Solving the structure of a critical human molecule involved
in cancer, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found what
they call a good example of structural conservation—dissimilar genes that keep
very similar shapes.
Described this week in the journal Nature, the work brings
attention to what scientists have thought of as a family of molecules called
the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Many GPCRs are important targets for
drug design. However, the new work suggests that GPCRs may, in fact, be a
subset of a larger group.