Cannabinoids and Cannabinoid Receptors: The Story So Far

Overview

Journal iScience

Publisher Cell Press

Date 2020 Jul 7

PMID 32629422

Citations 73

Authors

Fred Shahbazi

Victoria Grandi

Abhinandan Banerjee

John F Trant

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Like most modern molecular biology and natural product chemistry, understanding cannabinoid pharmacology centers around molecular interactions, in this case, between the cannabinoids and their putative targets, the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB). Understanding the complex structure and interplay between the partners in this molecular dance is required to understand the mechanism of action of synthetic, endogenous, and phytochemical cannabinoids. This review, with 91 references, surveys our understanding of the structural biology of the cannabinoids and their target receptors including both a critical comparison of the extant crystal structures and the computationally derived homology models, as well as an in-depth discussion about the binding modes of the major cannabinoids. The aim is to assist in situating structural biochemists, synthetic chemists, and molecular biologists who are new to the field of cannabis research.

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