Transmembrane helix 7 of the endothelin B receptor regulates downstream signaling

Endothelin is a 21-amino acid peptide with a striking diversity of important biological responses, including, vasoconstriction, bronchoconstriction, and mitogenesis. Endothelin-1 binding to the endothelin B receptor (ETB), a member of the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors, was associated with catalytic activation of the extracellular-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) and stimulation of AP-1 transcriptional reporter activity. A panel of single point mutations in transmembrane helix 6 (TM6), intracellular loop 3, and transmembrane helix 7 (TM7) were developed to study the structural requirements for ETB activation. Point mutations within highly conserved regions of TM6 and intracellular loop 3 were without effect on agonist-stimulated ERK activation. However, mutations within TM7 of the ETB significantly impacted ligand-stimulated downstream signaling. For example, nine point mutations within TM7 of the ETB were identified that prevented endothelin-stimulated ERK activation. Interestingly, the TM7 mutants fell into two classes; several exhibited greatly decreased AP-1 activity, relative to wild type ETB, whereas others displayed augmented endothelin-stimulated AP-1 transcriptional activity relative to wild type ETB. Our results suggest that TM7 of the ETB is involved in its activation mechanism and regulates agonist-stimulated ERK activation.