Frizzled BRET sensors based on bioorthogonal labeling of unnatural amino acids reveal WNT-induced dynamics of the cysteine-rich domain

AbstractFrizzleds (FZD1-10) comprise a class of G protein-coupled receptors containing an extracellular cysteine-rich domain (CRD) that binds lipoglycoproteins of the Wingless/Int-1 family (WNTs). Despite the prominent role of the WNT/FZD system in health and disease, our understanding of how WNT binding to the FZD CRD is translated into receptor activation and transmembrane signaling remains limited. Current hypotheses dispute the roles for conformational dynamics and the involvement of the linker domain connecting the CRD with the seven-helical transmembrane core of FZD. To clarify the mechanism of WNT binding to FZD and to elucidate how WNT/FZD complexes achieve signaling pathway specificity, we devised conformational FZD-CRD biosensors based on bioluminescence-resonance-energy-transfer (BRET). Using FZD engineered with N-terminal nanoluciferase and fluorescently-labeled unnatural amino acids in the linker domain and extracellular loop 3, we show that WNT-3A and WNT-5A induce similar CRD conformational rearrangements despite promoting distinct downstream signaling pathways, and that CRD dynamics are not required for WNT/β-catenin signaling. Thus, the novel FZD-CRD biosensors we report provide insights into the stepwise binding, activation and signaling processes in FZDs. The sensor design is broadly applicable to explore fundamental events in signal transduction mediated by other membrane receptors.