G protein-coupled receptors represent the largest and most diverse superfamily of transmembrane receptors and mediate the effects of a wide variety of extracellular stimuli. It is now well established that, like single transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors (2), these heptahelical receptors can form oligomeric complexes in the plasma membrane (3-13). Evidence for this includes biochemical, biophysical, and functional data (3, 6, 7). In addition to homodimerization, heterodimerization can occur with some structurally related receptors in this superfamily (8 -10, 12). This has been implicated in the effects on ligand binding and acute effects on cellular signaling (8,9,12). Formation of heterodimers of nonfunctional B1 and B2 ␥-aminobutyric acid receptors have been shown to be necessary for binding and complete functional activity of native ligands (10). Dimeric complexes of fully functional opioid receptors have been shown to alter their selectivity, displaying decreased affinities for highly selective agonists and enhanced affinities for nonselective agonists (9). Dimerization between somatostatin receptors has also been found to alter the pharmacology and signaling of individual receptors (12). However, little is known about the relevance of receptor dimerization to longer term effects, such as cell growth.Gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) 1 are gastrointestinal and neuronal peptides with important regulatory roles in the digestive tract and nervous system, including both acute and more chronic trophic effects (14 -16). These functions are mediated by two receptors, the type A and type B CCK receptors, both belonging to the class I family of G protein-coupled receptors and exhibiting 48% structural homology with each other (17, 18). These two receptors can be distinguished on the basis of their structural specificity, with both recognizing gastrin and CCK but with each having markedly distinct sensitivities to the state of tyrosine sulfation of those peptides.Although additional subtypes of CCK receptors have been predicted to exist, based on the complexity of the pharmacology and physiology of gastrin and CCK in vivo, only these two CCK receptor cDNAs have thus far been identified. It is possible that receptor oligomerization contributes to the pharmacology that has been observed and may even play a role in cell growth. We recently utilized bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and immunoprecipitation to demonstrate that type A CCK receptors can exist as homodimers in living cells, with these complexes dissociated by agonist binding (1). To date there have been no reports of the ability of type B CCK receptors to dimerize or the possibility of the type A and B CCK receptors to form heterodimeric complexes.Indeed, using the same biophysical techniques, our current study demonstrated homodimerization of type B CCK receptors, as well as heterodimerization of this receptor with type A CCK receptors when co-expressed in cells. Of note, unlike the type A receptors (1), oligomerization of the type B CCK r...