Teresa Duda

Core sequence of ATP regulatory module in receptor guanylate cyclases

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP)‐activated guanylate cyclases are single‐chain transmembrane‐spanning proteins, containing both ligand binding and catalytic activities. In both proteins, ligand binding to the extracellular receptor domain activates the cytosolic catalytic domain, generating the second messenger cyclic GMP. Studies with ANF receptor guanylate cyclase (ANF‐RGC) have indicated that obligatory in this activation process is an ATP‐dependent step. ATP directly binds to the cyelase and bridges the events of ligand binding and signal transduction. A defined ATP‐regulated module (ARM) sequence (Gly503‐Arg‐Gly‐Ser‐Asn‐Tyr‐Gly509) in the cyclase is critical in the ATP‐mediated event. Through genetic remodeling techniques, we have now identified the core ARM sequence that is essential in both ANF and CNP signaling. This sequence is Gly‐Xa‐Xa‐Xa‐Gly, represented by Gly505‐Ser‐Asn‐Tyr‐Gly509 in the case of ANF‐RGC ARM and by Gly499‐Ser‐Ser‐Tyr‐Gly503 in the CNP receptor guanylate cyclase ARM.

ONE-GC membrane guanylate cyclase, a trimodal odorant signal transducer.

The Ca(2+)-modulated ONE-GC membrane guanylate cyclase is a central component of the cyclic GMP signaling in odorant transduction. It is a single transmembrane spanning modular protein. Its intracellular region contains Ca(2+) sensor recognition domains linked to GCAP1 and to neurocalcin delta, and a catalytic module. These domains sense increments in free Ca(2+) and stimulate the catalytic module. The present study makes three significant mechanistic advancements. First, to date no ligand for the extracellular (ext) domain is known, for this reason ONE-GC has been deemed as an orphan receptor. The present study identifies its ligand. Uroguanylin stimulates ONE-GC through its ext domain. Second, so far no ligand is known that directly stimulates the catalytic module of any membrane guanylate cyclase. The presented evidence shows that in the presence of the semimicromolar range of free Ca(2+), neurocalcin binds to the catalytic module and stimulates ONE-GC. Thus, ONE-GC has trimodal regulation, two occurring intracellularly and one extracellularly. Third, guanylin, a urine odorant, does not directly stimulate ONE-GC. This challenges the proposed hypothesis that the guanylin odorant signal occurs via ONE-GC [T. Leinders-Zufall, R.E. Cockerham, S. Michalakis, M. Biel, D.L. Garbers, R.R. Reed, F. Zufall, S.D. Munger, Contribution of the receptor guanylyl cyclase GC-D to chemosensory function in the olfactory epithelium, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104 (2007) 14507-14512].

Ca2+-modulated vision-linked ROS-GC guanylate cyclase transduction machinery

Vertebrate phototransduction depends on the reciprocal relationship between two-second messengers, cyclic GMP and Ca2+. The concentration of both is reciprocally regulated including the dynamic synthesis of cyclic GMP by a membrane bound guanylate cyclase. Different from hormone receptor guanylate cyclases, the cyclases operating in phototransduction are regulated by the intracellular Ca2+-concentration via small Ca2+-binding proteins. Based on the site of their expression and their Ca2+ modulation, this sub-branch of the cyclase family was named sensory guanylate cyclases, of which the retina specific forms are named ROS-GCs (rod outer segment guanylate cyclases). This review focuses on the structure and function of the ROS-GC subfamily present in the mammalian retinal neurons: photoreceptors and inner layers of the retinal neurons. Portions and excerpts of the review are from a previous chapter (Curr Top Biochem Res 6:111–144, 2004).

The glycine residue of ATP regulatory module in receptor guanylate cyclases that is essential in natriuretic factor signaling.

