@inbook{b374362364be4f28826d801ce1ceb835,
title = "Cellular and Molecular Biology of Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptors",
abstract = "The superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is the largest and most diverse group of membrane-spanning proteins. It plays a variety of roles in pathophysiological processes by transmitting extracellular signals to cells via heterotrimeric G proteins. Completion of the human genome project revealed the presence of ∼168 genes encoding established nonsensory GPCRs, as well as 207 genes predicted to encode novel GPCRs for which the natural ligands remained to be identified, the so-called orphan GPCRs. Eighty-six of these orphans have now been paired to novel or previously known molecules, and 121 remain to be deorphaned. A better understanding of the GPCR structures and classification; knowledge of the receptor activation mechanism, either dependent on or independent of an agonist; increased understanding of the control of GPCR-mediated signal transduction; and development of appropriate ligand screening systems may improve the probability of discovering novel ligands for the remaining orphan GPCRs.",
keywords = "Agonist, Antagonist, Constitutive activity, Deorphaned, G protein-coupled receptor, Ligand, Orphan, Screening assay, Signaling",
author = "Oh, {Da Young} and Kyungjin Kim and Kwon, {Hyuk Bang} and Seong, {Jae Young}",
year = "2006",
doi = "10.1016/S0074-7696(06)52003-0",
language = "English",
isbn = "0123646561",
series = "International Review of Cytology",
pages = "163--218",
editor = "Jeon Kwang",
booktitle = "A Survey of Cell Biology",
}