Homology modeling of the dopamine D2 receptor and its testing by docking of agonists and tricyclic antagonists.

We present the first model of dopamine D2 receptor transmembrane helices constructed directly from the bacteriorhodopsin (bR) coordinates derived from two-dimensional electron diffraction experiments. We have tested this model by its ability to accommodate rigid agonist and semirigid antagonist molecules which were docked into the putative binding pocket with stabilizing interactions. The model is consistent with structure-activity relationships of agonists and antagonists that interact with the receptor. It also illuminates data on a Na+ site for regulation of receptor function. The plausibility of the model is increased by its consistency with many mutagenesis studies on G protein-coupled receptors. Further, this model provides a basis to suggest testable molecular mechanisms for changes in the D2 conformational states for high- and low-affinity binding and signal transduction. Changes in the conformational state of the receptor are hypothesized to be due partly to movement of helix 7. In contrast to the model presented here, other published models were built using ideal helical structures or following the sense of the bacteriorhodopsin structure rather than the actual available coordinates. The presented model for the dopamine G protein-coupled receptor can be reconciled with the recent rhodopsin projection structure (Schertler, G. F. X.; Villa, C.; Henderson, R. Projection Structure of Rhodopsin.