Co-expression of defective luteinizing hormone receptor fragments partially reconstitutes ligand-induced signal generation.

Gonadotropin receptors are unique members of the seven-transmembrane (TM), G protein-coupled receptor family with a large extracellular (EC) sequence forming the high-affinity ligand binding domain. In a patient with Leydig cell hypoplasia, we identified a mutant LH receptor that is truncated at TM5. This protein retains limited ligand binding ability but cannot mediate cAMP responses. To study interactions between receptor fragments defective in either ligand binding or signal transduction, we co-expressed this truncated receptor together with a chimeric receptor containing the EC region of the FSH receptor and the TM region of the LH receptor. Although the chimeric receptor could not respond to human chorionic gonadotropin in producing cAMP, co-expression with the truncated LH receptor allowed partial restoration of ligand signaling through intermolecular interactions. In addition, co-expression of the same truncated LH receptor with an N-terminally truncated LH receptor that lacked the EC ligand binding domain also partially restored ligand signaling. Further shortening of the TM region in the mutant receptor found in the patient indicated that the EC domain and TM1 were sufficient for interactions with the N terminally truncated receptor. In contrast, co-expression of the N terminally truncated receptor together with cell-associated or soluble EC region of the LH receptor did not allow ligand signaling. Unlike thrombin receptors, co-expression of the anchored EC region of the LH receptor together with the N-terminally truncated receptor did not allow ligand signaling despite moderate levels of human chorionic gonadotropin binding in transfected cells. These studies demonstrate that the co-expression of binding (+)/signaling (-) and binding (-)/signaling (+) receptor fragments partially restores ligand-induced signal generation and indicate the importance of TM1 of the LH receptor in the proper orientation of the EC ligand binding domain.