Genetic mapping of the human C5a receptor: Identification of transmembrane amino acids critical for receptor function

Adi Geva, Tracey B. Lassere, Olivier Lichtarge, Sonia K. Pollitt, Thomas J. Baranski

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many hormones and sensory stimuli signal through a superfamily of seven transmembrane-spanning receptors to activate heterotrimeric G proteins. How the seven transmembrane segments of the receptors (a molecular architecture of bundled α-helices conserved from yeast to man) work as 'on/off' switches remains unknown. Previously, we used random saturation mutagenesis coupled with a genetic selection in yeast to determine the relative importance of amino acids in four of the seven transmembrane segments of the human C5a receptor (Baranski, T. J., Herzmark, P., Lichtarge, O., Gerber, B. O., Trueheart, J., Meng, E. C., Iiri, T., Sheikh, S. P., and Bourne, H. R. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 15757-15765). In this study, we evaluate helices I, II, and IV, thereby furnishing a complete mutational map of the seven transmembrane helices of the human C5a receptor. Our analysis identified 19 amino acid positions resistant to non-conservative substitutions. When combined with the 25 essential residues previously identified in helices III and V-VII, they delineate two distinct components of the receptor switch: a ligand-binding surface at or near the extracellular surface of the helix bundle and a core cluster in the cytoplasmic half of the bundle. In addition, we found critical amino acids in the first and second helices that are predicted to face the lipid membrane. These residues form an extended surface that might mediate interactions with lipids and other membrane proteins or function as an oligomerization domain with other receptors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)35393-35401
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume275
Issue number45
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 10 2000

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