In today's world, Orphan receptor has become an issue of great importance and relevance in society. Its impact has extended to all aspects of life, from politics to culture, technology and economics. With the passage of time, Orphan receptor has evolved and acquired a new dimension, arousing the interest and concern of professionals, experts and citizens in general. In this article, we will explore in depth the impact of Orphan receptor and analyze its influence on different areas of our daily lives.
A protein with a receptor structure but with unidentified ligand
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Ligands are now partially identified along with a few other new discoveries. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2024)
In biochemistry, an orphan receptor is a protein that has a similar structure to other identified receptors but whose endogenousligand has not yet been identified. If a ligand for an orphan receptor is later discovered, the receptor is referred to as an "adopted orphan".[1] Conversely, the term orphan ligand refers to a biological ligand whose cognate receptor has not yet been identified.
GPCR orphan receptors are usually given the name "GPR" followed by a number, for example GPR1. In the GPCR family, nearly 100 receptor-like genes remain orphans.[11]
Discovery
Historically, receptors were discovered by using ligands to "fish" for their receptors. Hence, by definition, these receptors were not orphans. However, with modern molecular biology techniques such as reverse pharmacology, screening of cDNA libraries, and whole genome sequencing, receptors have been identified based on sequence similarity to known receptors, without knowing what their ligands are.
^Fagg GE (May 1987). "Phencyclidine and related drugs bind to the activated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-channel complex in rat brain membranes". Neurosci. Lett. 76 (2): 221–7. doi:10.1016/0304-3940(87)90719-1. PMID2438606. S2CID23177400.