Re seeded into 96-well plates (Corning, 6 000 cells/well). HEK 293 cells transfected with Du151 gp150 env [31], rev and tat 24 h after transfection of HOS-CD4-Luc cells were layered at increasing densities (30 cells/well ?8 000 cells/well in triplicate) onto transfected HOS-CD4-Luc cells and co-cultured overnight to allow cell fusion. Luciferase activity was determined using the luciferase assay system (Promega, Madison, WI) according to the manufacturer’s instructions and a Veritas luminometer (Promega).Chemokine Competition BindingMIP-1b was radio-iodinated using the chloramine T method as previously described [36,37]. HEK 293 cells (36106/10 cm dish), transiently transfected with wild type or mutant CCR5 receptor constructs were detached (5 mM EDTA, 50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 100 mM NaCl), re-suspended (36105 cells/tube) in binding buffer (50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 1 mM CaCl2, 5 mM MgCl2, 0.5 BSA) and incubated, in triplicate, with [125I]-MIP-1b (50 000 cpm, approximately 0.05 pmol) and increasing concentrations of unlabelled MIP-1b (0 to 1027 M) in a total volume of 0.2 ml (60 min, 27uC), as previously described [22,37]. Bound tracer was separated by filtration through glass-fiber filters (GF/C, Whatman, Maidstone, England) presoaked in 1 BSA. Filters were washed twice with washing buffer (50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 1 mM CaCl2, 5 mM MgCl2 and 0.5 M NaCl) and radioactivity was counted in a c-counter. Total binding (B0) of [125I]-MIP-1b to the receptor was determined in the absence of unlabeled ligand, whereas nonspecific binding (NSB) was determined as the Solvent Yellow 14 manufacturer amount of radiolabeled ligand bound in the presence of 1027 M unlabeled MIP-1b or bound to untransfected cells. Specific binding of [125I]-MIP-1b was calculated as the difference between B0 and NSB. Concentrations of MIP-1b that displaced 50 of total specific [125I]-MIP-1b binding (IC50 values) were calculated using GraphPad Prism and nonlinear regression for one-site competition curves. Data are presented as means 6 SEM and statistical analysis of pIC50 values was performed using unpaired two-tailed T-tests.Results Effects of Amino Acid MedChemExpress SPDB substitutions on CCR5 Receptor SignalingEight mutant CCR5 receptor constructs that were predicted to be constitutively active were prepared and examined for constitutive and agonist-stimulated IP production in HEK-Gqi cells. Cells expressing the wild type CCR5 receptor displayed increased basal IP production compared to vector-transfected cells (data not shown) and showed enhanced IP production in response to MIP1b (1027 M, Fig. 1A, Table 1). All mutants with substitutions of the Thr2.56(82) residue displayed enhanced basal IP production compared with the wild type receptor (Fig. 1A, Table 1), consistent with a previous 23977191 report that these mutants are constitutively active [21]. All three mutants showed no further increase in IP production in response to MIP-1b (Fig. 1A, Table 1). Basal IP production in cells transfected with wild type CCR5 or mutant receptors varied with transfection efficiency (compare Figs. 1A and 2A), which resulted in relatively large SEM values (Table 1). The “DRY” motif mutants, Asp3.49(125)Ala and Asp3.49(125)Asn, displayed basal IP production that was similar to wild type levels, but displayed decreased IP production in response to MIP-1b (Fig. 1A, Table 1), suggesting that these mutants may be either poorly expressed or uncoupled from G protein activation. The third intracellular loop mutants, Arg6.32(225)Ala, Arg6.32(225)Asp and Arg6.Re seeded into 96-well plates (Corning, 6 000 cells/well). HEK 293 cells transfected with Du151 gp150 env [31], rev and tat 24 h after transfection of HOS-CD4-Luc cells were layered at increasing densities (30 cells/well ?8 000 cells/well in triplicate) onto transfected HOS-CD4-Luc cells and co-cultured overnight to allow cell fusion. Luciferase activity was determined using the luciferase assay system (Promega, Madison, WI) according to the manufacturer’s instructions and a Veritas luminometer (Promega).Chemokine Competition BindingMIP-1b was radio-iodinated using the chloramine T method as previously described [36,37]. HEK 293 cells (36106/10 cm dish), transiently transfected with wild type or mutant CCR5 receptor constructs were detached (5 mM EDTA, 50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 100 mM NaCl), re-suspended (36105 cells/tube) in binding buffer (50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 1 mM CaCl2, 5 mM MgCl2, 0.5 BSA) and incubated, in triplicate, with [125I]-MIP-1b (50 000 cpm, approximately 0.05 pmol) and increasing concentrations of unlabelled MIP-1b (0 to 1027 M) in a total volume of 0.2 ml (60 min, 27uC), as previously described [22,37]. Bound tracer was separated by filtration through glass-fiber filters (GF/C, Whatman, Maidstone, England) presoaked in 1 BSA. Filters were washed twice with washing buffer (50 mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 1 mM CaCl2, 5 mM MgCl2 and 0.5 M NaCl) and radioactivity was counted in a c-counter. Total binding (B0) of [125I]-MIP-1b to the receptor was determined in the absence of unlabeled ligand, whereas nonspecific binding (NSB) was determined as the amount of radiolabeled ligand bound in the presence of 1027 M unlabeled MIP-1b or bound to untransfected cells. Specific binding of [125I]-MIP-1b was calculated as the difference between B0 and NSB. Concentrations of MIP-1b that displaced 50 of total specific [125I]-MIP-1b binding (IC50 values) were calculated using GraphPad Prism and nonlinear regression for one-site competition curves. Data are presented as means 6 SEM and statistical analysis of pIC50 values was performed using unpaired two-tailed T-tests.Results Effects of Amino Acid Substitutions on CCR5 Receptor SignalingEight mutant CCR5 receptor constructs that were predicted to be constitutively active were prepared and examined for constitutive and agonist-stimulated IP production in HEK-Gqi cells. Cells expressing the wild type CCR5 receptor displayed increased basal IP production compared to vector-transfected cells (data not shown) and showed enhanced IP production in response to MIP1b (1027 M, Fig. 1A, Table 1). All mutants with substitutions of the Thr2.56(82) residue displayed enhanced basal IP production compared with the wild type receptor (Fig. 1A, Table 1), consistent with a previous 23977191 report that these mutants are constitutively active [21]. All three mutants showed no further increase in IP production in response to MIP-1b (Fig. 1A, Table 1). Basal IP production in cells transfected with wild type CCR5 or mutant receptors varied with transfection efficiency (compare Figs. 1A and 2A), which resulted in relatively large SEM values (Table 1). The “DRY” motif mutants, Asp3.49(125)Ala and Asp3.49(125)Asn, displayed basal IP production that was similar to wild type levels, but displayed decreased IP production in response to MIP-1b (Fig. 1A, Table 1), suggesting that these mutants may be either poorly expressed or uncoupled from G protein activation. The third intracellular loop mutants, Arg6.32(225)Ala, Arg6.32(225)Asp and Arg6.