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A Breath of Fresh Air
Author(s) -
Reyes Carolina,
Debenham William,
Martinez Antonio,
McCraine Krysten,
Thornton Mackenna,
Walger Rebecca,
GaleaMartinez Sandra A.,
Sok Devin
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.lb173
Subject(s) - asthma , g protein coupled receptor , receptor , general partnership , β2 adrenergic receptor , chemistry , medicine , business , immunology , finance , agonist
According to the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, asthma is estimated to affect 300 million people worldwide. Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalization in children. G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCR) are a large family of transmembrane proteins that cells use to communicate with the environment. Beta‐2‐adrenergic receptor (B2AR) is a member of this family and binds to the small hormone adrenaline. The G‐protein relays the message to relax the muscles in the lungs and to open airways. In the case of a person with asthma, this interaction causes the lungs to constrict and airways to close. Our hypothesis will model the interaction of B2AR and GalphaS. These components move inward surrounding the ligand binding site, forming a "toggle switch" for receptor activation. By getting a better understanding of the structural changes following G protein binding, improved therapeutics can be developed to target the active receptor. People afflicted with respiratory diseases will be able to take a breath of fresh air. The El Capitan High School SMART (Students Modeling a Research Topic) Team is a partnership between a researcher and a group of students who used current data to create a physical model of B2AR interacting with GalphaS using 3D printing technology. Supported by a grant from the HHMI Pre‐College Program.