Research Unit of Biomedicine, University of Oulu
Tel. +358-294 485193 (office)
Aapistie 5B (street address)
P.O.Box 5000
FI-90014 University of Oulu
Finland
GPCRs RESEARCH TEAM
GPCRs Research team is one of the Medical Research Center (MRC) Oulu Research Groups.
RESEARCH AREA
GPCRs (G Protein-Coupled Receptors) Research Team is focused on investigating biosynthesis, processing and degradation of G protein-coupled receptors. These cell surface proteins mediate extracellular signals into cellular responses and constitute the largest known protein family in the human genome involved in cellular signaling. They control vital physiological processes, both in health and disease, and are immensely important drug targets.
Development of more specialized drugs requires further knowledge on functional characteristics of GPCRs and on mechanisms that regulate their activity. Our aim is to provide comprehensive information on these aspects at the cellular level.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS
We have made significant contributions to the GPCR research field by observing that not only mutant, disease-causing receptors, but even wild-type ones may be impaired in finding the correct functional conformation during biosynthesis. We have also been among the first to describe a novel paradigm for ligand-mediated GPCR up-regulation (increase in receptor levels). The pharmacol­ogical chaper­one activity of membrane-permeable GPCR ligands allows them to bind and stabilize immature intracellular receptors and enhance their transport to the cell surface. This property is independent of their signaling activity, proposing that drugs that are in clinical use may have previously unknown properties that affect their usefulness and efficacy.
RESEARCH TEAM
At present, GPCRs Research Team consists of two post-doctoral fellows, two Ph.D. students and two M.Sc. students led by Ulla Petäjä-Repo, Ph.D, Senior Research Fellow. Doctoral training is provided by the MRC Oulu doctoral program of the University of Oulu Graduate School, UniOGS. We are located at the University of Oulu, Research Unit of Biomedicine at Aapistie 5B, Oulu, Finland.
OPEN POSITIONS
Students preparing MD or M.Sc thesis are welcome to join the team at any time.
For enquiries and applications, please contact group leader Ulla Petäjä-Repo, tel. +358-294 485193, +358-40-724 7328, e-mail: Ulla Petaja-Repo(at)oulu.fi