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Molecular mechanisms underlying rapid nongenomic actions of ecdysteroids

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000L201
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Peter Evans
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	84,904
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	02/02/2007
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	62 months

Abstract

Steroids are naturally occurring substances in the body that act as sex hormones and as hormones that control the growth of tissues such as muscle and brain. Usually steroid hormones work by entering a cell and binding to special molecules called receptors. When these receptors are activated by the steroid, they can then turn on the expression (copying of information from DNA into RNA) in the nucleus of a range of different genes which is specific for that hormone. However, recent studies have shown that steroid hormones can also produce effects on cells rapidly, by mechanisms that do not involve them entering the cell. In these cases the steroids act with receptors on the surface of the cell which bind the hormone at their outer surface, change their shape and then pass on information about the presence of the steroid hormone to the inside of the cell. This project aims to understand the functions and molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of a novel cell surface G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) from the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster. This cell surface receptor is unusual since it can be turned on by both a class of insect steroid hormones, called the ecdysteroids, and by an adrenaline-like molecule, called dopamine. This receptor may be the insect equivalent of a highly unusual vertebrate receptor called the "gamma-adrenergic receptor". We do not yet know the structure of this vertebrate receptor but we do know that it can be activated by steroids and that the actions of these steroids can be blocked by dopamine-like molecules. Thus, the findings of this study will be of direct relevance to studies of this latter receptor in vertebrates, including humans. The above studies will provide basic information on the functions of the rapid actions of steroids through cell surface GPCR. They will also provide detailed information on the potential use of this receptor as a new target site for pesticides.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	Neuroscience and Behaviour
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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