Homology models of melatonin receptors: challenges and recent advances

Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Apr 12;14(4):8093-121. doi: 10.3390/ijms14048093.

Abstract

Melatonin exerts many of its actions through the activation of two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), named MT1 and MT2. So far, a number of different MT1 and MT2 receptor homology models, built either from the prototypic structure of rhodopsin or from recently solved X-ray structures of druggable GPCRs, have been proposed. These receptor models differ in the binding modes hypothesized for melatonin and melatonergic ligands, with distinct patterns of ligand-receptor interactions and putative bioactive conformations of ligands. The receptor models will be described, and they will be discussed in light of the available information from mutagenesis experiments and ligand-based pharmacophore models. The ability of these ligand-receptor complexes to rationalize structure-activity relationships of known series of melatonergic compounds will be commented upon.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites / genetics
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Melatonin / analogs & derivatives
  • Melatonin / chemistry
  • Melatonin / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Protein Conformation
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT1 / chemistry*
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT1 / genetics
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT1 / metabolism
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT2 / chemistry*
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT2 / genetics
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT2 / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Structural Homology, Protein
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT1
  • Receptor, Melatonin, MT2
  • Melatonin