Crystal Structure of a Multi-Domain Human Smoothened Receptor in Complex With a Super Stabilizing Ligand
The Smoothened receptor (SMO) belongs to the Class Frizzled of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, constituting a key component of the Hedgehog signalling pathway. Here we report the crystal structure of the multi-domain human SMO, bound and stabilized by a designed tool ligand TC114, using an X-ray free-electron laser source at 2.9 Å. The structure reveals a precise arrangement of three distinct domains: a seven-transmembrane helices domain (TMD), a hinge domain (HD) and an intact extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD). This architecture enables allosteric interactions between the domains that are important for ligand recognition and receptor activation. By combining the structural data, molecular dynamics simulation, and hydrogen-deuterium-exchange analysis, we demonstrate that transmembrane helix VI, extracellular loop 3 and the HD play a central role in transmitting the signal employing a unique GPCR activation mechanism, distinct from other multi-domain GPCRs.
- Author (aut): Zhang, Xianjun
- Author (aut): Zhao, Fei
- Author (aut): Wu, Yiran
- Author (aut): Yang, Jun
- Author (aut): Han, Gye Won
- Author (aut): Zhao, Suwen
- Author (aut): Ishchenko, Andrii
- Author (aut): Ye, Lintao
- Author (aut): Lin, Xi
- Author (aut): Ding, Kang
- Author (aut): Dharmarajan, Venkatasubramaniam
- Author (aut): Griffin, Patrick R.
- Author (aut): Gati, Cornelius
- Author (aut): Nelson, Garrett
- Author (aut): Hunter, Mark S.
- Author (aut): Hanson, Michael A.
- Author (aut): Cherezov, Vadim
- Author (aut): Stevens, Raymond C.
- Author (aut): Tan, Wenfu
- Author (aut): Tao, Houchao
- Author (aut): Xu, Fei
- Contributor (ctb): College of Liberal Arts and Sciences