Principal Investigator Shuguang Zhang
Zhang and his co-works determined the crystal structural determination of a human G-protein coupled receptor at 3.8Å resolution. The crystal structure of the GPCR has a space group P213 and its overall structure resembles that of bovine rhodopsin. It is a cellular membrane chemokine receptor for C-C type chemokines and involved in a wide range of chemical signaling events. It belongs to family I of the G-protein coupled receptors with seven transmembrane (7TM) domains. This GPCR is highly expressed in eosinophils, basophils, mast cells and airway epithelial cells. Several clinical studies suggested a pivotal role for this GPCR in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis and other disorders. It is also known to be an entry co-receptor for HIV-1 and the major target cells for HIV-1 infection in the CNS, the microglia. Thus this GPCR is a crucial target for developing treatment for many human diseases. Its structure determination not only advances our knowledge of the biology and pathogenesis of these diseases, but also it accelerates to discover drugs to defend and to treat many human diseases.