Biased allosteric regulation of the Prostaglandin F2α receptor: from small molecules to large receptor complexes

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of cell surface receptors, and thus some of the most important targets for drug discovery. By binding to the orthosteric site where endogenous ligands bind, agonists and antagonists differentially modulate signals sent downstream from these receptors. New evidence suggests that GPCRs possess topographically distinct or allosteric binding sites, which may differentially modulate agonist- and antagonist-mediated responses to selectively affect distinct signalling pathways coupled to the same receptor. These sites may either positively or negatively regulate receptor activity, depending on the pathway in question, and thus can act as biased ligands, leading to functional selectivity (or ligand-directed signalling). Another way of allosterically regulating GPCR signalling is through receptor oligomerization, which has recently emerged as a common mechanism for regulating receptor function. The GPCR for prostaglandin F2α FP, is implicated in many important physiological responses, such as parturition, smooth muscle cell contraction and blood pressure regulation. Therefore, evaluating the potential use of allosteric modulators of FP to fine-tune PGF2α-mediated signals, as well as generating a better understanding of its putative oligomerization partners would be of significant pharmacological and clinical interest. In this thesis, I studied the impact of modulating, in both heterologous (HEK 293 cells) and homologous (osteoblast, myometrial or vascular smooth muscle cells) systems, downstream cellular responses of FP by 1) an orthosteric, but biased ligand, previously characterized as a neutral antagonist 2) an allosteric molecule, designed based on the extracellular domains of FP, which had biased signalling properties and, 3) heterodimerization with a receptor partner, the angiotensin II type I receptor, where I demonstrated the asymmetrical organization of this new signalling unit both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, my thesis unveils important roles for biased, allosteric ligands and receptor oligomerization in modulating FP signalling. This work also demonstrates the importance of understanding distinct receptor conformations, and their effects on cellular responses, which are adopted when GPCRs are allosterically modulated, to design better therapeutics with improved efficacy profiles and reduced side effects.

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