Amino acid sensor conserved from bacteria to humans.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35238638.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2110415119 and PMC identifier 8915833.
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Abstract
SignificanceAmino acids are the building blocks of life and important signaling molecules. Despite their common structure, no universal mechanism for amino acid recognition by cellular receptors is currently known. We discovered a simple motif, which binds amino acids in various receptor proteins from all major life-forms. In humans, this motif is found in subunits of calcium channels that are implicated in pain and neurodevelopmental disorders. Our findings suggest that γ-aminobutyric acid-derived drugs bind to the same motif in human proteins that binds natural ligands in bacterial receptors, thus enabling future improvement of important drugs.
Medical subject headings
- Archaea
- Archaeal Proteins
- Bacteria
- Bacterial Proteins
- Membrane Proteins