Molecular control of δ-opioid receptor signalling

Opioids represent widely prescribed and abused medications, although their signal transduction mechanisms are not well understood. Here we present the 1.8 angstrom high-resolution crystal structure of the human delta-opioid receptor (delta-OR), revealing the presence and fundamental role of a sodium ion in mediating allosteric control of receptor functional selectivity and constitutive activity. The distinctive delta-OR sodium ion site architecture is centrally located in a polar interaction network in the seven-transmembrane bundle core, with the sodium ion stabilizing a reduced agonist affinity state, and thereby modulating signal transduction. Site-directed mutagenesis and functional studies reveal that changing the allosteric sodium site residue Asn 131 to an alanine or a valine augments constitutive beta-arrestin-mediated signalling. Asp95Ala, Asn310Ala and Asn314Ala mutations transform classical delta-opioid antagonists such as naltrindole into potent beta-arrestin-biased agonists. The data establish the molecular basis for allosteric sodium ion control in opioid signalling, revealing that sodium-coordinating residues act as 'efficacy switches' at a prototypic G-protein-coupled receptor.