Mas receptor

Mas receptor
Name	Mas receptor
Uniprot	P04201
Organism	Homo sapiens
Length	325 aa
Location	Plasma membrane
Family	G protein-coupled receptor

Mas receptor

The Mas receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor involved in peptide hormone signaling, discovered in studies of oncogenes and cardiovascular regulation. It participates in peptide ligand recognition and intracellular signaling that modulates cardiovascular, renal, and central nervous system functions. Research on the receptor intersects with studies of peptide hormones, receptor pharmacology, and translational medicine.

Introduction

The Mas receptor was first identified in studies linking proto-oncogenes to receptor biology during research at institutions like National Institutes of Health, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Harvard Medical School. Early molecular characterization drew attention from researchers at University of Cambridge and Max Planck Society laboratories investigating G protein-coupled receptors and their roles in physiology. The receptor's discovery spurred collaborations across centers such as Johns Hopkins University and University of Oxford that explored its role in peptide signaling, cardiovascular regulation, and potential therapeutic targeting.

Structure and Molecular Biology

The Mas receptor belongs to the rhodopsin-like seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor family characterized by conserved motifs identified in analyses from groups at European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Its coding gene, MAS1, maps to human chromosome regions studied by cytogenetics groups at Broad Institute and Sanger Centre. Structural models informed by crystallography initiatives at Stanford University School of Medicine and computational methods developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology predict a seven-transmembrane alpha-helical core with extracellular N-terminus and intracellular C-terminus typical of GPCRs. Post-translational modifications, including glycosylation and palmitoylation, were characterized in labs associated with University of California, San Francisco and Yale University School of Medicine, showing influence on receptor trafficking and membrane localization at the plasma membrane in cell lines used by researchers at European Bioinformatics Institute.

Physiological Functions and Signaling Pathways

Functionally, the Mas receptor mediates signaling cascades linked to peptide ligands identified in peptide hormone research at Karolinska Institutet, Scripps Research Institute, and University of Toronto. Downstream coupling engages heterotrimeric G proteins and beta-arrestin pathways characterized in pathway mapping performed at Broad Institute and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Signaling outputs modulate second messengers such as cyclic AMP and intracellular calcium, with cross-talk to kinases studied at Rockefeller University and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The receptor influences nitric oxide bioavailability and endothelial function explored in vascular biology programs at Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Neural roles were delineated in neurobiology groups at University College London and McGill University, linking Mas receptor signaling to neuroprotective and neuromodulatory outcomes.

Role in Cardiovascular and Renal Systems

In cardiovascular physiology, the Mas receptor is implicated in blood pressure regulation, vasodilation, and cardiac remodeling investigated by cardiovascular centers at Imperial College London, Duke University School of Medicine, and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Renal studies from nephrology units at Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset and Mount Sinai Hospital report roles in sodium handling and glomerular function. Interactions with peptide axes characterized in research at University of California, San Diego and Vanderbilt University Medical Center indicate effects on vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Clinical investigators at Cleveland Clinic and Hospital for Special Surgery have correlated receptor activity with markers of cardiac fibrosis and renal injury in translational cohorts.

Pathophysiology and Clinical Significance

Altered Mas receptor signaling has been associated with pathologies studied by multidisciplinary teams at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Associations include hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and pulmonary hypertension characterized in epidemiologic and mechanistic studies at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Stanford Health Care. In neuroscience, dysfunction relates to neurodegenerative and mood disorders examined at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. Genetic and expression studies from consortia such as 1000 Genomes Project and Genotype-Tissue Expression Project have explored population variants and tissue-specific expression patterns relevant to disease susceptibility.

Pharmacology and Therapeutic Potential

Pharmacological modulation of the Mas receptor has been pursued by pharmaceutical groups at Novartis, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca and academic drug discovery centers at University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. Agonists and antagonists, some peptide-derived, have been evaluated in preclinical models at National Institutes of Health intramural programs and biotech companies emerging from Cambridge Innovation Center. Therapeutic interest centers on cardiovascular protection, renal preservation, and neuroprotection, with early-phase trials coordinated by centers including Mayo Clinic and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Drug development leverages high-throughput screening platforms developed at Broad Institute and structural insights from GPCR crystallography consortia.

Experimental Models and Research Methods

Experimental investigation uses cell culture systems, transgenic and knockout mice generated at facilities such as The Jackson Laboratory and European Mouse Mutant Archive, and large-animal models maintained at centers like National Swine Research and Resource Center. Techniques include immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization performed in core facilities at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Wellcome Sanger Institute, signaling assays developed at EMBL-EBI, and proteomics pipelines from ProteomeXchange partners. Clinical research uses imaging modalities from centers such as Mayo Clinic and multicenter consortia coordinated by European Society of Cardiology and American Heart Association for translational studies.

Category:G protein-coupled receptors