*-induced changes in Gα can be followed by NMR and that guanine nucleotide exchange can be uncoupled from heterotrimer dissociation.