scholarly journals Evidence of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR) in the Parasitic Protozoa Plasmodium falciparum—Sensing the Host Environment and Coupling within Its Molecular Signaling Toolkit

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (22) ◽  
pp. 12381
Author(s):  
Pedro H. S. Pereira ◽  
Celia R. S. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
G Protein ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Complex Life Cycle ◽  
Molecular Signaling ◽  
Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
And Function ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Throughout evolution, the need for single-celled organisms to associate and form a single cluster of cells has had several evolutionary advantages. In complex, multicellular organisms, each tissue or organ has a specialty and function that make life together possible, and the organism as a whole needs to act in balance and adapt to changes in the environment. Sensory organs are essential for connecting external stimuli into a biological response, through the senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. The G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are responsible for many of these senses and therefore play a key role in the perception of the cells’ external environment, enabling interaction and coordinated development between each cell of a multicellular organism. The malaria-causing protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has a complex life cycle that is extremely dependent on a finely regulated cellular signaling machinery. In this review, we summarize strong evidence and the main candidates of GPCRs in protozoan parasites. Interestingly, one of these GPCRs is a sensor for K+ shift in Plasmodium falciparum, PfSR25. Studying this family of proteins in P. falciparum could have a significant impact, both on understanding the history of the evolution of GPCRs and on finding new targets for antimalarials.

The Mechanism and Function of Agonist-Induced Trafficking of G-protein Coupled Receptors

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. A59-A59
Author(s):  
K. DeFea ◽  
O. Dery ◽  
F. Schmidlin ◽  
N.W. Bunnett
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
And Function ◽  
G Protein Coupled

scholarly journals Methods used to study the oligomeric structure of G-protein-coupled receptors

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Guo ◽  
Su An ◽  
Richard Ward ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
G Protein ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Experimental Techniques ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Function ◽  
G Protein Coupled

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which constitute the largest family of cell surface receptors, were originally thought to function as monomers, but are now recognized as being able to act in a wide range of oligomeric states and indeed, it is known that the oligomerization state of a GPCR can modulate its pharmacology and function. A number of experimental techniques have been devised to study GPCR oligomerization including those based upon traditional biochemistry such as blue-native PAGE (BN-PAGE), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and protein-fragment complementation assays (PCAs), those based upon resonance energy transfer, FRET, time-resolved FRET (TR-FRET), FRET spectrometry and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). Those based upon microscopy such as FRAP, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), spatial intensity distribution analysis (SpIDA) and various single molecule imaging techniques. Finally with the solution of a growing number of crystal structures, X-ray crystallography must be acknowledged as an important source of discovery in this field. A different, but in many ways complementary approach to the use of more traditional experimental techniques, are those involving computational methods that possess obvious merit in the study of the dynamics of oligomer formation and function. Here, we summarize the latest developments that have been made in the methods used to study GPCR oligomerization and give an overview of their application.

scholarly journals Structural Basis for Allosteric Modulation of Class B G Protein–Coupled Receptors

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Wootten ◽  
Laurence J. Miller
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Allosteric Modulation ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Allosteric Modulators ◽  
Class B ◽  
Endogenous Proteins ◽  
And Function ◽  
Agonist Ligands ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Recent advances in our understanding of the structure and function of class B G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) provide multiple opportunities for targeted development of allosteric modulators. Given the pleiotropic signaling patterns emanating from these receptors in response to a variety of natural agonist ligands, modulators have the potential to sculpt the responses to meet distinct needs of different groups of patients. In this review, we provide insights into how this family of GPCRs differs from the rest of the superfamily, how orthosteric agonists bind and activate these receptors, the potential for allosteric modulators to interact with various regions of these targets, and the allosteric influence of endogenous proteins on the pharmacology of these receptors, all of which are important considerations when developing new therapies.

scholarly journals Role of membrane integrity on G protein-coupled receptors: Rhodopsin stability and function

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Jastrzebska ◽  
Aleksander Debinski ◽  
Slawomir Filipek ◽  
Krzysztof Palczewski
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
And Function ◽  
G Protein Coupled
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