EVIDENCE FOR HETERODIMERIZATION AND FUNCTIONAL INTERACTION OF THE
UROTENSIN II AND THE ANGIOTENSIN II TYPE 1 RECEPTORS
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Despite the observation of synergistic
interactions between the urotensinergic and angiotensinergic systems,
the interplay between the urotensin II receptor (hUT) and the
angiotensin II type 1 receptor (hAT1R) in regulating cellular signaling
under physiological and pathophysiological conditions remains
incompletely understood. Notably, the interaction between hUT and hAT1R
could engender reciprocal allosteric modulations of their signaling
signatures, defining a unique role for these complexes in cardiovascular
physiology and pathophysiology. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The physical
interaction between hUT and hAT1R receptors was evaluated by
co-immunoprecipitation, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)
and FlAsH BRET-based conformational biosensors. To analyze how this
functional interaction regulated proximal and distal hUT-associated
signaling pathways, we used BRET-based signaling biosensors and western
blots to profile pathway-specific signaling in HEK 293 cells expressing
hUT, hAT1R or both. KEY RESULTS We observed that hUT-hAT1R heterodimers
triggered distinct signalling outcomes, in particular Gq/
G13/Gi/DAG/-arrestin-1/ERK1/2, compared to their respective parent
receptors alone. Notably, co-transfection of hUT and hAT1R slightly
potentiated hUII-induced Gq activation but significantly reduced the
potency and efficacy of Ang II to mediate Gq activation. Using a
FlAsH-walk approach, we observed that the presence of unliganded hUT
altered conformational dynamics of hAT1R but that addition of hUII or
URP did not produce further modulations. CONCLUSION Assembly of hUT with
hAT1R might be important for allosteric modulation of outcomes
associated with specific hardwired signaling complexes in healthy and
disease states. Our work validates such complexes as potential targets
to promote the design of compounds that modulate heterodimer function
selectively.