GRIP: A server for predicting interfaces for GPCR oligomerization

Abstract

G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are one of the most important pharmaceutical targets. Recent studies have revealed that many GPCRs form homo- and/or hetero-oligomers. The molecular mechanisms of oligomerization are not fully understood yet, due to the lack of structural data for GPCR complexes. Therefore, accurate interface prediction would accelerate investigations of the molecular mechanisms of oligomerization and signaling via GPCRs. However, interface prediction for GPCR oligomerization is difficult, because the various GPCR subtypes often use different structural regions as their interfaces, even when the subtypes belong to the same subfamily. Previously, we developed a method to predict the interfaces for GPCR oligomerization, which overcomes the difficulty described above. We have now launched a web service, named G-protein coupled Receptors Interaction Partners (GRIP) (http://grip.cbrc.jp/GRIP/index.html), to predict the interfaces for GPCR oligomerization. As far as we know, it is the only service to predict the interfaces for GPCR oligomerization.

Keywords::

• GPCRs
• oligomerization
• protein-protein interaction
• nterface prediction

Acknowledgments

W. N. and K. F. were supported by the Japan-India Strategic International Cooperative Program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). H. T. was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (Membrane Interface).

Declaration of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.