Bioinformatics and mathematical modelling in the study of receptor–receptor interactions and receptor oligomerization: Focus on adenosine receptors

Abstract

The concept of intra-membrane receptor–receptor interactions (RRIs) between different types of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and evidence for their existence was introduced by Agnati and Fuxe in 1980/81 through the biochemical analysis of the effects of neuropeptides on the binding characteristics of monoamine receptors in membrane preparations from discrete brain regions and functional studies of the interactions between neuropeptides and monoamines in the control of specific functions such as motor control and arterial blood pressure control in animal models. Whether GPCRs can form high-order structures is still a topic of an intense debate. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that the hypothesis of the existence of high-order receptor oligomers is correct. A fundamental consequence of the view describing GPCRs as interacting structures, with the likely formation at the plasma membrane of receptor aggregates of multiple receptors (Receptor Mosaics) is that it is no longer possible to describe signal transduction simply as the result of the binding of the chemical signal to its receptor, but rather as the result of a filtering/integration of chemical signals by the Receptor Mosaics (RMs) and membrane-associated proteins. Thus, in parallel with experimental research, significant efforts were spent in bioinformatics and mathematical modelling. We review here the main approaches that have been used to assess the interaction interfaces allowing the assembly of GPCRs and to shed some light on the integrative functions emerging from the complex behaviour of these RMs. Particular attention was paid to the RMs generated by adenosine A 2A, dopamine D 2, cannabinoid CB 1, and metabotropic glutamate mGlu 5 receptors (A 2A, D 2, CB 1 and mGlu 5, respectively), and a possible approach to model the interplay between the D 2–A 2A–CB 1 and D 2–A 2A–mGlu 5 trimers is proposed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: “Adenosine Receptors”.