Molecular Determinant Underlying Selective Coupling of Primary G‐Protein by Class A GPCRs

Abstract

G‐protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) transmit downstream signals predominantly via G‐protein pathways. However, the conformational basis of selective coupling of primary G‐protein remains elusive. Histamine receptors H2R and H3R couple with Gs‐ or Gi‐proteins respectively. Here, three cryo‐EM structures of H2R‐Gs and H3R‐Gi complexes are presented at a global resolution of 2.6‐2.7 Å. These structures reveal the unique binding pose for endogenous histamine in H3R, wherein the amino group interacts with E2065.46 of H3R instead of the conserved D1143.32 of other aminergic receptors. Furthermore, comparative analysis of the H2R‐Gs and H3R‐Gi complexes reveals that the structural geometry of TM5/TM6 determines the primary G‐protein selectivity in histamine receptors. Machine learning (ML)‐based structuromic profiling and functional analysis of class A GPCR–G‐protein complexes illustrate that TM5 length, TM5 tilt, and TM6 outward movement are key determinants of the Gs and Gi/o selectivity among the whole Class A family. Collectively, the findings uncover the common structural geometry within class A GPCRs that determines the primary Gs‐ and Gi/o‐coupling selectivity.