EU/US breakthrough in protein structure

Image courtesy ESRF

The collaborators have determined the structure of a G protein-coupled receptor. While these receptors are known to be relevant to treating a wide range of diseases, they are notoriously difficult to handle and to crystallise. As a result, they have not yet been amenable to traditional structure-based drug design techniques.

At the same as announcing this breakthrough, the European Commission said two new membrane protein research projects have been awarded funding under Framework Programme 7.

The first is the European Drug Initiative on Channels and Transporters, EDICT,  awarded €11 million to characterise the structure of several membrane families in human and pathogenic micro organisms. The EDICT team includes two Nobel prizewinners, Hartmut Michel, 1988 Laureate for the determination of the 3D structure of a photosynthetic reaction centre, and John Walker, 1997 Laureate for elucidating the mechanism underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

The second programme, Neurotransmitter Cys-loop receptors: structure, function and disease, also receives €11 million. Cys-loop receptors are targets for diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, certain forms of epilepsy, and smoking cessation compounds.

In addition, the Innovative Tools for Membrane Structural Proteomics consortium was awarded €1.9 million. The consortium brings together seven laboratories with expertise in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular genetics, electron microscopy, crystallography to develop new tools for studying membrane proteins using techniques including overexpression, stabilisation and microcrystallography in collaboration with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.