Contribution of ligand structure to activation of alpha 2-adrenergic receptor subtype coupling to Gs

Recently, we have demonstrated that alpha 2-adrenergic receptors (alpha 2AR) functionally couple not only to Gi but also to Gs. This alpha 2AR-Gs coupling was subtype selective, in that the degree of alpha 2AR-Gs (but not -Gi) coupling was different between alpha 2AR subtypes. It is not known whether the determinants of this subtype selectively are found within the ligand-binding region of the receptor or within the intracellular G protein-coupling domains of the individual subtypes. We therefore expressed the three cloned human alpha 2AR (alpha 2C10, alpha 2C4, and alpha 2C2) in Chinese hamster ovary cells and studied the contribution of the ligand-binding domain to functional Gi versus Gs coupling, by determining the ability of various agonists (catecholamines, imidazolines, and azepines) to elicit alpha 2AR-mediated inhibition and stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity. Isolation of Gi and Gs responses was accomplished by incubating cells with cholera or pertussis toxin, respectively. Although each compound was found to be a full agonist for alpha 2AR-Gi coupling, the efficacy of these agonists to elicit alpha 2AR-Gs coupling was markedly different, not only among drugs but also among the three alpha 2AR subtypes. The most notable differences occurred with the imidazoline agonists. Specifically, oxymetazoline stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity 210 +/- 17% for alpha 2C2 and 22 +/- 2.6% for alpha 2C10 and displayed no stimulation for alpha 2C4. UK-14304 stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity 240 +/- 16% for alpha 2C10, 160 +/- 14% for alpha 2C4, and 86 +/- 9% for alpha 2C2. Overall, the rank order of efficacy of these agonists to elicit stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity by alpha 2C10 was epinephrine = norepinephrine = UK-14304 > BHT-933 > BHT-920 > oxymetazoline. For alpha 2C4 the rank was epinephrine = norepinephrine = UK-14304, with oxymetazoline, BHT-920, and BHT-933 not eliciting any stimulation. For alpha 2C2 the rank was epinephrine = norepinephrine > oxymetazoline > UK-14304 = BHT-920 > BHT-933. Thus, the coupling of alpha 2AR subtypes to Gs occurs with endogenous catecholamines as well as multiple synthetic agonists, and the degree of Gs coupling is highly dependent on the structure of the agonist. Also, compounds that act as full agonists for Gi coupling are not necessarily full agonists for Gs coupling.