Screening the receptorome for plant-based psychoactive compounds.
Life sciences December 22, 2005 Kerry Ann O'Connor, Bryan L Roth 22 citations
Psychoactive plants and their derivatives have long been used for spiritual, therapeutic, and recreational purposes, and they have also advanced understanding of neurochemical processes and central nervous system diseases. G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most common molecular targets for psychoactive drugs, and the receptorome—the portion of the genome encoding ligand reception—comprises over 8% of the human genome, offering many possible targets. A systematic, comprehensive study is needed to identify novel active psychoactive plant-based compounds and their molecular targets. This work describes a high-throughput screening system for psychoactive compounds against the receptorome, using Salvia divinorum and Banisteriopsis caapi as examples where the system identified each compound's molecular target.