G-protein-coupled receptors are not only highly tractable drug targets but also attractive candidates for genetic association studies because they are more polymorphic than most other classes of gene and these polymorphisms frequently lead to functional changes in the levels of expression or biological activity that can predispose to common diseases. A large-scale study to identify functional variants in G-protein-coupled receptors associated with inflammatory diseases has highlighted a spectrum of novel biological insights that range from identifying the involvement of orphan receptors in certain diseases through to highlighting new therapeutic indications for existing drugs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coph.2005.03.005 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) significantly affect patient quality of life. Treatment options for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (a common cause of LUTS) are insufficient to relieve discomfort. As the incidence of BPH is increasing, new pharmacological targets for LUTS treatment are required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransl Psychiatry
January 2025
School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Recreational use of nitrous oxide (NO) has risen dramatically over the past decades. This study aimed to examine its rewarding effect and the underlying mechanisms. The exposure of mice to a subanesthetic concentration (20%) of NO for 30 min for 4 consecutive days paired with NO in the morning and paired with the air in the afternoon produced apparent rewarding behavior in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
Unraveling the signaling roles of intermediate complexes is pivotal for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug development. Despite hundreds of GPCR-Gαβγ structures, these snapshots primarily capture the fully activated complex. Consequently, the functions of intermediate GPCR-G protein complexes remain elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
It has been proposed that social groups are maintained both by reward resulting from positive social interactions and by the reduction of a negative state that would otherwise be caused by social separation. European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, develop strong conditioned place preferences for places associated with the production of song in flocks outside the breeding season (gregarious song) and singers are motivated to rejoin the flock following removal. This indicates that the act of singing in flocks is associated with a positive affective state and raises the possibility that reward induced by song in flocks may play a role in flock maintenance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Center for Computation and Integrative Biology, Rutgers, The State of New Jersey, Camden, NJ, United States of America.
Melatonin, a molecule with diverse biological functions, is ubiquitously present in living organisms. There is significant interest in understanding melatonin signal transduction pathways in humans, particularly due to its critical role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. However, a knowledge gap remains in fully elucidating the mechanisms by which melatonin influences circadian regulation.
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