Dynamics and structural communication in the ternary complex of fully phosphorylated V2 vasopressin receptor, vasopressin, and β-arrestin 1.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are critically regulated by arrestins, which not only desensitize G-protein signaling but also initiate a G protein-independent wave of signaling. The information from structure determination was herein exploited to build a structural model of the ternary complex, comprising fully phosphorylated V2 vasopressin receptor (V2R), the agonist arginine vasopressin (AVP), and β-arrestin 1 (β-arr1). Molecular simulations served to explore dynamics and structural communication in the ternary complex. Flexibility and mechanical profiles reflect fold of V2R and β-arr1. Highly conserved amino acids tend to behave as hubs in the structure network and contribute the most to the mechanical rigidity of V2R seven-helix bundle and of β-arr1. Two structurally and dynamically distinct receptor-arrestin interfaces assist the twist of the N- and C-terminal domains (ND and CD, respectively) of β-arr1 with respect to each other, which is linked to arrestin activation. While motion of the ND is essentially assisted by the fully phosphorylated C-tail of V2R (V2RCt), that of CD is assisted by the second and third intracellular loops and the cytosolic extensions of helices 5 and 6. In the presence of the receptor, the β-arr1 inter-domain twist angle correlates with the modes describing the essential subspace of the ternary complex. β-arr1 motions are also influenced by the anchoring to the membrane of the C-edge-loops in the β-arr1-CD. Overall fluctuations reveal a coupling between motions of the agonist binding site and of β-arr1-ND, which are in allosteric communication between each other. Mechanical rigidity points, often acting as hubs in the structure network and distributed along the main axis of the receptor helix bundle, contribute to establish a preferential communication pathway between agonist ligand and the ND of arrestin. Such communication, mediated by highly conserved amino acids, involves also the first amino acid in the arrestin C-tail, which is highly dynamic and is involved in clathrin-mediated GPCR internalization.

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