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The newly revealed structure sets the stage for determining structures of the receptor in the active and drug-bound forms. NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Summary: Researchers have been able to view the full length of serotonin receptors for the first time, with the help of Nobel prize winning microscope technology. The snapshot of the receptor includes details of molecular binding sites that could help with the development of a range of new drugs.
Source: Case Western Reserve University.
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have used Nobel prize-winning microscope technology to see full length serotonin receptors for the first time. The tiny proteins–approximately a billionth of a meter long–are common drug targets, despite limited available information about their structure. Now, new images published in Nature Communications provide snapshots of the receptors, including details about molecular binding sites that could lead to more precise drug design
Serotonin receptors sit in cell membranes throughout the body, including the brain, stomach, and nerves. They are highly dynamic with many moving parts, making them difficult subjects to capture. Researchers commonly break the receptor into pieces to study it. But by studying full-length serotonin receptors, researchers in the new study showed how its different portions interact. The researchers describe “a finely tuned orchestration of three domain movements” that allows the receptors to elegantly control passageways across cell membranes./.../
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