Arthur Christopoulos is an Australian Professor of Analytical Pharmacology at Monash University. He was a Councillor of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology from 2018 to 2022. [1] In 2019 he was appointed Dean of Monash University's Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences [2] and from 2021 to 2023 he served as the inaugural Director of Monash University's Neuromedicines Discovery Centre. [3] He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2021. [4]
Christopoulos obtained a Bachelor of Pharmacy and his PhD from the Victorian College of Pharmacy, Monash University, and subsequently pursued postdoctoral studies in the Department of Neuroscience Research in Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, prior to returning to Australia to establish his laboratory within the Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne. In 2006, he moved to Monash University.
Arthur Christopoulos’ research focuses on allosteric mechanisms of drug action and signal-pathway biased agonism at G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) – the largest class of drug targets - and incorporates molecular pharmacology, computational and mathematical modeling, medicinal chemistry, structural and chemical biology, and animal models of behaviour. He has served on the Editorial Board of several scientific journals, including Molecular Pharmacology, the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Pharmacological Reviews, ACS Chemical Neuroscience, the British Journal of Pharmacology and ACS Pharmacology and Translational Sciences. Prior to taking up his current position as Dean, Professor Christopoulos held a Senior Principal Research Fellowship of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
He is the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the 2013 John J. Abel Award [5] and the 2024 Goodman and Gilman Award [6] from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, the Rand Medal from the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists, [7] the 2014 IUPHAR Analytical Pharmacology Lecturer, [8] a 2015 Doctor of Laws [9] ( Honoris Causa ) from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, the 2016 recipient of the Gaddum Memorial Award [10] from the British Pharmacological Society and the 2016 GSK Award for Research Excellence. [11] Since 2014, Clarivate Analytics has annually regularly named him a Highly Cited Researcher in Pharmacology and Toxicology. [12] In 2021, Arthur was named a Highly Cited Researcher in both Pharmacology and Toxicology and Biology and Biochemistry categories. [13] In 2017 he was elected a Fellow [14] of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, in 2018 he was elected as a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society [15] and in 2023 he was elected as a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. [16]
In 2022, Prof. Christopoulos was an academic co-founder of the GPCR biotech. startup, Septerna Inc. [17]
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-(pass)-transmembrane domain receptors, 7TM receptors, heptahelical receptors, serpentine receptors, and G protein-linked receptors (GPLR), form a large group of evolutionarily related proteins that are cell surface receptors that detect molecules outside the cell and activate cellular responses. They are coupled with G proteins. They pass through the cell membrane seven times in the form of six loops of amino acid residues, which is why they are sometimes referred to as seven-transmembrane receptors. Ligands can bind either to the extracellular N-terminus and loops or to the binding site within transmembrane helices. They are all activated by agonists, although a spontaneous auto-activation of an empty receptor has also been observed.
In the fields of biochemistry and pharmacology an allosteric regulator is a substance that binds to a site on an enzyme or receptor distinct from the active site, resulting in a conformational change that alters the protein's activity, either enhancing or inhibiting its function. In contrast, substances that bind directly to an enzyme's active site or the binding site of the endogenous ligand of a receptor are called orthosteric regulators or modulators.
An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the agonist, while an inverse agonist causes an action opposite to that of the agonist.
A receptor antagonist is a type of receptor ligand or drug that blocks or dampens a biological response by binding to and blocking a receptor rather than activating it like an agonist. Antagonist drugs interfere in the natural operation of receptor proteins. They are sometimes called blockers; examples include alpha blockers, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. In pharmacology, antagonists have affinity but no efficacy for their cognate receptors, and binding will disrupt the interaction and inhibit the function of an agonist or inverse agonist at receptors. Antagonists mediate their effects by binding to the active site or to the allosteric site on a receptor, or they may interact at unique binding sites not normally involved in the biological regulation of the receptor's activity. Antagonist activity may be reversible or irreversible depending on the longevity of the antagonist–receptor complex, which, in turn, depends on the nature of antagonist–receptor binding. The majority of drug antagonists achieve their potency by competing with endogenous ligands or substrates at structurally defined binding sites on receptors.
Functional selectivity is the ligand-dependent selectivity for certain signal transduction pathways relative to a reference ligand at the same receptor. Functional selectivity can be present when a receptor has several possible signal transduction pathways. To which degree each pathway is activated thus depends on which ligand binds to the receptor. Functional selectivity, or biased signaling, is most extensively characterized at G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). A number of biased agonists, such as those at muscarinic M2 receptors tested as analgesics or antiproliferative drugs, or those at opioid receptors that mediate pain, show potential at various receptor families to increase beneficial properties while reducing side effects. For example, pre-clinical studies with G protein biased agonists at the μ-opioid receptor show equivalent efficacy for treating pain with reduced risk for addictive potential and respiratory depression. Studies within the chemokine receptor system also suggest that GPCR biased agonism is physiologically relevant. For example, a beta-arrestin biased agonist of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 induced greater chemotaxis of T cells relative to a G protein biased agonist.
