Membrane receptors are a protein-based class of biocatalysts distinct from enzymes. The luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family (GPCR), the largest class of receptors with approximately 800 known examples in humans, is the topic of this manuscript. G proteins, upon activation by GPCRs, transduce signal from membrane receptor to signaling pathways that are activated by biocatalytic processes inside living cells and, as such, are responsible for many physiological responses related to metabolism, nervous system function and other physiologic processes. Activation of the LHR a GPCR resulting from binding of a ligand or, as discussed in this review, by vanadium compounds, and subsequent activation of G proteins, has a multiplicative effect to activate downstream biocatalysts participating in well-defined, often branching, signaling pathways. Several aspects of GPCR-mediated signaling are being targeted in the development of pharmacologically important compounds and, recently, we have shown that the plasma membrane functions as an additional target for modulation of receptor activity by vanadium compounds.

膜受体是一类不同于酶的基于蛋白质的生物催化剂。黄体生成素受体 (LHR) 是 G 蛋白偶联受体家族 (GPCR) 的成员，这是人类中最大的受体类别，已知有大约 800 个实例，是本手稿的主题。G 蛋白在被 GPCR 激活后，将信号从膜受体转导至信号通路，这些信号通路由活细胞内的生物催化过程激活，因此负责许多与新陈代谢、神经系统功能和其他生理过程相关的生理反应。由配体结合引起的 LHR 和 GPCR 的激活，或如本综述中所讨论的，通过钒化合物的激活，以及随后 G 蛋白的激活，对激活参与明确定义的下游生物催化剂具有倍增效应，常有分支、信号通路。GPCR 介导的信号传导的几个方面正在成为药理学上重要化合物的开发目标，最近，我们已经表明，质膜可作为钒化合物调节受体活性的额外靶标。