title: Expression of mammalian G protein-coupled receptors in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Constituting the largest group of membrane proteins identified in the human genome, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) help control many physiological processes by responding to various stimuli. As targets for more than 40% of all prescribed pharmaceuticals, detailed understanding of GPCR structures is vital for the design and development of more specific medications and improved patient therapies. But structural information for membrane proteins and GPCRs, in particular, is limited despite considerable interest. The major impediment to obtaining sufficient quantities of highly purified GPCRs in their native form for crystallization lies in their low tissue levels, poor yields, and stability. The only exception is rhodopsin, which is abundantly expressed in the eye and stabilized by its covalently bound chromophore, 11-cis-retinal. Expression systems and purification protocols have yet to be developed for all other GPCRs. Here, we present a novel expression system for human GPCRs in Caenorhabditis elegans that produces sufficient amounts of recombinant proteins to allow their biochemical and structural characterization.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Jastrzebska
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Salom
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Jin
authors: Pengxiu
authors: P
authors: Cao
authors: Wenyu
authors: W
authors: Sun
authors: Krzysztof
authors: K
authors: Palczewski
authors: Zhaoyang
authors: Z
authors: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled