1666-TM184C is a GPCR-like Regulator of Autophagy

Paper Talk · Oct 11, 2026 · 23m

The paper describes a novel methodology that utilizes AlphaFold2 models and structural similarity searches to uncover uncharacterized regions of the human proteome, specifically identifying superdark seven-transmembrane proteins that structurally resemble G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Through this approach, the researchers focus on TM184C, an ancient and broadly expressed protein that localizes to intracellular vesicles rather than the plasma membrane. Although it lacks canonical G-protein coupling, TM184C demonstrates ancient GPCR-like features, such as arrestin codes and…