Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40866348›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Mechanism and function of GPR3 regulated by a negative allosteric modulator.

Geng Chen, Jana Bláhová, Nico Staffen, Harald Hübner, Nadja Nunhöfer, Chen Qiu, Peter Gmeiner, Dorothee Weikert, Yang Du, Jun Xu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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  4. Development of pH-Sensitive β‑Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists.ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2026
    Article
  5. Review
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  11. A biased allosteric modulator functions as a molecular glue to induce βbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Geng Chen *School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Jana Bláhová *Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-3884-1116
Nico StaffenDepartment of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Harald HübnerDepartment of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7892-599X
Nadja NunhöferDepartment of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Chen QiuKobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen Futian Biomedical Innovation R&D Center, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
Peter GmeinerDepartment of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. peter.gmeiner@fau.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4127-197X
Dorothee WeikertDepartment of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Medicinal Chemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. dorothee.weikert@fau.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2259-9002
Yang DuKobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen Futian Biomedical Innovation R&D Center, School of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. yangdu@cuhk.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8107-6397
Jun XuDepartment of Medical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. xuj8@sustech.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1600-583X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Allosteric modulators have gained substantial interest in current GPCR drug discovery. Here, we present a mechanism of allosteric modulation involving the dimerization of GPR3, a promising drug target for metabolic diseases and central nervous system disorders. We show that GPR3 forms constitutive homodimers in live cells and reveal that the inhibitor AF64394 functions as a negative allosteric modulator (NAM) specifically targeting dimeric GPR3. Using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we determine the structures of the AF64394-bound GPR3 dimer and its dimer-Gs signaling complex. These high-resolution structures reveal that AF64394 binds to the transmembrane dimer interface. AF64394 binding prevents the dissociation of the GPR3 dimer upon engagement with Gs and restrains transmembrane helix 5 in an inactive-like intermediate conformation, leading to reduced coupling with Gs. Our studies unveil a mechanism of dimer-specific inhibition of signaling with significant implications for the discovery of drugs targeting GPCRs capable of dimerization.

Indexed as

Receptors, G-Protein-CoupledAllosteric RegulationAnimalsCryoelectron MicroscopyHEK293 CellsHumansProtein BindingProtein MultimerizationSignal TransductionGPR3 protein, humanReceptors, G-Protein-Coupled

Identifiers

PMID40866348
PMCPMC12391488

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.