WNT stimulation induces dynamic conformational changes in the Frizzled-Dishevelled interaction

Sci Signal. 2023 Apr 4;16(779):eabo4974. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.abo4974. Epub 2023 Apr 4.

Abstract

Frizzleds (FZDs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind to WNT family ligands. FZDs signal through multiple effector proteins, including Dishevelled (DVL), which acts as a hub for several downstream signaling pathways. To understand how WNT binding to FZD stimulates intracellular signaling and influences downstream pathway selectivity, we investigated the dynamic changes in the FZD5-DVL2 interaction elicited by WNT-3A and WNT-5A. Ligand-induced changes in bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) between FZD5 and DVL2 or the isolated FZD-binding DEP domain of DVL2 revealed a composite response consisting of both DVL2 recruitment and conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex. The combination of different BRET paradigms enabled us to identify ligand-dependent conformational dynamics in the FZD5-DVL2 complex and distinguish them from ligand-induced recruitment of DVL2 or DEP to FZD5. The observed agonist-induced conformational changes at the receptor-transducer interface suggest that extracellular agonist and intracellular transducers cooperate through transmembrane allosteric interaction with FZDs in a ternary complex reminiscent of that of classical GPCRs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Dishevelled Proteins / metabolism
  • Frizzled Receptors* / metabolism
  • Ligands
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway

Substances

  • Frizzled Receptors
  • Ligands
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins