Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Interaction Of A G Protein-Coupled Receptor (Ste2p) Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae With Its Ligand And Its G-Protein Alpha Subunit, Li-Yin Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family is composed of hundreds of members and is expressed in eukaryotes. Each GPCR has seven transmembrane domains and is in charge of sensing changes from the environment, transducing signals, and activating a series of biological responses. The signal transduction pathway of the receptor starts from sensing outside signal and then activates G proteins. This signaling requires a tight control for activation without which impaired cellular function leads to pathology. We have used the pheromone alpha-factor receptor (Ste2p) of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to understand ligand binding, receptor activation, and G …