Collective and Coordinated Conformational Changes Determine Agonism or Antagonism at the Human Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1

Abstract

The human trace amine-associated receptor (hTAAR1), a G protein-coupled receptor, has been postulated as a new target in the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions. The mechanism associated with activation or inactivation by agonists or antagonists in hTAAR1 and other GPCRs has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we combined computational methods including homology modeling, docking, and molecular dynamic simulations to reveal novel conformational changes associated with agonist and antagonist interactions in hTAAR1. Our findings suggest a differential cascade of coordinated movements based on the presence of either an agonist or antagonist and primarily involving the second extracellular loop, transmembrane domain 5, and the third intracellular domains of hTAAR1. Our study provides an opportunity to predict the effects on new ligands with agonistic or antagonistic activity at hTAAR1 based on the reported conformational changes.