Melatonin Receptor Type 1 Signals to Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1 and 2 via Gi and Gs Dually Coupled Pathways in HEK-293 Cells

The pineal gland hormone melatonin exerts its regulatory roles in a variety of physiological and pathological responses through two G protein-coupled receptors, melatonin receptor type 1 (MT1) and melatonin receptor type 2 (MT2), which have been recognized as promising targets in the treatment of a number of human diseases and disorders. The MT1 receptor was identified nearly 20 years ago; however, the molecular mechanisms by which MT1-mediated signaling affects physiology remain to be further elucidated. In this study, using HEK293 cells stably expressing the human MT1 receptor, melatonin induced a concentration-dependent activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). The melatonin-mediated phosphorylation of ERK1/2 at later time points (>= 5 min) was strongly suppressed by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, but only a slight, if any, inhibition of ERK1/2 activation at early time points (<= 2 min) was detected. Further experiments demonstrated that the G beta gamma subunit, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and calcium-insensitive protein kinase C were involved in the MT1-mediated activation of ERK1/2 at later time points (>= 5 min). Moreover, results derived from cAMP assays combined with a MT1 mutant indicated that the human MT1 receptor could also couple to G, protein, stimulating intracellular cAMP formation, and that the MT1-induced activation of ERK1/2 at early time points (<= 2 min) was mediated by the G(s)/cAMP/PKA cascade. Our findings may provide new insights into the pharmacological effects and physiological functions modulated by the MT1-mediated activation of ERK1/2.