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP)‐activated guanylate cyclases are single‐chain transmembrane‐spanning proteins, containing both ligand binding and catalytic activities. In both proteins, ligand binding to the extracellular receptor domain activates the cytosolic catalytic domain, generating the second messenger cyclic GMP. Obligatory in this activation process is an ATP‐dependent step. ATP directly binds to a defined ATP‐regulatory module (ARM) sequence motif in the cyclases and through ARM bridges the events of ligand binding and signal transduction. These ARM sequence motifs are respectively represented by Gly503‐Xa‐Gly505‐Xa‐Xa‐Xa‐Gly509 and Gly499‐Xa‐Xa‐Xa‐Gly503 in the case of ANF receptor guanylate cyclase (ANF‐RGC) and CNP receptor guanylate cyclase (CNP‐RGC). Through genetic remodeling techniques, we now show that ARM‐Gly505 in ANF‐RGC and the corresponding ARM‐Gly499 in CNP‐RGC are critical for ANF and CNP signaling, and other ARM‐Gly residues have minimal effect in the respective signaling processes.

Atrial natriuretic factor receptor guanylate cyclase signaling: new ATP-regulated transduction motif

ANF-RGC membrane guanylate cyclase is the receptor for the hypotensive peptide hormones, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and type B natriuretic peptide (BNP). It is a single transmembrane spanning protein. Binding the hormone to the extracellular domain activates its intracellular catalytic domain. This results in accelerated production of cyclic GMP, a second messenger in controlling blood pressure, cardiac vasculature, and fluid secretion. ATP is the obligatory transducer of the ANF signal. It works through its ATP regulated module, ARM, which is juxtaposed to the C-terminal side of the transmembrane domain. Upon interaction, ATP induces a cascade of temporal and spatial changes in the ARM, which, finally, result in activation of the catalytic module. Although the exact nature and the details of these changes are not known, some of these have been stereographed in the simulated three-dimensional model of the ARM and validated biochemically. Through comprehensive techniques of steady state, time-resolved tryptophan fluorescence and Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), site-directed and deletion-mutagenesis, and reconstitution, the present study validates and explains the mechanism of the model-based predicted transduction role of the ARM’s structural motif, 669WTAPELL675. This motif is critical in the ATP-dependent ANF signaling. Molecular modeling shows that ATP binding exposes the 669WTAPELL675 motif, the exposure, in turn, facilitates its interaction and activation of the catalytic module. These principles of the model have been experimentally validated. This knowledge brings us a step closer to our understanding of the mechanism by which the ATP-dependent spatial changes within the ARM cause ANF signaling of ANF-RGC.

Ca2+-modulated ONE-GC odorant signal transduction

In a subset of olfactory epithelium the odorant receptor guanylate cyclase, ONE‐GC, is a central transduction component of the cyclic GMP signaling pathway. The odorant binds to the extracellular domain and activates its intracellular catalytic domain to generate the odorant second messenger, cyclic GMP. The present study demonstrates that it is a two‐step, Ca2+‐independent and Ca2+‐dependent, sequential process. In step one, the odorant, uroguanylin, binds ONE‐GC and primes it for stimulation. In step two, Ca2+‐bound neurocalcin δ binds to the defined intracellular domain and saturates ONE‐GC activity. A prototype model is proposed that depicts this signal transduction process.

Regulation of bovine rod outer segment membrane guanylate cyclase by ATP, phosphodiesterase and metal ions

