Structural basis for chemokine recognition and receptor activation of chemokine receptor CCR5.

Zhang, Hui; Chen, Kun; Tan, Qiuxiang; Shao, Qiang; Han, Shuo; Zhang, Chenhui; Yi, Cuiying; Chu, Xiaojing et al. · Nat Commun · 2021

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The chemokine receptor CCR5 plays a vital role in immune surveillance and inflammation. However, molecular details that govern its endogenous chemokine recognition and receptor activation remain elusive. Here we report three cryo-electron microscopy structures of G<sub>i1</sub> protein-coupled CCR5 in a ligand-free state and in complex with the chemokine MIP-1α or RANTES, as well as the crystal structure of MIP-1α-bound CCR5. These structures reveal distinct binding modes of the two chemokines and a specific accommodate pattern of the chemokine for the distal N terminus of CCR5. Together with functional data, the structures demonstrate that chemokine-induced rearrangement of toggle switch and plasticity of the receptor extracellular region are critical for receptor activation, while a conserved tryptophan residue in helix II acts as a trigger of receptor constitutive activation.

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