STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF RHODOPSIN

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 该项目的目标是获得视紫红质及其与其他蛋白质的络合物的晶体结构测定。视紫红质是视网膜中的G蛋白偶联受体(GPCR)，是一种光感受器分子。吸收光子会引起蛋白质的结构变化，该蛋白质通过其G蛋白(转导蛋白)启动信号转导信号，该G蛋白由视觉系统处理。要了解激活和信号传递过程的本质，需要激活的受体及其复合体的分子结构信息。这些信息对于理解视觉的分子基础将是重要的，也对于理解GPCRs激活的更一般过程也是重要的。GPCRs是膜受体的一个主要家族，在很大一部分具有商业意义的药物中充当药物靶点。就像我们最初对视紫红质结构的确定影响了其他GPCR的研究和建模一样，激活的视紫红质和/或其与转导蛋白的复合体的结构将为进一步开发这类蛋白质的治疗剂提供基础。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The goals of this project are to obtain crystal structural determinations for rhodopsin and its complexes with other proteins. Rhodopsin is the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that serves as a photoreceptor molecule in the retina. Absorption of a photon causes a structural change in the protein that initiates a signal transduction signal via its G-protein (transducin) that is processed by the vision system. Understanding the nature of the activation and signaling process requires molecular structural information for the activated receptor and its complexes. This information will be important for understanding the molecular basis for vision, but also for understanding the more general process of activation of GPCRs. GPCRs are a major family of membrane receptors that serve as drug targets for a large fraction of the commercially important pharmaceuticals. Just as our initial structure determination of rhodopsin affected the investigation and modeling of other GPCRs, the structure of activated rhodopsin and/or its complex with transducin will provide a basis for further development of therapeutic agents for this class of proteins.