Project B01 – Molecular mechanisms of allosteric modulators at Y-receptors
This projects aims to identify the binding and activation mode of the peptide ligands pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and neuropeptide Y to the human Y receptors in the presence and absence of small molecule modulators. In the first funding period, we identified positive and negative allosteric modulators (PAMs,NAMs) at the Y4R, and identified relevant residues for the cryo-EM structure of Y1R, Y2R and Y4R. The fundamental structural insights from the cryo-EM will allow us now to characterize the different conformational states of YR in the presence of PAMs and NAMs and to develop rational concepts to understand and specifically design potent and selective allosteric modulators for other YR by using chimeric receptors, mutagenesis, binding, signalling and trafficking assays.
This projects aims to identify the binding and activation mode of the peptide pancreatic polypeptide (PP) to the human Y4 receptor in the presence and absence of small molecule modulators. We will generate Y4R/Y1R chimeras to identify the binding region and will combine mutagenesis with 3D models of Y-receptors for the design of single mutants. Furthermore, by cell-free expression of the receptor, followed by photo-crosslinking of chemically modified peptides in combination with mass spectrometry the dynamics will be analyzed. As these compounds display high affinity at the same receptor, but differ in their activity, they will allow us to identify receptor residues involved in the different activities and finally to characterize different receptor states.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger (Project Leader)
Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Biochemistry
Brüderstrasse 34, D-04103 Leipzig
Phone +49 341 97 36 900
E-Mail
Web uni-leipzig.de/agbs/
Corinna Schüss (Post Doc)
Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Biochemistry
Brüderstrasse 34, D-04103 Leipzig
Lisa Peuker (PhD Student)
Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Biochemistry
Brüderstrasse 34, D-04103 Leipzig
Hannah Lentschat (PhD Student)
Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Biochemistry
Brüderstrasse 34, D-04103 Leipzig
Tim Pelczyk (PhD Student)
Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Biochemistry
Brüderstrasse 34, D-04103 Leipzig
Manuel Troll (PhD Student, associated)
Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Biochemistry
Brüderstrasse 34, D-04103 Leipzig
Resources
Unit Center Mass Spectrometry (>> Link)
- Bruker Daltonics Microflex MALDI-ToF Massenspektrometer
- Bruker Daltonics Ultraflex III MALDI-ToF/ToF
- Bruker Daltonics Esquire HCT
- Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Elite
Publications
Lentschat H, Liessmann F, Tydings C, Schermeng T, Stichel J, Urban N, Schaefer M, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG. Hederagenin is a Highly Selective Antagonist of the Neuropeptide FF Receptor 1 that Reveals Mechanisms for Subtype Selectivity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2025 Feb 3;64(6):e202417786. doi: 10.1002/anie.202417786. Epub 2024 Dec 9. PMID: 39641914.
Schermeng T, Fürll A, Liessmann F, von Bredow L, Stichel J, Weaver CD, Tretbar M, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG. Similar Binding Mode of a 5-Sulfonylthiouracil Derivative Antagonist at Chemerin Receptors CMKLR1 and GPR1. J Med Chem. 2025 May 16. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c00135. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40377914.
Lentschat H, Liessmann F, Tydings C, Schermeng T, Stichel J, Urban N, Schaefer M, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG. Hederagenin is a Highly Selective Antagonist of the Neuropeptide FF Receptor 1 that Reveals Mechanisms for Subtype Selectivity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 Dec 6:e202417786. doi: 10.1002/anie.202417786. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39641914.
Schermeng T, Liessmann F, Katharina Ambrosius C, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG. Binding Mode of Cyclic Chemerin-9 Peptide and ChemerinS157 Protein at CMKLR1. Chembiochem. 2024 Oct 18:e202400695. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202400695. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39424605.
Schüß C, Behr V, Beck-Sickinger AG. Illuminating the neuropeptide Y4 receptor and its ligand pancreatic polypeptide from a structural, functional, and therapeutic perspective. Neuropeptides. 2024 Feb 24;105:102416. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2024.102416 .
Schüß C, Vu O, Mishra NM, Tough IR, Du Y, Stichel J, Cox HM, Weaver CD, Meiler J, Emmitte KA, Beck-Sickinger AG. Structure-Activity Relationship Study of the High-Affinity Neuropeptide Y4 Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator VU0506013. J Med Chem. 2023 Jul 13;66(13):8745-8766.
Zhang X, Weiß T, Cheng MH, Chen S, Ambrosius CK, Czerniak AS, Li K, Feng M, Bahar I, Beck-Sickinger AG, Zhang C. Structural basis of G protein-Coupled receptor CMKLR1 activation and signaling induced by a chemerin-derived agonist. PLoS Biol. 2023 Dec 6;21(12):e3002188.
Rudolf S, Kaempf K, Vu O, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG, Coin I. Binding of Natural Peptide Ligands to the Neuropeptide Y5 Receptor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022 Jan 26;61(5):e202108738. doi: 10.1002/anie.202108738 . PMID:34822209.
Tang T, Tan Q, Han S, Diemar A, Löbner K, Wang H, Schüß C, Behr V, Mörl K, Wang M, Chu X, Yi C, Keller M, Kofoed J, Reedtz-Runge S, Kaiser A, Beck-Sickinger AG, Zhao Q, Wu B. Receptor-specific recognition of NPY peptides revealed by structures of NPY receptors. Sci Adv. 2022 May 6;8(18):eabm1232. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abm1232. Epub 2022 May 4. PMID: 35507650; PMCID: PMC9067930.
