Investigating aspartame and acesulfame potassium as potential novel ligands for Class A orphan GPCRs
| dc.contributor.advisor | Rourke, Jill | |
| dc.contributor.author | MacKinnon, Brandon | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-12-16T14:32:58Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-12-16T14:32:58Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020 | |
| dc.description.note | Artificial sweeteners are gaining increasing popularity as an alternative to sugar; however, new studies in rats show that prolonged exposer to artificial sweeteners increases breast, brain, and urinary cancer risk. Concerns have been raised with the quality, safety and the long-term health risks associated with artificial sweeteners and artificial sweeteners have been shown to induce metabolic syndrome. These sweeteners have demonstrated activity that is mediated via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs mediate many of our physiological responses to stimulants; however, around 100 of these receptors are deemed orphan, and may represent targets for sweetener activation. In this study, a high throughput screening platform was used to simultaneously quantify β-arrestin recruitment to 72 orphan GPCRs. Cells expressing receptors of interest were treated with the artificial sweeteners, aspartame and acesulfame K prior to quantification of receptor activation. GPR32, GPR4, GPR12, GPR84 and MAS1 were significantly activated in response to sweetener treatment. These receptors are expressed in epithelial cells. GPR4, GPR32, and GPR84 are connected to inflammatory responses, with artificial sweeteners also causing inflammation in the body. If validated, they will represent some of the first known ligands for the orphan receptors in question and could have implications for their role in inflammatory responses. | |
| dc.format.extent | 63 p. | |
| dc.format.medium | electronic | |
| dc.identifier.other | mta:29156 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14662/573 | |
| dc.language | eng | |
| dc.language.iso | iso639-2b | |
| dc.publisher | Mount Allison University | |
| dc.rights | author | |
| dc.subject.discipline | Chemistry and Biochemistry | |
| dc.title | Investigating aspartame and acesulfame potassium as potential novel ligands for Class A orphan GPCRs | |
| dc.type | Text | |
| dc.type | Dissertation/Thesis | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Biochemistry | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Mount Allison University | |
| thesis.degree.level | Undergraduate | |
| thesis.degree.name | Bachelor of Science |
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