In biochemistry and pharmacology, a ligand is a substance that forms a complex with a biomolecule to serve a biological purpose. The etymology stems from Latin ligare, which means 'to bind'. In protein-ligand binding, the ligand is usually a molecule which produces a signal by binding to a site on a target protein. The binding typically results in a change of conformational isomerism (conformation) of the target protein. In DNA-ligand binding studies, the ligand can be a small molecule, ion, or protein which binds to the DNA double helix. The relationship between ligand and binding partner is a function of charge, hydrophobicity, and molecular structure.
The calcitonin receptor (CT) is a G protein-coupled receptor that binds the peptide hormone calcitonin and is involved in maintenance of calcium homeostasis, particularly with respect to bone formation and metabolism.
The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) found on beta cells of the pancreas and on neurons of the brain. It is involved in the control of blood sugar level by enhancing insulin secretion. In humans it is synthesised by the gene GLP1R, which is present on chromosome 6. It is a member of the glucagon receptor family of GPCRs. GLP1R is composed of two domains, one extracellular (ECD) that binds the C-terminal helix of GLP-1, and one transmembrane (TMD) domain that binds the N-terminal region of GLP-1. In the TMD domain there is a fulcrum of polar residues that regulates the biased signaling of the receptor while the transmembrane helical boundaries and extracellular surface are a trigger for biased agonism.
The human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M5, encoded by the CHRM5 gene, is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily of integral membrane proteins. It is coupled to Gq protein. Binding of the endogenous ligand acetylcholine to the M5 receptor triggers a number of cellular responses such as adenylate cyclase inhibition, phosphoinositide degradation, and potassium channel modulation. Muscarinic receptors mediate many of the effects of acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous system. The clinical implications of this receptor have not been fully explored; however, stimulation of this receptor is known to effectively decrease cyclic AMP levels and downregulate the activity of protein kinase A (PKA).
Dopamine receptor D2, also known as D2R, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the DRD2 gene. After work from Paul Greengard's lab had suggested that dopamine receptors were the site of action of antipsychotic drugs, several groups, including those of Solomon H. Snyder and Philip Seeman used a radiolabeled antipsychotic drug to identify what is now known as the dopamine D2 receptor. The dopamine D2 receptor is the main receptor for most antipsychotic drugs. The structure of DRD2 in complex with the atypical antipsychotic risperidone has been determined.
The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 1, is a muscarinic receptor that in humans is encoded by the CHRM1 gene. It is localized to 11q13.
The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 2, is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor that in humans is encoded by the CHRM2 gene. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described for this gene. It is Gi-coupled, reducing intracellular levels of cAMP.
The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M4, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 4 (CHRM4), is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the CHRM4 gene.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the GRM2 gene. mGluR2 is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that couples with the Gi alpha subunit. The receptor functions as an autoreceptor for glutamate, that upon activation, inhibits the emptying of vesicular contents at the presynaptic terminal of glutamatergic neurons.
Secretin receptor family consists of secretin receptors regulated by peptide hormones from the glucagon hormone family. The family is different from adhesion G protein-coupled receptors.
Brian Kent Kobilka is an American physiologist and a recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Robert Lefkowitz for discoveries that reveal the workings of G protein-coupled receptors. He is currently a professor in the department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also a co-founder of ConfometRx, a biotechnology company focusing on G protein-coupled receptors. He was named a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2011.
A GPCR oligomer is a protein complex that consists of a small number of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). It is held together by covalent bonds or by intermolecular forces. The subunits within this complex are called protomers, while unconnected receptors are called monomers. Receptor homomers consist of identical protomers, while heteromers consist of different protomers.
Deborah Lucy Hay is a New Zealand academic. In 2022, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Jan Steyaert is a Belgian bioengineer and molecular biologist. He started his career as an enzymologist but the Steyaertlab is best known for pioneering work on (engineered) nanobodies for applications in structural biology, omics and drug design. He is full professor and teaches biochemistry at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Director of the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, one of the Research Centers of the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB). He was involved in the foundation of three spin-off companies: Ablynx, Biotalys, and Confo Therapeutics.
The amylin receptors (AMYRs) are heterodimers of the calcitonin receptor that are bound to by amylin with high affinity and consist of AMY1, AMY2, and AMY3. Amylin mimetics that are agonists at the amylin receptors are being developed as therapies for diabetes and obesity, and one, pramlintide, has been FDA approved. The AMY1 receptor may be activated by both amylin and the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and could play a role in the effects of CGRP receptor antagonists developed for migraine. Dual agonists of the amylin and calcitonin receptors (DACRAs) are under development for obesity. Amylin and its receptors are believed to play a role in Alzheimer's disease.