Işbilir A, Serfling R, Möller J, Thomas R, De Faveri C, Zabel U, Scarselli M, Beck-Sickinger AG, Bock A, Coin I, Lohse MJ, Annibale P. Determination of G-protein–coupled receptor oligomerization by molecular brightness analyses in single cells. Nat Protoc. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-020-00458-1.
Tang T, Hartig C, Chen Q, Zhao W, Kaiser A, Zhang X, Zhang H, Qu H, Yi C, Ma L, Han S, Zhao Q, Beck-Sickinger AG, Wu B. Structural basis for ligand recognition of the neuropeptide Y Y2 receptor. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 2;12(1):737. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21030-9. PMID: 33531491; PMCID: PMC7854658.
Schüß C, Vu O, Schubert M, Du Y, Mishra NM, Tough IR, Stichel J, Weaver CD, Emmitte KA, Cox HM, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG. Highly selective Y4 receptor antagonist binds in an allosteric binding pocket. J Med Chem. 2021; 64:2801-2814.
Wanka L, Behr V, Beck-Sickinger AG. Arrestin-dependent internalization of rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors. Biol Chem. 2021 May 26. doi: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0128. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34036761.
Wolf P, Mohr A, Gavins G, Behr V, Mörl K, Seitz O, Beck-Sickinger AG. Orthogonal Peptide-Templated Labeling Elucidates Lateral ETA R/ETB R Proximity and Reveals Altered Downstream Signaling. Chembiochem. 2021 Oct 26. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202100340 . Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34699123.
Ziffert I, Kaiser A, Hoppenz P, Mörl K, Beck-Sickinger AG. Shuttling of peptide-drug conjugates by G protein-coupled receptors is significantly improved by pulsed application. ChemMedChem. 2021; 16:164-178.
Kaiser A, Wanka L, Ziffert I, Beck-Sickinger AG. Biased agonists at the human Y(1) receptor lead to prolonged membrane residency and extended receptor G protein interaction. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2020; 77:4675-4691.
Ziffert I, Kaiser A, Babilon S, Mörl K, Beck-Sickinger AG. Unusually persistent Gαi-signaling of the neuropeptide Y2 receptor depletes cellular Gi/o pools and leads to a Gi-refractory state. Cell Commun Signal. 2020; 18:49.
Kögler LM, Stichel J, Kaiser A, Beck-Sickinger AG. Cell-Free Expression and Photo-Crosslinking of the Human Neuropeptide Y2 Receptor. Front Pharmacol. 2019; 10:176.
Yang Z*, Han S*, Keller M*, Kaiser A*, Bender BJ*, Bosse M, Burkert K, Kögler LM, Wifling D, Bernhardt G, Plank N, Littmann T, Schmidt P, Yi C, Li B, Ye S, Zhang R, Xu B, Larhammar D, Stevens RC, Huster D, Meiler J, Zhao Q, Beck-Sickinger AG#, Buschauer A, Wu B#. Structural basis of ligand binding modes of neuropeptide Y Y1. Nature. 2018; 556:520-4.
Kaiser A, Hempel C, Wanka L, Schubert M, Hamm HE, Beck-Sickinger AG. G Protein Preassembly Rescues Efficacy of W(6.48) Toggle Mutations in Neuropeptide Y(2) Receptor. Mol Pharmacol. 2018; 93:387-401.
Wanka L, Babilon S, Kaiser A, Mörl K, Beck-Sickinger AG. Different mode of arrestin-3 binding at the human Y(1) and Y(2) receptor. Cell Signal. 2018; 50:58-71.
Schubert M, Stichel J, Du Y, Tough IR, Sliwoski G, Meiler J, Cox HM, Weaver CD, Beck-Sickinger AG. Identification and Characterization of the First Selective Y(4) Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator. J Med Chem. 2017; 60:7605-12.
Burkert K*, Zellmann T*, Meier R, Kaiser A, Stichel J, Meiler J, Mittapalli GK, Roberts E, Beck-Sickinger AG. A Deep Hydrophobic Binding Cavity is the Main Interaction for Different Y(2) R Antagonists. ChemMedChem. 2017; 12:75-85.
Wanka L, Babilon S, Burkert K, Mörl K, Gurevich VV, Beck-Sickinger AG. C-Terminal motif of human neuropeptide Y(4) receptor determines internalization and arrestin recruitment. Cell Signal. 2017; 29:233-9.
Thieme V, Jolly N, Madsen AN, Bellmann-Sickert K, Schwartz TW, Holst B, Cox HM, Beck-Sickinger AG. High molecular weight PEGylation of human pancreatic polypeptide at position 22 improves stability and reduces food intake in mice. Br J Pharmacol. 2016; 173:3208-21.
Sliwoski G*, Schubert M*, Stichel J, Weaver D, Beck-Sickinger AG, Meiler J. Discovery of Small-Molecule Modulators of the Human Y4. PLoS One. 2016; 11:e0157146.
Mäde V, Babilon S, Jolly N, Wanka L, Bellmann-Sickert K, Diaz Gimenez LE, Mörl K, Cox HM, Gurevich VV, Beck-Sickinger AG. Peptide modifications differentially alter G protein-coupled receptor internalization and signaling bias. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014; 53:10067.
Pedragosa-Badia X, Sliwoski GR, Dong Nguyen E, Lindner D, Stichel J, Kaufmann KW, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG. Pancreatic polypeptide is recognized by two hydrophobic domains of the human Y4 receptor binding pocket. J Biol Chem. 2014; 289:5846-59.
