Structural organization and expression of human MTUS1, a candidate 8p22 tumor suppressor gene encoding a family of angiotensin II AT2 receptor-interacting proteins, ATIP.

The Mitochondrial Tumor suppressor 1 (MTUS1) gene is a newly identified candidate tumor suppressor gene at chromosomal position 8p22. We report here that MTUS1 encodes a family of proteins whose leader member (ATIP1) was previously isolated in our laboratory as a novel interacting partner of the angiotensin II AT2 receptor involved in growth inhibition (Nouet, JBC 279: 28989-97, 2004). The MTUS1 gene contains 17 coding exons distributed over 112 kb of genomic DNA. Alternative exon usage generates three major transcripts (ATIP1, ATIP3 and ATIP4), each showing different tissue distribution. ATIP polypeptides are identical in their carboxy-terminal region carrying four coiled-coil domains. In their amino-terminal portion, ATIP polypeptides exhibit distinct motifs for localisation in the cytosol, nucleus or cell membrane, suggesting that MTUS1 gene products may be involved in a variety of intracellular functions in an AT2-dependent and independent manner. ATIP1 is ubiquitous and highly expressed in the brain. ATIP3 is the major transcript in tissues (prostate, bladder, breast, ovary, colon) corresponding to cancer types with frequent loss of heterozygosity at 8p22. Interestingly, ATIP4 is a brain-specific transcript highly abundant in the cerebellum and fetal brain. High evolutionary conservation of ATIP amino-acid sequences suggests important biological roles for this new family of proteins in tumor suppression and/or brain function.

Mutation analysis of the 8p22 candidate tumor suppressor gene ATIP/MTUS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

A high frequency of allelic loss affecting chromosome 8p and a minimal region of deletion at p21-22 have been previously reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), suggesting that at least one tumor suppressor gene is present in this region. In this study, we assessed whether the angiotensin II AT2 receptor interacting protein (ATIP)/mitochondrial tumor suppressor gene (MTUS1), a gene newly identified at position 8p22, may be a candidate tumor suppressor gene mutated in HCC. We searched for alterations in the 17 coding exons of ATIP/MTUS1 by means of denaturating high-performance liquid chromatography and sequencing, in 51 HCC tumors and 58 cell lines for which loss of heterozygosity status was known. Five major nucleotide substitutions were identified, all located in exons used by the ATIP3 transcript which is the only ATIP transcript variant expressed in liver. These nucleotide variations result in amino-acid substitution or deletion of conserved structural motifs (nuclear localisation signal, polyproline motif, leucine zipper) and also affect exonic splicing enhancer motifs and physiological splice sites, suggesting potential deleterious effects on ATIP3 function and/or expression.

Signal transduction from the angiotensin II AT2 receptor.

Recent studies of genetically engineered animals have established a role for the angiotensin II (AT2) receptor in cardiovascular, renal and central functions, as well as in developmental processes. This review summarizes new insights into major AT2 signaling pathways--activation of protein phosphatases, the nitric oxide-cGMP system and phospholipase A2--which have been related to specific cellular responses or functions of this receptor.

Specific nonpeptide photoprobes as tools for the structural study of the angiotensin II AT(1) receptor.

The aim of this work was to obtain photoactivatable nonpeptide antagonists of the angiotensin II AT(1) receptor. Based on structure-function relationships, two chemical structures as well as appropriate synthetic schemes were chosen as a frame for the design of radiolabeled azido probes. The feasibility of the strategy was first assessed by the synthesis of two tritiated ligands 21 and 22 possessing a high affinity for the AT(1) receptor and a low nonspecific binding to membrane or cell preparations. We then prepared two unlabeled azido derivatives 7 and 14 which retained a fairly high affinity for the AT(1) receptor. The latter compound proved to be suitable for receptor irreversible labeling and was prepared in its tritiated form 28. This tritiated azido nonpeptide probe displayed a K(d) value of 11.8 nM and a low nonspecific binding. It was suitable for specific and efficient covalent labeling of the recombinant AT(1A) receptor stably expressed in CHO cells. The electrophoretic pattern of the specifically labeled entity was strictly identical to that of purified receptor photolabeled with a biotinylated peptidic photoactivatable probe. This new tool should be useful for the mapping of the nonpeptide receptor binding site. These potential applications are discussed in light of the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms of G-protein coupled receptor activation and inactivation.

Agonist-induced modulation of inverse agonist efficacy at the beta 2-adrenergic receptor.

