GPCRpipe: a pipeline for the detection of G-protein coupled receptors in proteomes

G-protein coupled receptors represent the largest and most diverse superfamily of transmembrane receptors in eukaryotic cells, with more than 800 genes encoding such receptors in the human genome. At the interface between the extracellular and intracellular milieu, they are involved in the regulation of nearly every physiological process by converting extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses. Most GPCRs functions are performed by a special group of proteins called G-proteins. G-proteins act as switches for the transduction of messages from the extracellular space inside the cell, through their interaction with GPCRs. G-proteins interact with various effector molecules to immediately change the concentration of cellular molecules, leading eventually to a wide range of cellular and physiological responses.