Abstract

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) respond to various extracellular stimuli, activating numerous intracellular signaling pathways. They are the largest protein family, and 100+ are drug targets for 30% of available drugs. A better understanding of signal transduction mechanisms and the physiological role of GPC Rs can aid further drug discovery. While studying signal transduction dynamics remains a challenge, the speakers will explain how NanoBiT® technology allows the development of new assays to study molecular mechanisms of cell signaling. The first speaker will discuss the NanoBiT® protein-protein interaction assay for monitoring pre-T-cell receptor clustering and how fluorophore tagging of luciferase components enables easy normalisation of luminous signals, with the application of the assay in microscopy. The second speaker will evaluate these methods in the Genetics of Obesity Study, exploring how genetic variants identified in patients with severe early onset obesity affect signaling pathways that regulate appetite and energy expenditure.