TOWARDS STRUCTURAL MODELS OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION IN OLFACTORY RECEPTORS

The G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) are an important class of prote ins that act as signal transducers through the cytoplasmic membrane. U nderstanding the structure and activation mechanism of these proteins is crucial for understanding many different aspects of cellular signal ling. The olfactory receptors correspond to the largest family of GPCR s. Very little is known about how the structures of the receptors gove rn the specificity of interaction which enables identification of part icular odorant molecules. In this paper, we review recent developments in two areas of molecular modelling: methods for modelling the config uration of trans-membrane helices and methods for automatic docking of ligands into receptor structures. We then show how a subset of these methods can be combined to construct a model of a rat odorant receptor interacting with lyral for which experimental data are available. Thi s modelling can help us make progress towards elucidating the specific ity of interactions between receptors and odorant molecules. ((C) Soci ete francaise de biochimie et biologie moleculaire/Elsevier, Paris).