The long-term goal of this project is to understand how prostanoid receptors mediate human physiopathological vascular and hemodynamic processes, including hemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation. Prostanoids, including thromboxane A2 (TXA2), prostacyclin 12 (PGI2) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), E2 (PGE2) and F2 (PGF2) are synthesized by vascular smooth muscle, endothelium, and other tissues. TXA2 is a potent stimulator of platelet aggregation and a smooth muscle constrictor. PGI2 actions are essentially opposite to those of TXA2. PGE2 plays diverse/opposite functions as a vasodilator or vasoconstrictor based on the mediations of the subtype receptors. TXA2 and PGI2 are also mediated by their receptors. All the receptors belong to the G protein-coupled receptor family, with seven transmembrane domains, and are coupled to different signaling. The structure and function relationships of the TXA2 receptor (TP), the PGI2 receptor (IP) and four subtype PGE2 receptors (EP) are poorly defined, with little structural information on how the prostanoids recognize their receptors and signaling through G proteins specifically. The diverse receptor-mediated actions of TXA2, PGI2, and PGE2 have led us to hypothesize that the receptors have distinct 3D structures in their extracellular ligand recognition sites, and in their intracellular G protein-coupled sites. Recently, we have partially characterized the ligand-binding pockets in the extracellular domains, and parts of the intracellular G protein coupling domains of the TP and IP receptors. Further characterization of the specific ligand recognition and G protein coupling sites of the TP, IP, and a typical EP receptor should reveal their differences. The following specific aims will use recombinant receptor mutants, synthetic peptides, circular dichroism and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to: 1. Identify the segments and key residues comprising the TP receptor agonist recognition pocket for comparison with the antagonist recognition pocket; 2. Determine the solution conformation of the extracellular domains of the IP receptor and define the segments and key residues making up the ligand recognition pocket; 3. Determine the solution conformation of the extracellular domains in the human EP3 receptor, and identify the residues making up its specific ligand recognition pocket for comparison with those of the TP and IP receptors; 4. Determine the solution conformation of segments comprising the intracellular domains.
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