The role of tyrosine residues in the extracellular domain of the 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor.

Aromatic residues play an important role in the ligand-binding domain of Cys loop receptors. Here we examine the role of the 11 tyrosines in this domain of the 5-HT3 receptor in ligand binding and receptor function by substituting them for alanine, for serine, and, for some residues, also for phenylalanine. The mutant receptors were expressed in HEK293 cells and Xenopus oocytes and examined using radioligand binding, Ca2+ imaging, electrophysiology, and immunochemistry. The data suggest that Tyr50 and Tyr91 are critical for receptor assembly and/or structure, Tyr141 is important for antagonist binding and/or the structure of the binding pocket, Tyr143 plays a critical role in receptor gating and/or agonist binding, and Tyr153 and Tyr234 are involved in ligand binding and/or receptor gating. Tyr73, Tyr88, Tyr94, Tyr167, and Tyr240 do not appear to play major roles either in the structure of the extracellular domain or in ligand binding. The data support the location of these residues on a model of 5-HT docked into the ligand-binding domain and also provide evidence for the structural similarity of the extracellular domain to AChBP and the homologous regions of other Cys loop ligand-gated ion channels.