On November 17, 2022, Professor Sun Jinpeng from Shandong University was invited to conduct academic exchanges at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and delivered an academic report titled "Diversity of Ligand Recognition and Signal Transduction of G Protein-Coupled Receptors". In this report, Professor Sun Jinpeng's team focused on the research of ligand discovery, signal transduction, and functions of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). They innovatively proposed the flute model of receptor signal transduction phosphorylation coding and the sorting mechanism of the polyproline docking site. They discovered a brand-new rapid mechanism by which the Arrestin-biased signaling pathway downstream of GPCRs activates ion channels. They found that COMP and homocysteine are endogenous ligands of AT1R, and discovered the rapid effect of glucocorticoids in activating GPR97. Progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone are endogenous ligands of GPR126, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) are endogenous ligands of GPR64. The team also elucidated the mechanisms by which receptors perceive itching and force, clarified the structural basis for the recognition of endogenous ligands by the dopamine receptor, which is related to the "happiness hormone", and bile acid receptors. In addition, they have developed a variety of GPCR ligands with promising prospects for disease treatment.

Professor Nie engaged in discussions with faculty and students at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Professor Sun Jinpeng (the second from the left) took a group photo with Researcher Liu Chengbo (the second from the right) and others

Personal Introduction: Sun Jinpeng is a professor and doctoral supervisor, and a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (in the research direction of pharmacology). He serves as a professor in the Department of Physiology and Pathology at Peking University, and the Executive Vice Dean of the Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences at Shandong University. Professor Sun Jinpeng obtained his doctoral degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the United States. He then conducted research on the pharmacology of membrane receptors under the guidance of the GPCR (G Protein-Coupled Receptor) expert, Robert J. Lefkowitz (the recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry). Professor Sun Jinpeng has long been engaged in research on the de-orphaning of G protein-coupled membrane receptors (GPCRs), ligand discovery, the cellular mechanisms of functional diversity, and the development of biased drugs. He has published more than 110 articles, which have been cited over 4,000 times. As the corresponding author, he has published more than 70 articles in renowned journals such as Nature (5 articles), Cell, Cell Metabolism, Nature Chemical Biology (2 articles), Cell Research (2 articles), Circulation Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) (4 articles), Nature Communications (6 articles), Biological Psychiatry, Science Advances, EMBO Reports, Cell Reports, eLife, Chemical Sciences, and Biomaterials. The cumulative impact factor of these articles exceeds 800. Among them, 8 corresponding author articles have been specifically recommended by Faculty 1000, 9 articles have received special reviews, and 3 corresponding author articles have been selected as journal covers.