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Updated: May 31, 2026

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors
Published on: June 8, 2022
Cryo-EM structures of GPR133 from basal organisms elucidate evolutionary conservation and divergence of its
Meng-Xin Wang1, Jin Wang2, Du-Xiao Yang1
1Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117, China.
Abstract:
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor GPR133 participates extensively in bone development, skeletal muscle function regulation, and the malignant progression of glioma. This receptor is activated through a Stachel sequence-dependent mechanism and mediates downstream Gs signaling. However, the evolutionary conservation of this activation mechanism and its structural basis remain unclear, particularly in basal organisms. Here, we show that GPR133 from the cephalochordate Branchiostoma lanceolatum and the mollusk Mytilus coruscus exhibits constitutive Gs signaling activity. We further determined the cryo-EM structures of Branchiostoma lanceolatum GPR133-Gs complex and Mytilus coruscus GPR133-Gs complexes at resolutions of 2.92 Å and 2.71 Å, respectively. Cross-species structural comparisons reveal differences in the Stachel binding pocket, overall conformation and Gs coupling interface, providing structural insights into the evolutionary conservation and diversification of Stachel-dependent activation in aGPCRs.
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