4grv

Publication Abstract from PubMed

Neurotensin (NTS) is a 13-amino-acid peptide that functions as both a neurotransmitter and a hormone through the activation of the neurotensin receptor NTSR1, a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). In the brain, NTS modulates the activity of dopaminergic systems, opioid-independent analgesia, and the inhibition of food intake; in the gut, NTS regulates a range of digestive processes. Here we present the structure at 2.8 A resolution of Rattus norvegicus NTSR1 in an active-like state, bound to NTS(8-13), the carboxy-terminal portion of NTS responsible for agonist-induced activation of the receptor. The peptide agonist binds to NTSR1 in an extended conformation nearly perpendicular to the membrane plane, with the C terminus oriented towards the receptor core. Our findings provide, to our knowledge, the first insight into the binding mode of a peptide agonist to a GPCR and may support the development of non-peptide ligands that could be useful in the treatment of neurological disorders, cancer and obesity.

Structure of the agonist-bound neurotensin receptor.,White JF, Noinaj N, Shibata Y, Love J, Kloss B, Xu F, Gvozdenovic-Jeremic J, Shah P, Shiloach J, Tate CG, Grisshammer R Nature. 2012 Oct 25;490(7421):508-13. doi: 10.1038/nature11558. Epub 2012 Oct 10. PMID:23051748^[2]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.