Leukotriene Receptors

Abstract

Leukotrienes are metabolites of arachidonic acid catalyzed by a novel lipoxygenase specific for the C-5 position. These fatty acids have many pharmacological properties including smooth muscle contractions and leukocytes activation, and are believed to play a key role in inflammatory and hypersensitivity reactions. Experimental evidence suggests that the action of leukotrienes is mediated by specific receptors. In this paper pharmacological and biochemical data in favor of the existence of leukotriene receptors are presented and hypotheses on the mechanisms of action and transduction are discussed.     

The Phytohormone Receptors

Recent advances in the investigation of the receptors for plant hormones are reviewed. The basic data about all known receptors for auxins, ethylene, cytokinins, and brassinosteroids are presented. Some general problems concerning a search for phytohormone receptors and their properties are discussed. The review is intended for anyone interested in the molecular basics of the hormonal regulation of plant metabolism.     

新型γ－氨基丁酸受体：GABAc受体

众多的证据表明,在神经系统,特别是视觉神经通路中,除通常的ＧＡＢＡＡ和ＧＡＢＡＢ受体之外,还存在着一种具有不同药理特性的ＧＡＢＡＣ受体。这种受体不为荷包牡丹碱（ｂｉｃｕｃｕｌｌｉｎｅ）所阻遏,亦不为氯苯氨丁酸（ｂａｃｌｏｆｅｎ）所激活,在激活后并不显示失敏现象,可能在视网膜中视杆通路的信,自传递和调控中起重要作用。     

Synaptic Neurotransmitter-Gated Receptors

Since the discovery of the major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters and their receptors in the brain, many have deliberated over their likely structures and how these may relate to function. This was initially satisfied by the determination of the first amino acid sequences of the Cys-loop receptors that recognized acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, and glycine, followed later by similar determinations for the glutamate receptors, comprising non-NMDA and NMDA subtypes. The last decade has seen a rapid advance resulting in the first structures of Cys-loop receptors, related bacterial and molluscan homologs, and glutamate receptors, determined down to atomic resolution. This now provides a basis for determining not just the complete structures of these important receptor classes, but also for understanding how various domains and residues interact during agonist binding, receptor activation, and channel opening, including allosteric modulation. This article reviews our current understanding of these mechanisms for the Cys-loop and glutamate receptor families.To understand how neurons communicate with each other requires a fundamental understanding of neurotransmitter receptor structure and function. Neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, also known as ionotropic receptors, are responsible for fast synaptic transmission. They decode chemical signals into electrical responses, thereby transmitting information from one neuron to another. Their suitability for this important task relies on their ability to respond very rapidly to the transient release of neurotransmitter to affect cell excitability.In the central nervous system (CNS), fast synaptic transmission results in two main effects: neuronal excitation and inhibition. For excitation, the principal neurotransmitter involved is glutamate, which interacts with ionotropic (integral ion channel) and metabotropic (second-messenger signaling) receptors. The ionotropic glutamate receptors are permeable to cations, which directly cause excitation. Acetylcholine and serotonin can also activate specific cation-selective ionotropic receptors to affect neuronal excitation. For controlling cell excitability, inhibition is important, and this is mediated by the neurotransmitters GABA and glycine, causing an increased flux of anions. GABA predominates as the major inhibitory transmitter throughout the CNS, whereas glycine is of greater importance in the spinal cord and brainstem. They both activate specific receptors—for GABA, there are ionotropic and metabotropic receptors, whereas for glycine, only ionotropic receptors are known to date.Together with acetylcholine- and serotonin-gated channels, GABA and glycine ionotropic receptors form the superfamily of Cys-loop receptors, which differs in many aspects from the superfamily of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Over the last two decades, our knowledge of the structure and function of ionotropic receptors has grown rapidly. In this article, we summarize our current understanding of the molecular operation of these receptors and how we can now begin to interpret the role of receptor structure in agonist binding, channel activation, and allosteric modulation of Cys-loop and glutamate receptor families. Further details on the regulation and trafficking of neurotransmitter receptors in synaptic structure and plasticity can be found in accompanying articles.     

Trafficking Guidance Receptors

Wiring of the brain relies initially on the correct outgrowth of axons to reach the appropriate target area for innervation. A large number of guidance receptors present in the plasma membrane of axonal growth cones and elsewhere on the neuron read and execute directional cues present in the extracellular environment of the navigating growth cone. The exact timing, levels, and localization of expression of the guidance receptors in the plasma membrane therefore determine the outcome of guidance decisions. Many guidance receptors are localized in exquisitely precise spatial and temporal patterns. The cellular mechanisms ensuring these localization patterns include spatially accurate sorting after synthesis in the secretory pathway, retrieval of inappropriately expressed receptors by endocytosis followed by degradation or recycling, and restriction of diffusion. This article will discuss the machinery and regulation underlying the restricted distribution of membrane receptors, focusing on the currently best-studied example, the L1 cell adhesion molecule. In addition to the long-range mechanisms ensuring appropriate localization, the same mechanisms can act locally to adjust levels and localization of receptors. These local mechanisms are regulated by ligand binding and subsequent activation of local signaling cascades. It is likely that the localization of all guidance receptors is regulated by a combination of sorting, retrieval, recycling and retention, similar to the ones we discuss here for L1.     

