G Protein-Coupled Receptors: Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Receptor Activation and Selectivity: Second Edition

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 988

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: G protein-coupled receptor; signal transduction; chemokines; protein-protein interactions; yeast genetic analysis; alternative splicing; transcriptional regulation
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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, University Sapienza, Rome, Italy
Interests: G protein-coupled receptor; chemokines; prokineticins; pain; neuroinflammation; in vivo and in vitro pharmacological analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are seven-transmembrane receptors that, upon activation, predominately transduce their signals through the alpha subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. GPCRs are present in all cell types and regulate a plethora of physiological functions, whose alterations lead to a pathogenic readout.

Many GPCRs show basal activity that can be modulated by ligands with different efficacy. Full agonists are able to induce the maximal signaling response, while some ligands, known as biased ligands, selectively activate certain receptor-associated pathways at the expense of others. The interaction of GPCRs with extracellular ligands induces an extremely variable response due to the distinct distribution of active conformations of these receptors. Ligand binding and downstream signaling have also been shown to be influenced by the dimeric nature of the receptors.

This Special Issue aims to present novel data focused on biochemical, pharmacological, and structural evidence regarding the molecular mechanisms of GPCR activation, whose understanding is crucial to designing new highly specific drugs with reduced side effects.

Dr. Rossella Miele
Dr. Roberta Lattanzi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • G protein-coupled receptors
  • chemokines
  • dimerization
  • beta arrestin
  • biased agonist
  • pain
  • inflammation
  • neuroinflammation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 1981 KiB  
Review
Genetic Polymorphisms of Prokineticins and Prokineticin Receptors Associated with Human Disease
by Roberta Lattanzi and Rossella Miele
Life 2024, 14(10), 1254; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14101254 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 839
Abstract
Prokineticins (PKs) are low molecular weight proteins that exert their effects by binding to two seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (prokineticin receptors, PKRs). The prokineticin system is an important player in the development of various diseases. Several polymorphisms that are associated with infertility, neuroendocrine disorders, [...] Read more.
Prokineticins (PKs) are low molecular weight proteins that exert their effects by binding to two seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (prokineticin receptors, PKRs). The prokineticin system is an important player in the development of various diseases. Several polymorphisms that are associated with infertility, neuroendocrine disorders, Hirschsprung’s syndrome (HSCR), idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) and congenital disorders such as Kallmann syndrome (KS) have been described for both the PKs and PKR genes. The aim of this study is to summarize and describe the impact of PK/PKR polymorphisms on the pathogenesis and outcome of the above diseases, highlighting the PK system as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker in pathological conditions. Full article
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