资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

The beta(1)-adrenoceptor (beta(1)AR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that couples(1)to the heterotrimeric G protein G(s). G-protein-mediated signalling is terminated by phosphorylation of the C terminus of the receptor by GPCR kinases (GRKs) and by coupling of beta-arrestin 1 (beta arr1, also known as arrestin 2), which displaces G(s)and induces signalling through the MAP kinase pathway(2). The ability of synthetic agonists to induce signalling preferentially through either G proteins or arrestins-known as biased agonism(3)-is important in drug development, because the therapeutic effect may arise from only one signalling cascade, whereas the other pathway may mediate undesirable side effects(4). To understand the molecular basis for arrestin coupling, here we determined the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the beta(1)AR-beta arr1 complex in lipid nanodiscs bound to the biased agonist formoterol(5), and the crystal structure of formoterol-bound beta(1)AR coupled to the G-protein-mimetic nanobody(6)Nb80. beta arr1 couples to beta(1)AR in a manner distinct to that(7)of G(s)coupling to beta(2)AR-the finger loop of beta arr1 occupies a narrower cleft on the intracellular surface, and is closer to transmembrane helix H7 of the receptor when compared with the C-terminal alpha 5 helix of G(s). The conformation of the finger loop in beta arr1 is different from that adopted by the finger loop of visual arrestin when it couples to rhodopsin(8). beta(1)AR coupled to beta arr1 shows considerable differences in structure compared with beta(1)AR coupled to Nb80, including an inward movement of extracellular loop 3 and the cytoplasmic ends of H5 and H6. We observe weakened interactions between formoterol and two serine residues in H5 at the orthosteric binding site of beta(1)AR, and find that formoterol has a lower affinity for the beta(1)AR-beta arr1 complex than for the beta(1)AR-G(s)complex. The structural differences between these complexes of beta(1)AR provide a foundation for the design of small molecules that could bias signalling in the beta-adrenoceptors.

A cryo-electron microscopy structure of the beta 1-adrenoceptor coupled to beta-arrestin 1 and activated by the biased agonist formoterol, as well as the crystal structure of a related formoterol-bound adrenoreceptor, provide insights into biased signalling in these systems.

Macrophages are the first cells of the nascent immune system to emerge during embryonic development. In mice, embryonic macrophages infiltrate developing organs, where they differentiate symbiotically into tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs)(1). However, our understanding of the origins and specialization of macrophages in human embryos is limited. Here we isolated CD45(+) haematopoietic cells from human embryos at Carnegie stages 11 to 23 and subjected them to transcriptomic profiling by single-cell RNA sequencing, followed by functional characterization of a population of CD45(+)CD34(+)CD44(+) yolk sac-derived myeloid-biased progenitors (YSMPs) by single-cell culture. We also mapped macrophage heterogeneity across multiple anatomical sites and identified diverse subsets, including various types of embryonic TRM (in the head, liver, lung and skin). We further traced the specification trajectories of TRMs from either yolk sac-derived primitive macrophages or YSMP-derived embryonic liver monocytes using both transcriptomic and developmental staging information, with a focus on microglia. Finally, we evaluated the molecular similarities between embryonic TRMs and their adult counterparts. Our data represent a comprehensive characterization of the spatiotemporal dynamics of early macrophage development during human embryogenesis, providing a reference for future studies of the development and function of human TRMs.

Single-cell RNA sequencing of haematopoietic cells from human embryos at different developmental stages sheds light on the development and specification of macrophages in different tissues.

Cohesin catalyses the folding of the genome into loops that are anchored by CTCF1. The molecular mechanism of how cohesin and CTCF structure the 3D genome has remained unclear. Here we show that a segment within the CTCF N terminus interacts with the SA2-SCC1 subunits of human cohesin. We report a crystal structure of SA2-SCC1 in complex with CTCF at a resolution of 2.7 angstrom, which reveals the molecular basis of the interaction. We demonstrate that this interaction is specifically required for CTCF-anchored loops and contributes to the positioning of cohesin at CTCF binding sites. A similar motif is present in a number of established and newly identified cohesin ligands, including the cohesin release factor WAPL(2,3). Our data suggest that CTCF enables the formation of chromatin loops by protecting cohesin against loop release. These results provide fundamental insights into the molecular mechanism that enables the dynamic regulation of chromatin folding by cohesin and CTCF.

The crystal structure of the SA2-SCC1 subunits of human cohesin in complex with CTCF reveals the molecular basis of the cohesin-CTCF interaction that enables the dynamic regulation of chromatin folding.