5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptors

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors consist of at least three distinct types of molecular structures (Table 1): guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, and transporters. Prior to the introduction of molecular biological techniques, the classification of 5-HT receptors was based predominantly on the pharmacological properties of the receptors. For example, "5-HT₁" receptors were defined as membrane binding sites that displayed nanomolar affinity for [³H]5-HT (Peroutka and Snyder, 1979). Subsequently, Bradley et al. (1986) defined "5-HT_1-like" receptors by their susceptibility to antagonism by methiothepin and/or methysergide, resistance to antagonism by 5-HT₂ antagonists, and potent agonism by 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT). Thus, these classification systems are dependent upon the availability of selective pharmacological agents.     

Nuclear Melatonin Receptors

Current opinions on the potential role of orphan nuclear retinoid receptors of the ROR/RZR subfamily in regulatory activities of the pineal gland hormone melatonin are reviewed. The mechanisms of receptor–DNA interactions and known coactivators, tissue peculiarities of the expression of different receptor isoforms, and its regulation are described. The spectrum of probable targets for regulation by the receptors, the most promoted of which in this aspect being the immune and central nervous systems, is traced. It is clear that for final adoption of the orphan ROR/RZR receptors, there is need for a full collaboration of endocrinologists for solution of the still debatable questions whether and under which situations melatonin does serve as a physiological modulator of the activities of these receptors.     

Evolution of Brain-Expressed Biogenic Amine Receptors into Olfactory Trace Amine-Associated Receptors

The family of trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) is distantly related to G protein-coupled biogenic aminergic receptors. TAARs are found in the brain as well as in the olfactory epithelium where they detect biogenic amines. However, the functional relationship of receptors from distinct TAAR subfamilies and in different species is still uncertain. Here, we perform a thorough phylogenetic analysis of 702 TAAR-like (TARL) and TAAR sequences from 48 species. We show that a clade of Tarl genes has greatly expanded in lampreys, whereas the other Tarl clade consists of only one or two orthologs in jawed vertebrates and is lost in amniotes. We also identify two small clades of Taar genes in sharks related to the remaining Taar genes in bony vertebrates, which are divided into four major clades. We further identify ligands for 61 orphan TARLs and TAARs from sea lamprey, shark, ray-finned fishes, and mammals, as well as novel ligands for two 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 orthologs, a serotonin receptor subtype closely related to TAARs. Our results reveal a pattern of functional convergence and segregation: TARLs from sea lamprey and bony vertebrate olfactory TAARs underwent independent expansions to function as chemosensory receptors, whereas TARLs from jawed vertebrates retain ancestral response profiles and may have similar functions to TAAR1 in the brain. Overall, our data provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and ligand recognition profiles of TAARs and TARLs.     

汉坦病毒受体

汉坦病毒感染可引起两种严重威胁人类生命的传染性疾病:肾综合征出血热(HFRS)和肺综合征出血热(HPS)[1,2],这两种疾病都与急性血小板减少和血管渗透性变化有关[3].因此,弄清汉坦病毒与宿主细胞的相互作用及其机制,对控制汉坦病毒性疾病显得尤为重要.整合素对维持血管壁的渗透性和完整性具有重要作用.一种整合素可以在不同的细胞上表达,同一种细胞也可以表达多种不同的整合素,并且不同类型整合素的作用也各有不同.在汉坦病毒与内皮细胞相互作用研究中,细胞整合素受体起到了关键性的作用,致病性汉坦病毒通过细胞膜上β3整合素感染细胞,而非致病性汉坦病毒通过细胞膜上β1整合素感染细胞[4,5].这些都为汉坦病毒的受体和发病机制研究奠定了一定的基础.本文拟对该研究近况作一综述,为汉坦病毒致病机制的深入研究提供参考.     

5-HT3 Receptors

5-Hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT₃) receptors are cation-selective Cys loop receptors found in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. There are five 5-HT₃ receptor subunits (A–E), and all functional receptors require at least one A subunit. Regions from noncontiguous parts of the subunit sequence contribute to the agonist-binding site, and the roles of a range of amino acid residues that form the binding pocket have been identified. Drugs that selectively antagonize 5-HT₃ receptors (the “setrons”) are the current gold standard for treatment of chemotherapy-induced and postoperative nausea and vomiting and have potential for the treatment of a range of other conditions.