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Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor

Includes abstract.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Coetsee, Marla Catherine
Other Authors: Flanagan, Colleen
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Division of Medical Biochemistry 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author Coetsee, Marla Catherine
author2 Flanagan, Colleen
author_browse Coetsee, Marla Catherine
Flanagan, Colleen
author_facet Flanagan, Colleen
Coetsee, Marla Catherine
author_sort Coetsee, Marla Catherine
collection Thesis
description Includes abstract.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/3123
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:08.355Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher Division of Medical Biochemistry
publisherStr Division of Medical Biochemistry
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/3123 Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor Coetsee, Marla Catherine Flanagan, Colleen Medical Biochemistry Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-202). The pituitary gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor regulates reproduction by activation of Gq/11 proteins. In contrast, GnRH receptors at extrapituitary sites induce anti-proliferative effects that do not correlate with Gq/11 activation. We propose that the two endogenous ligands, GnRH I and GnRH II, and certain antagonists selectively activate distinct signalling pathways by stabilisation of distinct active conformations of the GnRH receptor, a concept termed ligand-induced selective signalling (LiSS). This dissertation has investigated LiSS at the GnRH receptor using several approaches. The sequences of GnRH I and II differ in positions 5, 7 and 8. I investigated the interaction of position 5 of GnRH I and GnRH II with Tyr6.58 of the receptor. Compared with the Leu and Ala mutants, the Tyr6.58Phe mutant had higher affinity for native GnRHs, but not Ala5-substituted GnRHs, suggesting that Tyr5 of GnRH I and His5 of GnRH II interact with Tyr6.58 by aromatic interactions. Our molecular models show that GnRHs interact with distinct rotamer conformations of Tyr6.58. This is supported by the Tyr6.58Leu receptor, which makes compensatory interactions that improve binding affinity and receptor activation for GnRH II, but not GnRH I, compared with the Tyr6.58Ala receptor. Together these results suggest that GnRHs stabilise distinct receptor active conformations. To identify the most proximal signalling proteins that mediate GnRH receptordependent anti-proliferative effects, I established a range of [35S]GTPS binding assays. I confirmed that the GnRH receptor activates Gq/11, but in contrast to previous proposals, my results show that the GnRH receptor cannot directly activate Gi. I subsequently identified a novel GnRH receptor signalling partner, the SH2 domaincontaining phosphatase 2 (SHP-2). I propose that SHP-2 mediates the antiproliferative effects of the receptor. I show that the SHP-2 pathway is activated independently of Gq/11 and suggest that signalling occurs by a direct interaction of SHP-2 and src with the GnRH receptor. Furthermore, this pathway is activated by a classical Gq/11 antagonist or by Gq/11-uncoupled GnRH receptor mutants. My results provide convincing evidence supporting LiSS at the GnRH receptor and may facilitate development of therapeutics with increased signalling specificity at this receptor. 2014-07-28T14:54:47Z 2014-07-28T14:54:47Z 2008 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3123 eng application/pdf Division of Medical Biochemistry Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Medical Biochemistry
Coetsee, Marla Catherine
Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
title_full Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
title_fullStr Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
title_full_unstemmed Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
title_short Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
title_sort ligand induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor
topic Medical Biochemistry
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3123
work_keys_str_mv AT coetseemarlacatherine ligandinducedselectivesignallingatthegonadotrophinreleasinghormonereceptor