Multiregional profiling of the brain transmembrane proteome uncovers novel regulators of depression

Mapping transmembrane proteins in the brain

22 March 2022

An accurate map of the proteins that span cell membranes has been generated for different regions in the mouse brain, and it has been used to identify two regulators of depression.

One of the arsenal of powerful analytic methods of modern biology, proteomics has been used to characterize the distribution of proteins in the brain. But transmembrane proteins, including the important class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), tend to be overlooked in these surveys.

Now, a team led by researchers from ShanghaiTech University has developed a new proteomic approach for accurately profiling low-abundance transmembrane proteins, including GPCRs, and they applied it to ten regions in the mouse brain.

By examining a mouse model for chronic-stress-induced depression, the researchers identified two GPCRs that regulate depressive-like behaviours. They anticipate that their method could be used to help develop new drugs for treating depression.

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References

1. Science Advances 7, eabf0634 (2021). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abf0634