Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Greensboro, 27402, USA.
Curr Med Chem. 2010;17(14):1468-86. doi: 10.2174/092986710790980005.
The cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors are Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). While many Class A GPCRs have endogenous ligands that are hydrophilic cations (e.g., the serotonin and dopamine receptors), the cannabinoid receptors have neutral, highly lipophilic ligands derived from the fatty acid, arachidonic acid. The most well-studied of these are N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA) and sn-2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). This review focuses on the experimental and computational studies that have been used to probe the nature of endocannabinoid interaction with the cannabinoid receptors. These studies include mutation, SAR and NMR studies, as well as, QSAR, docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Gaps in our knowledge are identified. The review begins more generally, however, by discussing the entire endocannabinoid system, of which the cannabinoid receptors are part. For in order to understand endocannabinoid action, one needs an appreciation for the environments for which these ligands have been designed and the conformational changes these ligands must undergo in order to act on the cannabinoid receptors.
大麻素 CB1 和 CB2 受体是 A 类 G 蛋白偶联受体 (GPCR)。虽然许多 A 类 GPCR 都有内源性配体,这些配体是亲水性阳离子(例如,5-羟色胺和多巴胺受体),但大麻素受体具有中性、高度亲脂性的配体,源自脂肪酸花生四烯酸。其中研究最充分的是 N-花生四烯酰乙醇胺(大麻素,AEA)和 sn-2-花生四烯酰甘油(2-AG)。这篇综述重点介绍了用于探测内源性大麻素与大麻素受体相互作用性质的实验和计算研究。这些研究包括突变、SAR 和 NMR 研究,以及 QSAR、对接和分子动力学模拟。确定了我们知识中的空白。然而,该综述更一般地开始讨论整个内源性大麻素系统,其中包括大麻素受体。因为为了了解内源性大麻素的作用,需要了解这些配体设计的环境以及这些配体为作用于大麻素受体而必须经历的构象变化。