Download MendeleyStructural insights into Wnt/ beta-catenin signaling regulation by LGR4, R-spondin, and ZNRF3.
Peng, Y., Fujimura, A., Asami, J., Zhang, Z., Shimizu, T., Ohto, U.(2025) Nat Commun 16: 8337-8337
- PubMed: 41034211
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64129-z
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
9KB6, 9KB7, 9KB8, 9KB9 - PubMed Abstract:
Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4) plays a critical role in regulating the wingless-related integration site (Wnt) signaling pathway and is essential for organ development and carcinogenesis. LGR4, along with its ligand R-spondin (RSPO), potentiates Wnt/β-catenin signaling by recruiting its signaling suppressor, E3 ligase Zinc and Ring Finger 3 (ZNRF3), and inducing its membrane clearance. However, detailed mechanisms underlying this process remain unknown. In this study, we present the cryo-electron microscopy structures of human LGR4, the LGR4-RSPO2 and LGR4-RSPO2-ZNRF3 complexes. Upon RSPO2 binding, LGR4 undergoes no significant conformational changes in its transmembrane and extracellular domain structures or their relative orientations. LGR4, RSPO2, and ZNRF3 assemble into a 2:2:2 complex with the ZNRF3 dimer enclosed at the center. This ternary arrangement and forced dimerization of ZNRF3 likely underpin how LGR4 and RSPO2 potentiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling by sequestering ZNRF3 from Wnt receptors and facilitating its auto-inactivation. This study provides a structural basis for understanding the regulatory mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin signaling through the LGR4-RSPO2-ZNRF3 pathway and may offer opportunities for future drug development targeting this axis.
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Organizational Affiliation:
