Propagation of conformational changes during μ-opioid receptor activation

NMR spectroscopy reveals the conformational changes of the μ-opioid receptor that are associated with receptor activation, helping to explain why the allosteric coupling between the agonist-binding pocket and the cytoplasmic G-protein-coupling interface of this receptor is relatively weak. Activation of the μ-opioid receptor The μ-opioid receptor is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activated by various analgesics, endogenous endorphins and drugs of abuse such as heroin and opium. Our understanding of the mechanism by which agonist binding leads to recognition, coupling, and activation of a particular G protein subtype is incomplete. In two papers in this issue of Nature , the authors used X-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics simulations, and NMR spectroscopy to probe the structural basis for receptor activation. As well as revealing the conformational changes in the extracellular and intracellular domains of this GPCR associated with receptor activation, these studies help explain why the allosteric coupling between the agonist-binding pocket and the cytoplasmic G-protein-coupling interface of this receptor is relatively weak. µ-Opioid receptors (µORs) are G-protein-coupled receptors that are activated by a structurally diverse spectrum of natural and synthetic agonists including endogenous endorphin peptides, morphine and methadone. The recent structures of the μOR in inactive 1 and agonist-induced active states (Huang et al. , ref. 2 ) provide snapshots of the receptor at the beginning and end of a signalling event, but little is known about the dynamic sequence of events that span these two states. Here we use solution-state NMR to examine the process of μOR activation using a purified receptor (mouse sequence) preparation in an amphiphile membrane-like environment. We obtain spectra of the μOR in the absence of ligand, and in the presence of the high-affinity agonist BU72 alone, or with BU72 and a G protein mimetic nanobody. Our results show that conformational changes in transmembrane segments 5 and 6 (TM5 and TM6), which are required for the full engagement of a G protein, are almost completely dependent on the presence of both the agonist and the G protein mimetic nanobody, revealing a weak allosteric coupling between the agonist-binding pocket and the G-protein-coupling interface (TM5 and TM6), similar to that observed for the β2-adrenergic receptor 3 . Unexpectedly, in the presence of agonist alone, we find larger spectral changes involvin