MC4R dimerisation and signalling

Obesity is one of the most challenging global health problems. One key player in energy homeostasis is the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). The  structural properties and functional consequences of MC4R dimerisation are not yet known. Piechowski and colleagues identified the structural regions involved in MC4R dimerisation before inducing the dissociation of dimers with MCR4 variants, finding that receptor dimer dissociation was associated with increased capacity for signalling activity.

Read the full article in Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 51 109–118, DOI: 10.1530/JME-13-0061.