Abstract
Inactivating mutations of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) cause early-onset severe obesity in humans. Comprehensive functional studies show that most of the inactivating mutants of the MC4R are retained intracellularly. In the present study, we investigated whether a small molecule inverse agonist of the MC4R, Ipsen 5i, could act as a pharmacoperone and correct the cell surface expression and function of intracellularly retained mutant MC4Rs using multiple cell lines, including HEK293 and two neuronal cell lines. We showed that Ipsen 5i rescued the cell surface expression of all 11 intracellularly retained mutant MC4Rs studied herein in at least one cell line. Ipsen 5i functionally rescued seven mutants in all cell lines used. One mutant (Y157S) was functionally rescued in HEK293 cells but not in the two neuronal cell lines. Ipsen 5i increased cell surface expression of three mutants (S58C, G98R, and F261S) but did not affect signaling. Ipsen 5i had no effect on mutant MC4Rs with other defects (Δ88-92, D90N, I102S) or no defect (N274S). It also did not affect trafficking of a misrouted MC3R mutant (I335S). Cell impermeable peptide ligands of the MC4R or cell permeable small molecule ligand of δ opioid receptor could not rescue misrouted mutant MC4R. In summary, we demonstrated that Ipsen 5i was a novel potent pharmacoperone of the MC4R, correcting trafficking and signaling of a significant portion (73%) of intracellularly retained mutants. Additional studies are needed to demonstrate its in vivo efficacy.