Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling

The CB<sub>1</sub> cannabinoid receptor (CB<sub>1</sub>R) contains one of the longest N termini among class A G protein-coupled receptors. Mutagenesis studies suggest that the allosteric binding site of cannabidiol (CBD) involves residues from the N terminal domain. In order...

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Main Authors: Jakub Jakowiecki, Renata Abel, Urszula Orzeł, Paweł Pasznik, Robert Preissner, Sławomir Filipek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/9/2456
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author Jakub Jakowiecki
Renata Abel
Urszula Orzeł
Paweł Pasznik
Robert Preissner
Sławomir Filipek
author_facet Jakub Jakowiecki
Renata Abel
Urszula Orzeł
Paweł Pasznik
Robert Preissner
Sławomir Filipek
author_sort Jakub Jakowiecki
collection DOAJ
description The CB<sub>1</sub> cannabinoid receptor (CB<sub>1</sub>R) contains one of the longest N termini among class A G protein-coupled receptors. Mutagenesis studies suggest that the allosteric binding site of cannabidiol (CBD) involves residues from the N terminal domain. In order to study the allosteric binding of CBD to CB<sub>1</sub>R we modeled the whole N-terminus of this receptor using the replica exchange molecular dynamics with solute tempering (REST2) approach. Then, the obtained structures of CB<sub>1</sub>R with the N terminus were used for ligand docking. A natural cannabinoid receptor agonist, Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC, was docked to the orthosteric site and a negative allosteric modulator, CBD, to the allosteric site positioned between extracellular ends of helices TM1 and TM2. The molecular dynamics simulations were then performed for CB<sub>1</sub>R with ligands: (i) CBD together with THC, and (ii) THC-only. Analyses of the differences in the residue-residue interaction patterns between those two cases allowed us to elucidate the allosteric network responsible for the modulation of the CB<sub>1</sub>R by CBD. In addition, we identified the changes in the orthosteric binding mode of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC, as well as the changes in its binding energy, caused by the CBD allosteric binding. We have also found that the presence of a complete N-terminal domain is essential for a stable binding of CBD in the allosteric site of CB<sub>1</sub>R as well as for the allosteric-orthosteric coupling mechanism.
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spelling doaj.art-007d1f4d20d541678928de7c3bdebe392023-11-21T16:47:19ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492021-04-01269245610.3390/molecules26092456Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric CouplingJakub Jakowiecki0Renata Abel1Urszula Orzeł2Paweł Pasznik3Robert Preissner4Sławomir Filipek5Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 02093 Warsaw, PolandStructural Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Physiology, Charité–University Medicine Berlin, 10115 Berlin, GermanyBiological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 02093 Warsaw, PolandBiological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 02093 Warsaw, PolandStructural Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Physiology, Charité–University Medicine Berlin, 10115 Berlin, GermanyBiological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 02093 Warsaw, PolandThe CB<sub>1</sub> cannabinoid receptor (CB<sub>1</sub>R) contains one of the longest N termini among class A G protein-coupled receptors. Mutagenesis studies suggest that the allosteric binding site of cannabidiol (CBD) involves residues from the N terminal domain. In order to study the allosteric binding of CBD to CB<sub>1</sub>R we modeled the whole N-terminus of this receptor using the replica exchange molecular dynamics with solute tempering (REST2) approach. Then, the obtained structures of CB<sub>1</sub>R with the N terminus were used for ligand docking. A natural cannabinoid receptor agonist, Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC, was docked to the orthosteric site and a negative allosteric modulator, CBD, to the allosteric site positioned between extracellular ends of helices TM1 and TM2. The molecular dynamics simulations were then performed for CB<sub>1</sub>R with ligands: (i) CBD together with THC, and (ii) THC-only. Analyses of the differences in the residue-residue interaction patterns between those two cases allowed us to elucidate the allosteric network responsible for the modulation of the CB<sub>1</sub>R by CBD. In addition, we identified the changes in the orthosteric binding mode of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC, as well as the changes in its binding energy, caused by the CBD allosteric binding. We have also found that the presence of a complete N-terminal domain is essential for a stable binding of CBD in the allosteric site of CB<sub>1</sub>R as well as for the allosteric-orthosteric coupling mechanism.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/9/2456CB1cannabinoid receptorGPCRsallosteric modulationCBDTHC
spellingShingle Jakub Jakowiecki
Renata Abel
Urszula Orzeł
Paweł Pasznik
Robert Preissner
Sławomir Filipek
Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling
Molecules
CB1
cannabinoid receptor
GPCRs
allosteric modulation
CBD
THC
title Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling
title_full Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling
title_fullStr Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling
title_full_unstemmed Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling
title_short Allosteric Modulation of the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor by Cannabidiol—A Molecular Modeling Study of the N-Terminal Domain and the Allosteric-Orthosteric Coupling
title_sort allosteric modulation of the cb1 cannabinoid receptor by cannabidiol a molecular modeling study of the n terminal domain and the allosteric orthosteric coupling
topic CB1
cannabinoid receptor
GPCRs
allosteric modulation
CBD
THC
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/9/2456
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