What do you get when #NationalProteinDay and #NationalPokémonDay meet? Pikachurin. ⚡
A 2023 @scisignal study solved the structure of this extracellular protein that plays an essential role in vision.
In the retina, light is perceived by photoreceptor cells that transmit signals to neurons called bipolar cells, which in turn relay the signal to the retinal ganglion cells that form the optic nerve. The activation of bipolar cells by photoreceptor cells depends on the precise positioning of multiprotein complexes on the surfaces of both cell types.
Pikachurin is an extracellular matrix protein that bridges these complexes by making contacts with the membrane protein dystroglycan on the photoreceptor cell and the receptor GPR179 on the bipolar cell, thus ensuring that photoreceptor cells are properly aligned with the bipolar cells.
Learn more: https://t.co/VMUWllSbr9
From the one and only Jacob Rowe. An Editorial Pick which highlights top papers at the greatest @jbiolchem ! Check it out- this is molecular engineering at its best.
PIONEER: A Periplasmic Display Platform for Synthetic Biology-Based Screening of Genetically Encoded Protein Regulators - Journal of Biological Chemistry https://t.co/Ls4x3ajh1B
New in JBC press: "Pathogenic variants in KCTD1 disrupt cAMP signaling and cellular communication associated with developmental pathways."
Learn more:
https://t.co/J94H0yd3Zf
#jbiolchem
We found that endogenous ligand for GPR139 is opioid peptide dynorphin. With this, GPR139 may not be an orphan any more but the 5th opioid receptor. Heavy lift by talented Xiaona Li with great thanks to all who contributed!
https://t.co/OabhjeWV1q
Excited to present our preprint on the structure-function relationship of anaphylatoxin complement receptors. A casual number of 19 structures deciphering ligand recognition mechanisms, G protein/arrestin and species specific signaling. Check it out! https://t.co/asIcSp9gF6
We have innovated design of templates for CRISPR/Cas9 editing which allows efficient introduction of epitope tags in vivo. It is a simple hack which we hope to be broadly useful. Work by talented graduate student Chuanping Zhao.
https://t.co/vtULnZpYKA
The ON/OFF dichotomy is fundamental to visual processing. In a new study led by Flori Soto, we identify a conserved molecular mechanism establishing the OFF pathway. https://t.co/is4NEvc0ME
Our latest on GPCR function in the brain. We report that glutamate receptor mGlu4 needs to be properly positioned at synapses of cholinergic interneurons in NAc by cell adhesion molecule ELFN1 to regulate opioid reward.
https://t.co/edTSBmWMfS