Molecular basis for kinin selectivity and activation of the human bradykinin receptors.
Yin, Y.L., Ye, C., Zhou, F., Wang, J., Yang, D., Yin, W., Wang, M.W., Xu, H.E., Jiang, Y.(2021) Nat Struct Mol Biol 28: 755-761
- PubMed: 34518695 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-021-00645-y
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
7EIB, 7F2O - PubMed Abstract: 
Bradykinin and kallidin are endogenous kinin peptide hormones that belong to the kallikrein-kinin system and are essential to the regulation of blood pressure, inflammation, coagulation and pain control. Des-Arg 10 -kallidin, the carboxy-terminal des-Arg metabolite of kallidin, and bradykinin selectively activate two G protein-coupled receptors, type 1 and type 2 bradykinin receptors (B1R and B2R), respectively. The hyperactivation of bradykinin receptors, termed 'bradykinin storm', is associated with pulmonary edema in COVID-19 patients, suggesting that bradykinin receptors are important targets for COVID-19 intervention. Here we report two G protein-coupled complex structures of human B1R and B2R bound to des-Arg 10 -kallidin and bradykinin, respectively. Combined with functional analysis, our structures reveal the mechanism of ligand selectivity and specific activation of the bradykinin receptor. These findings also provide a framework for guiding drug design targeting bradykinin receptors for the treatment of inflammation, cardiovascular disorders and COVID-19.
Organizational Affiliation: 
The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.