Page 18 - Abacoa Community News - May '23

Page 18, Abacoa
scieNce oN the cuttiNg edge

Scripps Research Institute A breakthrough came in 2021, when his team solved the Glycine itself is sold as a nutritional supplement billed
structure of GPR158. What they saw surprised them. The as improving mood. It is a basic building block of proteins
GPR158 receptor looked like a microscopic clamp with a and affects many different cell types, sometimes in complex
compartment – akin to something they had seen in bacteria, ways. In some cells, it sends slow-down signals, while in
not human cells. other cell types, it sends excitatory signals. Some studies
“We were barking up the completely wrong tree before we have linked glycine to the growth of invasive prostate cancer.
Search For A Major Depression Signal saw the structure,” Martemyanov said. “We said, ‘Wow, that’s More research is needed to understand how the body
Reveals A Familiar Face: Discovery Opens an amino acid receptor. There are only 20, so we screened them maintains the right balance of mGlyR receptors and how brain
New Possibilities For Treatment right away and only one fit perfectly. That was it. It was glycine.’” cell activity is affected, he said. He intends to keep at it.
That wasn’t the only odd thing. The signaling molecule was “We are in desperate need of new depression treatments,”
A common amino acid, glycine, can deliver a strong not an activator in the cells, but an inhibitor. The business end of Martemyanov said. “If we can target this with something
signal to the brain, likely helping alleviate major GPR158 connected to a partnering molecule that hit the brakes specific, it makes sense that it could help. We are working
depression, anxiety and other mood disorders in some rather than the accelerator when bound to glycine. on it now.”
people, scientists at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps “Usually receptors like GPR158, known as G protein, In addition to Laboute and Martemyanov, the authors are
Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology report coupled receptors, bind G proteins. This receptor was Dipak Patil, Ph.D., formerly a staff scientist in the Martemyanov
online in the journal Science Today. binding an RGS protein, which is a protein that has the lab, now with Eli Lilly and Company; Staff Scientist Stefano
The discovery improves understanding of the biological opposite effect of activation,” said Thibaut Laboute, Ph.D., Zucca, Ph.D.; graduate student Brittany Wheatley; and Assistant
causes of major depression and could accelerate efforts to a postdoctoral researcher from Martemyanov’s group and Research Professor Raktim Roy, Ph.D., all of The Wertheim UF
develop new, faster-acting medications for such hard-to-treat first author of the study. Scripps Institute. Other contributors are Associate Professor
mood disorders, said neuroscientist Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D., Scientists have been cataloging the role of cell receptors Stefano Forli, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher Matthew Holcomb,
corresponding author of the study, appearing in Friday’s edition. and their signaling partners for decades. Those that still don’t Ph.D.; and graduate student Chris Garza, all of Scripps Research
A model shows how glycine molecules (teal) interact with have known signalers, such as GPR158, have been dubbed in La Jolla, Calif.
brain cell receptors called GPR158 to influence the nervous “orphan receptors.” The research was supported by the National Institute of
system. The dotted lines show hydrogen bonds and weak The finding means that GPR158 is no longer an orphan Mental Health and National Institute of General Medical
electrical field attractions that start the signal. receptor, Laboute said. Instead, the team renamed it mGlyR, Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award
short for “metabotropic glycine receptor.” numbers R01MH105482 and R01GM069832. The content is
“An orphan receptor is a challenge. You want to figure out solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily
how it works,” Laboute said. “What makes me really excited represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
about this discovery is that it may be important for people’s lives. > edwardjones.com | Member SIPC
That’s what gets me up in the morning.” Science On The Cutting Edge on page 20
> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC

> edwardjones.com | Member SIPC > edwardjones.com | Member SIPC
Dreaming up the
Dreaming up the
ideal retirement
Dreaming up the Dreaming up the
ideal retirement
ideal retirement ideal retirement
is your job.
is your job.
is your job.
Photo courtesy of the Martemyanov lab, The Wertheim UF is your job.
Scripps Institute Helping you get Helping you get
Helping you get
there is ours.
Helping you get
“There are limited medications for people with there is ours.
depression,” said Martemyanov, who chairs the neuroscience there is ours.
We’re excited to
there is ours.
department at the institute. “Most of them take weeks before We’re excited to
hear from you.
they kick in, if they do at all. New and better options are We’re excited to
hear from you.
really needed.” hear from you.
Major depression is among the world’s most urgent health
We’re excited to
needs. Its numbers have surged in recent years, especially among
young adults. As depression’s disability, suicide numbers and Sally S Stahl, AAMS™
hear from you.
medical expenses have climbed. A study by the U.S. Centers Financial Advisor
Sally S Stahl, AAMS™
for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021 put its economic 1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106 Sally S Stahl, AAMS™
burden at $326 billion annually in the United States. Jupiter, FL 33458 Financial Advisor
Financial Advisor
Martemyanov said he and his team of students and 561-748-7600
1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
postdoctoral researchers have spent many years working 1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
toward this discovery. Jupiter, FL 33458 Jupiter, FL 33458
They didn’t set out to find a cause, much less a possible 561-748-7600 561-748-7600
Sally S Stahl, AAMS™
IRT-1848H-A
treatment route for depression. Instead, they asked a basic
question: How do sensors on brain cells receive and transmit Financial Advisor
signals into the cells, and then change the cells’ activity?
Therein lay the key to understanding vision, pain, memory, IRT-1848H-A
behavior and possibly much more, Martemyanov suspected. IRT-1848H-A 1851 W Indiantown Rd Ste 106
“It’s amazing how basic science goes. Fifteen years ago, we Jupiter, FL 33458
discovered a binding partner for proteins we were interested
in, which led us to this new 561-748-7600
receptor,” Martemyanov said.
“We’ve been unspooling this for
all this time.”
In 2018 the Martemyanov
team found the new receptor
was involved in stress-induced IRT-1848H-A
depression. If mice lacked the gene
for the receptor, called GPR158,
they proved surprisingly resilient
to chronic stress.
That offered strong
evidence that GPR158 could be
therapeutic target, he said. But
what sent the signal? Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.

Thibaut Laboute, Ph.D.