Exploring the Structure and Dynamics of Amylin Receptors

Membrane receptors are proteins located on the surface of cells that are involved in almost all physiological functions, transmitting signals from outside of the cell into responses inside the cell. In this thesis, we used high-resolution microscopy and biophysical techniques to show that the three receptors for the hormone amylin display different structural dynamics, contributing to their unique characteristics. Additionally, we found that different hormones modulate the dynamics of the amylin receptors in unique ways. These findings improve our understanding of how these receptors function and will benefit future drug development.