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New insights into 5-HT3, a serotonin receptor


This result, published in Nature, describes the activation cycle of the 5-HT3 receptor, belonging to the family of serotonin receptors. These receptors influence various biological and neurological processes such as anxiety, appetite, mood and nausea. 5-HT3 receptors are the main target of anti-emetic drugs widely used to alleviate the side effect of chemotherapies.

Published on 26 November 2018
Scientists from the IBS, the Institut Pasteur, the University of Lorraine, the University of Copenhagen, Danemark, the University of Illinois, US, and the biotech company Theranyx, solved the structure of the 5-HT3 receptor in four different conformations. These four snapshots taken at different steps of the activation cycle of the receptor allow to describe its molecular mechanism. They also provide structural knowledge for pharmacology, revealing details of the serotonin and drug binding site, and may therefore help the development of more efficient anti-emetics. 

General view of the 5-HT3 receptor, composed of 5 subunits.
Credit: Hugues Nury, IBS/CNRS/ESRF

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