Oligomerization-Enhanced Receptor-Ligand Binding Revealed by Dual-Color Simultaneous Tracking on Living Cell Membranes.

GPCR oligomerization plays a critical role in cellular signaling, yet the stoichiometry of the interactions between oligomers and binding ligands in living cells remains a longstanding challenge. Here, by developing a dual-color simultaneous tracking system based on a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope (TIRFM), the CCR5-CCL5 interactions are visualized and quantitatively assessed in real time. Results show that each oligomeric state of CCR5 could bind with CCL5 but with different binding affinities; CCR5 dimers have a 3.5-fold higher binding affinity than the monomers. The dimerization may cause an asymmetric conformational change which makes the first binding pocket have a 3.5-fold higher binding affinity and the second have only a half compared with the monomeric CCR5. This study is the first example to directly scrutinize the CCR5-CCL5 interactions at the single-molecule level on living cell membranes and will offer great potential for the interaction stoichiometry study of diverse surface proteins.