In vertebrate retina, rod outer segment is the site of visual transduction. The inward cationic current in the dark-adapted outer segment is regulated by cyclic GMP. A light flash on the outer segment activates a cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase resulting in rapid hydrolysis of the cyclic nucleotide which in turn causes a decrease in the dark current. Restoration of the dark current requires inactivation of the phosphodiesterase and synthesis of cyclic GMP. The latter is accomplished by the enzyme guanylate cyclase which catalyzes the formation of cyclic GMP from GTP. Therefore, factors regulating the cyclase activity play a critcal role in visual transduction. But regulation of the cyclase by some of these factors — phosphodiesterase, ATP, the soluble proteins and metal cofactors (Mg and Mn) — is controversial. The availability of different types of cyclase preparations, dark-adapted rod outer segments with fully inhibited phosphodiesterase activity, partially purified cyclase without PDE contamination, cloned rod outer segment cyclase free of other rod outer segment proteins, permitted us to address these controversial issues. The results show that ATP inhibits the basal cyclase activity but enhances the stimulation of the enzyme by soluble activator, that cyclase can be activated in the dark at low calcium concentrations under conditions where phosphodiesterase activity is fully suppressed, and that greater activity is observed with manganese as cofactor than magnesium. These results provide a better understanding of the controls on cyclase activity in rod outer segments and suggest how regulation of this cyclase by ATP differs from that of other known membrane guanylate cyclases.

ATP modulation of the ligand binding and signal transduction activities of the type C natriuretic peptide receptor guanylate cyclase.

The type C natriuretic peptide (CNP)-activated guanylate cyclase (CNP-RGC) is a single-chain transmembrane-spanning protein, containing both CNP binding and catalytic cyclase activities. Upon binding CNP to the extracellular receptor domain, the cytosolic catalytic domain of CNP-RGC is activated, generating the second messenger cyclic GMP. Obligatory in this activation process is an intervening signal transduction step which is regulated by ATP binding to the cyclase. This bridges the events of ligand binding and cyclase activation. A defined sequence motif (Gly499-Xa-Xa-Xa-Gly503), termed ATP regulatory module (ARM), is critical for this step. The present study shows that ATP not only amplifies the signal transduction step, it also concomitantly reduces the ligand binding activity of CNP-RGC. Reduction in the ligand binding activity is a consequence of the transformation of the high affinity receptor-form to the low affinity receptor-form. A single ARM residue Gly499 is critical in the mediation of both ATP effects, signal transduction and ligand binding activity of the receptor. Thus, this residue represents an ATP bimodal switch to turn the CNP signal on and off.

657WTAPELL663 motif of the photoreceptor ROS-GC1: A general phototransduction switch

This study documents the identity of an intriguing transduction mechanism of the [Ca(2+)](i) signals by the photoreceptor ROS-GC1. Despite their distal residences and operational modes in phototransduction, the two GCAPs transmit and activate ROS-GC1 through a common Ca(2+) transmitter switch (Ca(2+)TS). A combination of immunoprecipitation, fluorescent spectroscopy, mutational analyses and reconstitution studies has been used to demonstrate that the structure of this switch is (657)WTAPELL(663). The two Ca(2+) signaling GCAP pathways converge in Ca(2+)TS, get transduced, activate ROS-GC1, generate the LIGHT signal second messenger cyclic GMP and yet functionally perform divergent operations of the phototransduction machinery. The findings define a new Ca(2+)-modulated photoreceptor ROS-GC transduction model; it is depicted and discussed for its application to processing the different shades of LIGHT.

Atrial natriuretic factor-receptor guanylate cyclase signal transduction mechanism

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) receptor guanylate cyclase (ANF-RGC), like the other members of the membrane guanylate cyclase family, is a single transmembrane-spanning protein. The transmembrane domain separates the protein into two regions, extracellular and intracellular. The extracellular region contains the ANF-binding domain and the intracellular region the catalytic domain located at the C-terminus of the protein. Preceding the catalytic domain, the intracellular region is comprised of the following functional domains: juxtaposed 40 amino acids to the transmembrane domain is the ATP-regulated module (ARM) domain [also termed the kinase homology domain (KHD)], and the putative dimerization domain. The ANF-RGC signaling is initiated by hormone, ANF, binding to its extracellular binding site. The binding signal is transduced through the transmembrane domain to the intracellular portion where ATP binding to the ARM domain partially activates the cyclase and prepares it for subsequent steps involving phosphorylation and attaining the fully activated state. This chapter reviews the signaling modules of ANF-RGC.