Scientists discover stable intermediate of serotonin receptor
Originally published by Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine on September 4, 2024 Researchers have i dentified an intermediate form of the 5-HT3A serotonin receptor (blue). In its final form, a fifth subunit is added (green). The intermediate form presents a potential new drug target.. Credit: Max Delbrück Center A new study published in The EMBO Journal points to new potential strategies to treat psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders that are not well addressed by current medications. Dr. Bianca Introini and her colleagues in the In Situ Structural Biology lab of Professor Misha Kudryashev have identified a stable intermediate form of the pentameric serotonin-gated 5-HT3A receptor — a cellular membrane protein . The researchers' ability to identify such a structure is exceptional, says Kudryashev, because intermediates of assembling membrane proteins are notoriously difficult to purify . The intermediate form could serve as a new drug target . Serotonin is