Molecular basis of partial agonism: Orientation of indoleamine ligands in the binding pocket of the human serotonin 5-HT2A receptor determines relative efficacy

Based on experiment and computational simulation, we present a structural explanation for the differing efficacies of indole agonists at the human serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5HT2AR). We find that serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] forms hydrogen-bonds with Ser3.36 in helix 3 and Ser5.46 in helix 5. Disruption of these hydrogen bonds by methyl-substitution of the cationic primary amine or of the backbone N1-amine, respectively, leads to a reduction in agonist efficacy. Computational simulation predicts that mutation of Ser3.36 to Ala should allow a similar interaction with helix 3 both for agonists that have unmodified cationic amine side chains and for those with substituted amines. Experimentally, this mutation was found to largely eliminate the differences in efficacy caused by cationic amine substitution for a series of indole congeners. Similarly, substitution of the N1-amine, which interacts with Ser5.46, reduced efficacy more markedly at the wildtype (WT) than at the Ser5.46Ala mutant receptor. Computational modeling of binding pocket interactions of ligands with WT and mutant receptor constructs demonstrate how the Ser3.36 and Ser5.46 interactions serve to modify the agonist's favored position in the binding pocket. A striking correlation was found between differences in the position assumed by the indole ring and differences in agonist activity. These data support the hypothesis that the position of the agonist interacting with the receptor is influenced by specific interactions in helices 3 and 5 and determines the degree of receptor activation by agonist through a mechanism that is likely to be shared by other G-protein coupled receptors in this class.