GPCR (1 of 3) (IMAGE)

DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

GPCR (1 of 3)

Caption

This illustration shows a man suffering from a migraine, overlain with a rendering of the human serotonin receptor bound to ergotamine, an anti-migraine drug. Also shown is a rendering of a neuron network. Scientists used SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser to explore crystallized samples of the serotonin receptor, which is a type of G protein-coupled receptor. GPCRs regulate many important functions in human physiology; serotonin, for example, is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite and sleep.

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Katya Kadyshevskaya/The Scripps Research Institute

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