Tethered ligand library for discovery of peptide agonists

We exploited the mechanism underlying thrombin receptor activation to develop a novel screening method to identify peptide agonists. The thrombin receptor is activated by limited proteolysis of its amino-terminal exodomain. Thrombin cleaves this domain to unmask a new amino terminus, which then functions as a tethered peptide agonist, binding intramolecularly to the body of the receptor to trigger signaling. The thrombin receptor's amino-terminal exodomain can also donate the tethered agonist intermolecularly to activate nearby thrombin receptors. We utilized this ability by co-expressing a "tethered ligand library," which displayed the thrombin receptor's amino-terminal exodomain bearing random pentapeptides in place of the native tethered ligand together with target receptors in Xenopus oocytes. Clones that conferred thrombin-dependent signaling by intermolecular ligation of the target receptor were isolated by sib selection. Agonists for the thrombin receptor itself (GFIYF) and for the formyl peptide receptor (MMWLL) were identified. Surprisingly, the latter agonist was quite active at the formyl peptide receptor even without N-formylation, and its formylated form, fMMWLL, was more potent than the classical formyl peptide receptor agonist fMLF. In addition to identifying novel peptide agonists for targets of pharmacological interest, this method might be used to discover agonists for orphan receptors. It also suggests a possible evolutionary path from peptide to protease-activated receptors.