Sustained stimulation of several G protein-coupled receptors is known to lead to a reduction in the signaling efficacy. This phenomenon, named agonist-induced desensitization, has been best studied for the beta 2-adrenergic receptor (AR) and is characterized by a decreased efficacy of beta-adrenergic agonists to stimulate the adenylyl cyclase activity. Recently, several beta-adrenergic ligands were found to inhibit the spontaneous agonist-independent activity of the beta 2AR. These compounds, termed inverse agonists, have different inhibitory efficacies, ranging from almost neutral antagonists to full inverse agonists. The current study was undertaken to determine whether, as is the case for agonists, desensitization can affect the efficacies of inverse agonists. Agonist-promoted desensitization of the human beta 2AR expressed in Sf9 cells potentiated the inhibitory actions of the inverse agonists, with the extent of the potentiation being inversely proportional to their intrinsic activity. For example, desensitization increased the inhibitory action of the weak inverse agonist labetalol by 29%, whereas inhibition of the spontaneous activity by the strong inverse agonist timolol was not enhanced by the desensitizing stimuli. Interestingly, dichloroisoproterenol acted stochastically as either a weak partial agonist or a weak inverse agonist in control conditions but always behaved as an inverse agonist after desensitization. These data demonstrate that like for agonists, the efficacies of inverse agonists can be modulated by a desensitizing treatment. Also, the data show that the initial state of the receptor can determine whether a ligand behaves as a partial agonist or an inverse agonist.

Properties of [3H]LF 7-0156, a new nonpeptide antagonist radioligand for the type 1 angiotensin II receptor.

LF 7-0156 (2-[[[2-butyl-1-[(4-carboxyphenyl)methyl]-1H-imidazol- 5-yl]methyl]amino]benzoic acid) is a nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist selective for the type 1 angiotensin receptor. In rabbit aortic rings, LF 7-0156 competitively antagonized angiotensin II-induced contractile responses, with a pA2 value of 8.44. The synthesis of the radiolabeled compound [3H]LF 7-0156 has allowed direct binding studies with several membrane or cell preparations. Consistent with competition experiments, the binding of [3H]LF 7-0156 to purified rat liver membranes was characterized by a Kd value of 12.6 nM and very low pseudospecific or nonspecific binding; this latter characteristic confers to this compound an advantage over the structurally different compound [3H]DuP 753, which is the only commercially available nonpeptide radioligand. [3H]LF 7-0156 also bound to the type 1A angiotensin receptor expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, with high affinity (Kd = 3.5 nM) and a total absence of nonspecific binding. Functional antagonism in this cell system was assessed by the ability of LF 7-0156 to reverse angiotensin II-induced inositol phosphate production. These properties make [3H]LF 7-0156 an interesting pharmacological tool and should allow future evaluation of recognition of the nonpeptide ligand by mutated receptors expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells; it will facilitate the analysis of possible differences in receptor amino acids involved in the binding of peptide and nonpeptide ligands, as well as the extent of spatial overlap between several nonpeptide antagonists displaying different structural properties.

Tyr292 in the seventh transmembrane domain of the AT1A angiotensin II receptor is essential for its coupling to phospholipase C.

An essential role of the conserved Asp74 in the coupling of the type 1 angiotensin II (AII) receptor (AT1) to phospholipase C has already been reported (Bihoreau, C., Monnot, C., Davies, E., Teutsch, B., Bernstein, K. B., Corvol, P., and Clauser, E. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 90, 5133-5137). Moreover, preliminary modeling studies have shown that a spatial proximity exists between Asp74, located in transmembrane domain II, and Tyr292, located in transmembrane domain VII and conserved in many, but not all, G protein-coupled receptors. We mutated Tyr292 into Phe and evaluated the pharmacological and activation characteristics of the mutated receptor (Y292F) stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. This receptor possessed unchanged binding properties for agonist or antagonist peptide ligands compared to the wild-type receptor, while its coupling to phospholipase C was severely impaired. Interestingly, competition binding experiments, using 125I-[Sar1]AII as a tracer ligand, showed that the Y292F receptor displayed an increased Ki value for DuP 753, an AT1-specific nonpeptide antagonist and a greatly decreased Ki value for the AT2-specific ligand CGP 42112A. These pharmacological changes are similar to those observed for the previously reported mutation of Asp74 into Asn. This apparently symmetrical role of Asp74 and Tyr292 is consistent with the hypothesis that an interaction between these two amino acids could be a key event in the molecular processes linking AII recognition and AT1 receptor activation.

Amino acids of the third transmembrane domain of the AT1A angiotensin II receptor are involved in the differential recognition of peptide and nonpeptide ligands.

The differential role of amino acids of the third transmembrane domain on peptide and nonpeptide recognition by the AT1 angiotensin II receptor has been evidenced. The mutation of Ser105 into alanine completely abolished peptide agonist and antagonist binding, while the binding of nonpeptide ligands, including the original radioligands [3H] LF 7-0156 and [3H] LF 8-0129, was more moderately affected. Reverse pharmacological changes, i.e., unchanged affinities for peptide agonists or antagonists and drastically reduced affinities for nonpeptide antagonists, were observed upon alanine replacement of Asn111. These results confirm that the binding sites for peptide and nonpeptide molecules are not totally overlapping and delineate new amino acids as candidates for the selective receptor interaction with the two categories of ligands. Their integration in topographical studies is discussed.