RESUMO
Secreted class 3 semaphorins (Sema3s) form tripartite complexes with the plexin receptor and neuropilin coreceptor, which are both transmembrane proteins that together mediate semaphorin signal for neuronal axon guidance and other processes. Despite extensive investigations, the overall architecture of and the molecular interactions in the Sema3/plexin/neuropilin complex are incompletely understood. Here we present the cryo-EM structure of a near intact extracellular region complex of Sema3A, PlexinA4 and Neuropilin 1 (Nrp1) at 3.7 Å resolution. The structure shows a large symmetric 2:2:2 assembly in which each subunit makes multiple interactions with others. The two PlexinA4 molecules in the complex do not interact directly, but their membrane proximal regions are close to each other and poised to promote the formation of the intracellular active dimer for signaling. The structure reveals a previously unknown interface between the a2b1b2 module in Nrp1 and the Sema domain of Sema3A. This interaction places the a2b1b2 module at the top of the complex, far away from the plasma membrane where the transmembrane regions of Nrp1 and PlexinA4 embed. As a result, the region following the a2b1b2 module in Nrp1 must span a large distance to allow the connection to the transmembrane region, suggesting an essential role for the long non-conserved linkers and the MAM domain in neuropilin in the semaphorin/plexin/neuropilin complex.
Assuntos
Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/ultraestrutura , Neuropilina-1/ultraestrutura , Receptores de Superfície Celular/ultraestrutura , Semaforina-3A/ultraestrutura , Animais , Células COS , Chlorocebus aethiops , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Mutação , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/genética , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/isolamento & purificação , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Neuropilina-1/genética , Neuropilina-1/isolamento & purificação , Neuropilina-1/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica/genética , Domínios Proteicos/genética , Multimerização Proteica/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/isolamento & purificação , Receptores de Superfície Celular/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/isolamento & purificação , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/ultraestrutura , Semaforina-3A/genética , Semaforina-3A/isolamento & purificação , Semaforina-3A/metabolismoRESUMO
We report the molecular design and synthesis of EG00229, 2, the first small molecule ligand for the VEGF-A receptor neuropilin 1 (NRP1) and the structural characterization of NRP1-ligand complexes by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Mutagenesis studies localized VEGF-A binding in the NRP1 b1 domain and a peptide fragment of VEGF-A was shown to bind at the same site by NMR, providing the basis for small molecule design. Compound 2 demonstrated inhibition of VEGF-A binding to NRP1 and attenuated VEGFR2 phosphorylation in endothelial cells. Inhibition of migration of endothelial cells was also observed. The viability of A549 lung carcinoma cells was reduced by 2, and it increased the potency of the cytotoxic agents paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil when given in combination. These studies provide the basis for design of specific small molecule inhibitors of ligand binding to NRP1.