Imaging G protein-coupled receptors while quantifying their ligand-binding free-energy landscape

Nat Methods. 2015 Sep;12(9):845-851. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.3479. Epub 2015 Jul 13.

Abstract

Imaging native membrane receptors and testing how they interact with ligands is of fundamental interest in the life sciences but has proven remarkably difficult to accomplish. Here, we introduce an approach that uses force-distance curve-based atomic force microscopy to simultaneously image single native G protein-coupled receptors in membranes and quantify their dynamic binding strength to native and synthetic ligands. We measured kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for individual protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) molecules in the absence and presence of antagonists, and these measurements enabled us to describe PAR1's ligand-binding free-energy landscape with high accuracy. Our nanoscopic method opens an avenue to directly image and characterize ligand binding of native membrane receptors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Computer Simulation
  • Energy Transfer
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Ligands
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force / methods*
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptor, PAR-1 / chemistry*
  • Stress, Mechanical

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Receptor, PAR-1