Inactivation of the human P2Y12 receptor by thiol reagents requires interaction with both extracellular cysteine residues, Cys17 and Cys270

Abstract

Abstract Human platelets express 2 G protein–coupled nucleotide receptors: the platelet adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor coupled to stimulation of phospholipase C (P2Y1) via heterotrimeric guanosine 5-triphosphate (GTP)–binding protein Gq, and the platelet ADP receptor coupled to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase (P2Y12) via heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein Gi. Although these 2 receptors are encoded on the same chromosome and have similar pharmacologic profiles, they have different reactivities toward thiol reagents. The thiol agent p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (pCMBS) and the active metabolites from antiplatelet drugs, clopidogrel and CS-747, inactivate the P2Y12 receptor and are predicted to interact with the extracellular cysteine residues on the P2Y12 receptor. In this study we identified the reactive cysteine residues on the human P2Y12 receptor by site-directed mutagenesis using pCMBS as the thiol reagent. Cys97Ser and Cys175Ser mutants of the P2Y12 receptor did not express when transfected into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells, indicating the essential nature of a disulfide bridge between these residues. The Cys17Ser, Cys270Ser, and Cys17Ser/Cys270Ser double mutants had similar median effective concentration (EC50) values for ADP and 2-methylthio–ADP (2-MeSADP) when compared with the wild-type P2Y12. Similarly, the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for BzATP (2′,3′-O-(4- benzoylbenzoyl) adenosine 5′-triphosphate), an antagonist of the P2Y12 receptor, also did not differ dramatically among these mutants and the wild-type P2Y12receptor. pCMBS inactivated the wild-type P2Y12 receptor in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas it had no effect on the P2Y1 receptor. Finally, pCMBS partially affected the Gi coupling of Cys17Ser or Cys270Ser receptor mutants, but had no effect on Cys17Ser/Cys270Ser P2Y12receptor–mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. These results indicate that, unlike the P2Y1 receptor, which has 2 essential disulfide bridges linking its extracellular domains, the P2Y12 receptor has 2 free cysteines in its extracellular domains (Cys17 and Cys270), both of which are targets of thiol reagents. We speculate that the active metabolites of clopidogrel and CS-747 form disulfide bridges with both Cys17 and Cys270 in the P2Y12 receptor, and thereby inactivate the receptor.